9 Picture Books for Kids Who Are Afraid of the Dark
A fear of the dark is not uncommon for kids of varying ages. This book list provides wonderful read aloud options for kids who are afraid of the things that go bump in the night. I don’t remember being afraid of the dark as a kid, I was more afraid of staying home alone overnight by myself when I was much older! Whether you’re looking for something a little more fun like Afraid of the Light or are really looking at a more serious approach to fear like in Orion and the Dark, you’ll find something to fit your interest. As always, there are many, many more titles available out there, but I hope this small list gets you started!
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9 Picture Books for Kids Who Are Afraid of the Dark
Afraid of the Light by Albert Strasser, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino
Ditter Von Dapp is a quirky rabbit who is painfully afraid of the light. Having confined himself to a cozily dark cave to avoid his biggest fear, he is one day forced to light a candle in order to find a lost left shoe. Despite being afraid that the light “might drive me crazy or turn me to goo,” Von Dapp slowly discovers just how wonderful light can be. In his newly illuminated world, he finds that a wise mouse had stolen his shoe to teach him a valuable lesson.
Dragon Night by J. R. Krause
Georgie is afraid of the night. It’s too dark with the lights off. Too quiet with everyone asleep. And being alone makes everything worse. The dragon is afraid of the knight. After all, the knight carries a heavy sword, and he always wants to fight. The dragon knows just what to do to help Georgie overcome his fear, and the two set off on a unforgettable magical adventure. But when the morning comes, the dragon is still afraid of the knight. How can Georgie help his friend? With kindness and empathy–and a little creativity–maybe Georgie can work some magic of his own.
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
In this charming story, told solely through images, artist Lizi Boyd offers an enchanting exploration of night, nature, and the nocturnal world. One boy’s camping adventure gets even better when he shines a light into the shadows and finds all sorts of nighttime creatures, fascinating insects, plants, trees, and streams—all brilliantly illuminated in the beam of his flashlight.
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan
It’s evening in the forest and Little Owl wakes up from his day-long sleep to watch his friends enjoying the night. Hedgehog sniffs for mushrooms, Skunk nibbles at berries, Frog croaks, and Cricket sings. A full moon rises and Little Owl can’t understand why anyone would want to miss it. Could the daytime be nearly as wonderful? Mama Owl begins to describe it to him, but as the sun comes up, Little Owl falls fast asleep.
Night Animals by Gianna Marino
Something’s out there in the dark! First Possum hears it. Then Skunk. Then Wolf comes running.
“What could it possibly be?” asks Bat.
“Night Animals!” the animals declare.
“But you are night animals,” Bat informs this not-so-smart crew.
Children will love the oh-so-funny animals in this twist on a cozy bedtime book.
Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett
Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. So one night the Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. Emma Yarlett’s second picture book combines her incredible storytelling and artwork with die-cut pages that bring the Dark to life.
Pippa’s Night Parade by Lisa Robinson, illustrated by Lucy Fleming
Pippa’s wonderfully wild imagination is perfect for dreaming up wildly adorable creations. But at night, her imagination runs a little too wild. That’s when the villains and monsters and beasts sneak out of her storybooks to scare her. Pippa tries everything: from night-lights to triple knots to clever disguises. But when the baddies keep coming, she realizes she’ll need to come up with something new. To prepare for this battle, Pippa will have to use everything she’s got―especially that wild imagination. Ready or not, here she comes!
Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Mélanie Watt
Scaredy never sleeps — sleep might mean bad dreams about dragons, ghosts, vampire bats and polka-dot monsters. Our wide-eyed hero has a plan: stay awake all night, every night. Between counting stars, playing cymbals and making scrapbooks, he does a good job of avoiding dreamland. With exhaustion taking its toll, Scaredy comes face-to-face with an alarming horoscope prediction: All his dreams are about to come true!
He must prepare for the worst and his Bad Dream Action Plan includes a fire extinguisher to snuff out dragons and a fan to blast away ghosts. But when disaster strikes, will Scaredy survive this ordeal? Will he thank his lucky stars? Will he find sweet dreams? Scaredy Squirrel at Night tackles a fear everyone — and especially the young — can relate to. It’s a bedtime story to make light of kids’ fear of the dark and a fable for our sleep-deprived society.
Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck
Tiny T. Rex and his friend Pointy are having a campout in the backyard! It is what best friends do. But without their nighty-lights, the dark outside suddenly seems VERY dark . . . and very full of spooky things. Good thing Tiny has a super-secret plan to keep the dark at bay! Full of warmth and plenty of laughs, this new adventure starring Tiny T. Rex shows that friends will always find a way to face their fears together—even when those fears are not what they seem!
