Top 10 Tuesday - Books for Bedtime

1. Goodnight Moon. I think it's federal law that, if you have anyone under the age of eighteen living in your home, you must own this book. It was in Margaret Wise Brown's will or something. (I'm joking, of course). Furthermore: you must read this book at bedtime at least once a week or your child will grow up to complain to their therapist, "Well, it all started when we had to take Goodnight Moon back to the library..." Seriously though, this book is a classic for a reason.

2. Guess How Much I Love You. We have this in board book form and our children have loved it so much we've had to replace our copy at least once. This is a great one for Daddy to read at bedtime.

3. Goodnight, Goodnight, Sleepyhead. Very few words (a plus at some bedtimes, am I right?) and gorgeous illustrations; this is a beautiful book.

4. Bedtime for Frances. Frances, the little badger, is one of the great children's characters. We have at least two Frances type daughters in our home. Philip likes to read this one.

5. Just Go to Bed. Yes, I know, Little Critter books are not exactly high literature. And I tend to be suspect of any children's book you can buy at the grocery store. But...Little Critter books are different. The humor! The expressive faces! These are actually readable, unlike so many of the little square books off a spinning wire rack. (Particularly any book with a Disney character in it - blech!)

6. Hushabye Lily. The little bunny Lily can't go to sleep because of all the noises in the farmyard. Sleep eventually wins, of course. Gentle illustrations and lots of "Shh's" help make this a great bedtime choice.

7. God Gave Us You. Little Cub is not quite ready to sleep and her series of questions is very true to life. Slightly wordier than I prefer at bedtime, it's still a pretty book and worth the time every once in awhile. Especially if your own Little Cub has been asking similar questions.

8. I Love You, Good Night. This is a board book with just one sentence on each page. Very sweet, with colorful pictures.

9. Hush, Hush, It's Sleepytime This is a "Little Golden Book". We have it in a collection called Bedtime Stories: The Little Golden Book Library. Basic prose and simple sentences with soft, nostalgic illustrations.

10. Pajama Time and The Going to Bed Book. Two favorite board books. Bless Sandra Boynton for writing such readable books that children and parents both enjoy!

So, what are your favorite bedtime books?

This post is linked to Top 10 Tuesday at Oh Amanda.
Update: The Four Moms are talking about bedtime books so I'm also linking this up with them. Come along and see what books these four homeschool moms recommend!

This post contains Amazon Associate links. Any action taken with these links could result in compensation for me. Opinions are my own and I encourage you to check your library or Paperback Swap first - these books are worth it!