Reading stories to our kids before bed is definitely part of our night time routine for us. This is more part of my 5 year old’s routine than our 2 year old’s although we try our best to get him involved with at least looking at a book before bed as well.
I am always excited to be introduced to new childrens’ books. I’m like a kid in a candy shop when I go into a book store, seriously! I get all giddy inside and I have to seriously use will power to not buy a book every time I go in.
Anyhow, I have been introduced to some new bedtime stories that I’d like to share with you here, each one of them is special for its own reasons!
Interrupting Chicken
By David Ezra Stein
Aug. 2010 ~ Hardcover ~ ISBN 9780763641689 ~ Ages 4-8
This story, I thought was particularly hilarious because we have a little one who LOVES to interrupt stories too. I think this is something that most children love to do. The story is about a little chicken who always interrupts stories when he is supposed to be relaxing so that he can fall asleep. Papa chicken tells Little Chicken some well known fairy tales and each time, Little Chicken adds to the story enthusiastically with her version of how the story should end. It’s a really cute books with a sweet ending!
I also think that this is a great way to lead into a discussion about interrupting. This is something that we have a difficult time with in our house and children have a hard time remembering not to interrupt when they have something to say.
Moon Dreams
By Ruth Martin
Illustrated by Olivier Latyk
Aug. 2010 ~ Hardcover ~ ISBN 9780763650124 ~ Ages 4-7
Moon Dreams is about a little girl name Luna who was born on the night of a full moon. She was always fascinated about the moon and began to wonder where it went during the day. She thinks about all of the places that it could go and she finally gets her answer in her dreams.
This book is a charming book with unique illustrations. I believe this book is a good starting point for many questions about the night sky! It also is a good starting point for a child’s imagination
I particularly enjoyed the textless pages that allowed us to add to the story with our own words and to allow our own creativity and imagination to enter the story.
Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems
Collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Sept. 2010 ~ Hardcover ~ ISBN 9780763642495 ~ Ages birth to 5
I’ve always felt it is important to expose my children to a variety of genres of written texts. Poetry is an excellent type of genres to read at bedtime as you can read only a few if your child is tired or you can go on and on if they are ready for more. Switching on the Moon is a fabulous book of bedtime poems that I hope my children will treasure and remember for many years to come. I can see it becoming one of those books that we keep and hand down to their children (if they have them one day).
I love the large size of this book and the illustrations are simply magical!
Tuck Me In!
By Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt
Sept. 2010 ~ Hardcover ~ ISBN 9780763647285 ~ Ages 1.5-4
This is definitely one of the sweetest bedtime books I’ve ever seen. Right down from the simple, yet engaging and colourful illustrations to the engaging turing pages where baby can tuck the animals into their beds! I love the fact this book has rounded edges a simple detail, but something that I appreciate as a parent to a young child who has hurt themselves on many a book.
The one downside I do have to say is for an interactive book, I would have expected this book to have thicker quality pages because over time, these pages will definitely rip as it will become a favourite in any household. It is such an amazing book. I’d be willing to pay more money for it if the pages were made from a much heavier cardstock.
Regardless of the paper pages, I love this book and think that it is so much fun, engaging and very age appropriate for young children! We loved reading this book over and over again when we received it.
A Bedtime for Bear
By Bonny Becker
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
When impish Mouse comes to spend the night, Bear is in for a rude—and very funny—awakening in this irresistible companion story to the New York Times bestseller A Visitor for Bear.
Sept. 2010 ~ Hardcover ~ ISBN 9780763641016 ~ Ages 5-7
This is a really cute book about a Bear who needs it to be absolutely quiet in order to go to sleep. I would think this would be a perfect book for a child who has the same needs at night time because the book shows that even with his specific needs, he was able to fall asleep!
This book is a humorous book. We laughed and giggled throughout the entire story! We quite enjoyed reading this book together.
