Bedtime Books for Kids
What is your favorite thing to do with the kids in your life? I absolutely love reading with my kids, and this post of Bedtime Books for Kids might just be one of my favorite children’s book list posts to date as there is such sweet memories attached to the book titles I’ve included here.
I may not always feel excited about getting down in the floor and playing Legos with my kids (even though we always end up having fun when I do!), but I am a big fan of reading books with them.
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From the time they were all itty bitty, reading has been something they’ve done with mom every day.
Yes, I even still read aloud with the older kids. This is actually one of our favorite parts of our homeschool days together.
Over the years, I have developed a very close relationship with a handful of different Bedtime Books for Kids.
These are bedtime picture books we’ve read before nap times, before the lights go out at night – and they’ve fit right into our daily rest routines. In this post, I’m sharing our favorites!
There is truly nothing sweeter than bedtime reading!
As you can see, some of these books show some wear. Many of them have been read over and over again throughout the years, and they’re still being read to the youngest ones in our house.
From board books to beautiful hardback titles with coordinating covers – our book collection includes a variety!
My hope is that you will spot some new-to-you titles that you can check out from your local library or grab from your favorite book retailer.
Truthfully, a great many of the books in our home have been purchased second-hand at yard sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, etc. If you enjoy adding to your home library, I highly recommend shopping books used.
Our Favorite Bedtime Books for Kids
When you shop book recommendations through the affiliate links we share on our site, you support This Little Home of Mine. While we do receive an affiliate commission, this does not mean you pay any more for the items we share. We are so grateful you trust is to share the very best books – from our family to yours.
Bedtime in the Southwest – The colorful illustrations in this book draw me in every time.
Goodnight, Little Blue Truck – We own several of the books from the Little Blue Truck series. Over the years, these have been some of our favorite books.
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site – Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator settle in for a good night’s sleep!
Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? – Such a good book to engage those little truck lovers! Never take for granted all the different ways you can encourage literacy skills, even in those early years!
Goodnight, Little One – Yes, this book was written by the author of Goodnight Moon. Dare I say I like this book more than Goodnight Moon.
Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of Goodnight Moon, but if your kids are like mine, they’ve loved that book.
What is it about it? I’m not sure I’ll ever understand.
Good Day, Good Night is another sweet sleepy time book by Margaret Wise Brown.
The illustrations of this book were done by Loren Long, the creator of the super sweet Otis the Tractor book series.
Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones – This book has the most beautiful illustrations.
A Little Owl – This title not only makes a good bedtime book, but this entire series of animal books is fantastic.
I have been so impressed with the amount of actual information is included in these little books.
Night Night Farm – Younger children will love this one. The glow-in-the-dark pages make night time extra fun.
I just realized there’s been another release: Night Night Truck. We might just have to add that one to our bedtime book collection.
God is Watching Over You – When one of my kids was struggling with feeling scared at night, reading this book together before bed was the perfect addition to our night time routine.
I loved having a cozy way to remind him that God is always with him, taking care of him – even at night.
The Twinkly, Twinkly Bedtime Book – My girls especially have had a good time with this one. The light up pages make them giggle every time.
Goodnight Songs – A Celebration of the Seasons – I spotted this book at the library. My kids really enjoy when there’s a listening component to a book we borrow from the library.
The Animals Lullaby – This beautiful book will give you the opportunity to talk with your kids about all the different animals God made.
Goodnight Moon – A classic bedtime book! Again, I’m not sure why kids are so attracted to this book, but I know countless children who will choose this book over any other read aloud on the basket or in the book shelf. I wish I’d thought of it! ha!
Time for Bed – Another great choice for your nighttime ritual of cuddling up and reading together.
Naptime Book Suggestions
A Nap in a Lap – Our copy is beat up and filled with taped-up pages. This book has been well-loved in our house over the years.
The Napping House – Such a simple story that has quickly become a classic book. Most have my kids have memorized this one at some point during their preschool years. This is a perfect read for nap time.
The Full Moon at the Napping House – A fun sequel to The Napping House. We have had the board book versions of these books, but there are other options available.
The fun illustrations in Don and Audrey Wood’s Napping House books make my kids laugh!
Want to shop all of our favorite naptime and bedtime books for kids listed together all in one place?
Don’t worry! We’ve saved these favorites (and more) in our Amazon Storefront.
Other Children’s Book Posts You Might Enjoy Browsing
Interested in more children’s book recommendations? We have a variety of other list of top picks here on This Little Home of Mine.
- Four Seasons Books for Young Readers
- Winter Books and Sensory Activities for Kids
- Groundhog Day Books for Kids
- Valentine’s Day Books for Kids
- Easter Books for Kids
- Apple Books for Kids
- Our Favorite Fall Books for Kids
- Thanksgiving Books for Kids
- Christmas Books for Kids
- Chapter Books for Kids
- Benefits of Audiobooks in Homeschooling
- Thrift Books
- C.S. Lewis Books and Toys for Kids
Book Gift Idea
Books are my favorite thing to gift to others! Gifting books can even be a great idea for a baby shower.
My kids know they will be gifted a book or two on their birthdays. They also know to expect books under the tree on Christmas morning.
I do the same for my nephews. I simply can’t resist gifting books!
A great book makes the perfect gift!
If you’re thinking one of the bedtime books included in this post would make a great present, you could gift it with a:
- sleep sack for a new baby or toddler
- cozy blanket (My girls love these!)
- stuffed animal to cuddle with at night (These Snugababies are super sweet.)
- turtle constellation night light (This one has been in our house for years.)
- white noise machine
- Scripture lullaby music – This music could not be more calming and encouraging. When we started listening to these, they quickly became a favorite for the grownups in our house, too.
Bedtime Basket Idea
Since our oldest kids were wee babies, we have used bath time as a opportunity to sing and read and talk and play games together. At the end of the day, these things can be some of the best ways to connect with your children.
Following bath time, we have always read a Bible story and done our bedtime prayers. However, as they began to get older, we wanted to take things even further with our bedtime routine.
How could we use this time in the evenings to engage with our children (and books) even more?
The answer to that question was the Bedtime Basket! This quickly became a favorite part of our nighttime ritual. While it has changed and evolved over the years, we still consider it to be a great way to bring us together as a family in the evenings.
You’ll have to let us know if you give it a try! I think you whole family would have so much fun with it!
