Bedtime books for kids

19 April 2017

Make your nighttime routine more enjoyable for your child (and you!) with these must-have bedtime stories, poems and rhymes to help lull your little one to sleep.

Cuddly Cloth Puppets: Sleepy Sheep!

For children aged 0 - 18 months

Cuddle up at bedtime with Sleepy Sheep! Babies and toddlers will love this beautifully soft, shaped cloth book with strokable felt ears. Read the story, then use the book as a puppet to bring the farmyard to life.

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Small Talk: Bedtime

For children aged 0 - 2 years

Learn how expressions, gestures and repetition of simple first words can help early conversations to blossom, throughout baby's bathtime and nighttime routine. By encouraging babies to join in, you'll soon experience the joy of their very first words and phrases.

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Bedtime Stories

For children aged 10 months to 18 months

A delightful first storybook designed for older babies. Each spread has finger trails cut into the page, and textured illustrations for little hands to trace. With beautiful, warm illustrations to capture the imagination, and a gentle rhythmic, lullaby-text, this book about sleepy people and creatures is perfect for little ones preparing for bed.

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Bedtime Rhymes

For children aged 0 - 5 years

From "Wee Willie Winkie", to "Rock-a-bye Baby", the sounds and rhythms of these gentle nursery rhymes are a great way to help children wind down the day and ready for sleep.

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Goodnight Moon

For children aged 1 - 5 years

Chosen as one of BookTrust and Supernanny Jo Frost's Best Bedtime Reads for Newborns.

This gentle bedtime story has lulled generations of children to sleep. Margaret Wise Brown's comforting, rhythmical text accompanied by the warmth of Clement Hurd's classic mid-century illustrations make Goodnight Moon a timeless picture book.

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WOW! It's Night-time

Perfect for children aged 2 - 4 years

When it's time for us to go to bed, owls are just waking up and one curious little owl is ready to discover the wonders of night-time. But where are all the other owls? A perfect preschool introduction to the nocturnal world with something to count on every page.

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Mother Goose's Bedtime Rhymes

For children aged 2 - 5 years

From "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to "Hush-a-bye Baby", these twelve classic nursery rhymes and traditional lullabies are beautifully illustrated by the award-winning Axel Scheffler, illustrator of The Gruffalo. With a read-along CD that slots neatly into the cover, Mother Goose's Bedtime Rhymes is the perfect bedtime book for families to share.

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Wake Up Do, Lydia Lou!

For children aged 3 - 5 years

A little ghost tries to give Lydia Lou a scare... but he can't even wake her up. So he fetches his noisy animal friends to help! A gentle and playful bedtime read from Julia Donaldson, the author of The Gruffalo. Wake Up Do, Lydia Lou! is full of fun sounds which children will love to join in with time and time again.

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The Midnight Library

For children aged 3 - 5 years

When we are fast asleep in bed, the Midnight Library springs to life. The little librarian and her three assistant owls help each and every night-time animal to find the perfect book. But with a noisy squirrel band, an upset wolf and a slow-reading tortoise to help, they could all be in for a very busy night. A beautiful, big-hearted book about the joy of reading and the importance of libraries.

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Darkness Slipped In

For children aged 3 - 6 years

Daisy is busy playing when Darkness slips in through her bedroom window. But she isn't afraid - she takes him by the hand and together they dance the night away! This playful rhyming story makes a great bedtime read, perfect for reassuring children who are afraid of the dark.

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The Bedtime Bear

For children aged 3 - 7 years old

Bedtime isn't bedtime without your favourite bear - and Tom's bear is on his way! Follow Bear on his adventures as he finds his way back to Tom, from cycling through the jungle with a tiger to hitching a lift with a sheep on a jeep.

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Bedtime Stories For 5 Year Olds

For children aged 5 years and up

With stories from Berlie Doherty, Dick King-Smith, Joan G. Robinson, Adele Geras and many more, Bedtime Stories for 5 Year Olds is a rich and varied selection of heart-warming stories, perfect for snuggling up with at bedtime. Great for reading alone or reading aloud - and for dipping into time and time again.

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A Poem for Every Night of the Year

For children aged 6 - 11 years

A Poem For Every Night of the Year is a magnificent collection of 366 poems compiled by Allie Esiri, one to share for every night of the year. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing with all the family, it contains a full spectrum of poetry from familiar favourites to exciting contemporary voices.

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Hilary McKay’s Fairy Tales

Perfect for children aged 8 - 11 years

Hilary Mckay's Fairy Tales features ten classic tales each with a unique twist. Was Rapunzel free after she escaped her tower? What was Rumpilstiltskin's real story? Perfect for reading at bedtime.

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Bedtime books for kids

Make your nighttime routine more enjoyable for your child (and you!) with these must-have bedtime stories, poems and rhymes to help lull your little one to sleep.

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