Best Bedtime Books

Sharing a bedtime story with a child can be a delightful experience and a meaningful and beneficial part of any child’s bedtime routine. Sharing high quality bedtime stories with children also has educational benefits. When you start reading to children at a young age it promotes early literacy development and can help prepare a child’s mind for learning language skills.

Establishing consistent bedtime routines involving storytime can promote and nurture a peaceful transition to sleep. And, sharing bedtime stories with children is a wonderful time to spend quality time with your child. Bedtime story time is most enjoyable if you have a collection of high quality bedtime books to choose from.

Rank	Product	Highlights
#1	Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown CHECK PRICE	Best Classic Story
#2	Guess How Much I Love You Board book by Sam McBratney CHECK PRICE	Best Board Book
#3	Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney CHECK PRICE	Best Characters
#4	Just Go To Bed Little Critter by Mercer Mayer CHECK PRICE	Best Value
#5	365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes CHECK PRICE	Best Storybook Collection
#6	How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? By Jane Yolen CHECK PRICE	Best Bedtime Story for Dinosaur Lovers
#7	Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site CHECK PRICE	Best Bedtime Story for Kids Who Like Trucks
#8	The Rebel Gift Box Set: 200 Tales of Extraordinary Women CHECK PRICE	Best Bedtime Stories for Empowering Girls

There are countless story books published that have specific bedtime themes, but not everyone is of good quality or of high interest to children. It can be hard to choose a good selection with all of the choices available on the market today. If you are looking for some great recommendations for a bedtime book for kids, you have come to the right place.

Our experts have sifted through countless options that are available that all have distinct differences in their content, style, and format. We have highlighted our top parent and educator approved recommendations for you right here. Our picks highlight notable features along with pros and cons that will help you make comparisons so you can have a great list of titles for your child’s bedtime story time.

This article also includes additional resources, such as, frequently asked questions and important things to consider that will help you get the information you need to make a good choice when purchasing a bedtime story book for your own child or to give as a gift for a baby shower or any other occasion for a gift. This article will help you get the information you need to make a good decision for your purchase. Continue reading to learn more!

Top 8 Bedtime Books Reviews

1. Best Classic Story – Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

This classic bedtime story written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd is a wonderful choice to share with a child in your life. This story has been a favorite of kids and parents for generations since it was originally published in 1947. Your child will soon catch on to the rhythm and repetition of this story which follows a little bunny saying goodnight to all the things in his house. It is a great bedtime story that calms children providing a peaceful transition to bedtime. Goodnight Moon is available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook and kindle formats. This book is 32 pages long and appeals to children ages 4-8 years of age.

Pros	Cons
Classic story, beloved by millions around the world  Story has rhythm and repetition, which is very appealing to young children Promotes a peaceful transition to bedtime A perfect choice for a baby shower gift	Best for young children, older children may not be as engaged in the story

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2. Best Board Book – Guess How Much I Love You Board book by Sam McBratney

If you are looking for a lovely story that will provide a feeling of comfort to a little one at bedtime. Guess How Much I Love You board book written by Sam McBratnety is a great pick. The illustrator Anita Jeram, skillfully portrays the simple tale’s tender message with captivating watercolors. This gentle and humorous book has an overarching message of unconditional love and is perfect for cuddly bedtime reading. Guess How Much I Love You is also available in a larger hardcover book format. This book is 24 pages long, the board book format appeals most to children up to four years of age.

Pros	Cons
A family classic Captivating story with beautiful illustrations Board book format is sturdy and durable	The board book format of this book is small

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3. Best Characters – Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Llama Llama Red Pajama is an entertaining bedtime story with a catchy rhyming format that is sure to become a favorite. In this story baby llama and his mama work through some separation anxiety issues at bedtime. Both children and adults will be entertained by the depiction of baby llama’s meltdown and comforted by Mama Llama’s response and reassuring message. 

Your child will likely fall in love with the delightful characters that are portrayed in colorful images. Llama Llama Red Pajama is just one book of several baby llama books written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney that approach familiar childhood challenges in an entertaining and playful way. Llama Llama Red Pajama is available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook and kindle formats. This book is 40 pages long, and appeals most to children two to five years of age. 

Pros	Cons
Rhythmic and playful story One of a series of books with the same delightful characters Approaches the challenge of nighttime separation anxiety Has an accompanying Netflix show that is engaging for children	The storyline does not approach attachment parenting approach to bedtime routines

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4. Best Value – Just Go To Bed Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

This delightful story is about Mercer Mayer’s popular character Little Critter, who is not looking forward to bedtime, a challenge that many children will relate to. The plotline of this story is both humorous and entertaining, a perfect addition to your little one’s bedtime routine. Just Go To Bed Little Critter is available in hardcover and paperback formats. This book is 24 pages long, the board book format appeals most to children three to seven years of age.

Pros	Cons
Entertaining story Approaches common bedtime challenges with humor More books available with the same character Low cost	Realistic looking toy gun depicted in illustrations

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5. Best Storybook Collection – 365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes

If you are looking for a collection of stories to share with a child in your life, this beautiful story-time treasury is a great choice. This collection is full of stories and rhymes that offer variety ranging from classic stories to rhymes and verses that are sure to delight any child including favorites such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Little Bo-Peep, Miss Mary Mack, Hickory Dickory Dock, Hansel & Gretel, The Lion and the Mouse, The Ugly Duckling and more! This book is fully illustrated with delightful illustrations. 365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes is available only in padded hardcover format. This book is 384 pages long, and appeals most to children four to seven years of age.

Pros	Cons
A large selection of short stories and rhymes, which allows for flexibility and variation Rich and vivid illustrations Includes classic stories and popular rhymes and verses Durable padded hardcover format Great value	Does not contain 365 complete stories

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6. Best Bedtime Story for Dinosaur Lovers – How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? By Jane Yolen

If your child has a fancy for dinosaurs, How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague is a sure favorite. This story is all about dinosaur “children” and their parents at bedtime. It is perfect for sharing and reading aloud. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Is available in paperback, hardcover, board book, and audio book formats. This book is 40 pages long and appeals most to children from four to eight years of age.

Pros	Cons
Playful dinosaur themed bedtime story Attractive and colorful illustrations More dinosaur themed books available from the same author/illustrator team	The book highlights what not to do, not what to do for effective bedtime routines

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7. Best Bedtime Story for Kids Who Like Trucks – Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

If a child in your life is fascinated with trucks, excavators, or heavy equipment, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is sure to be a bedtime favorite. This story has a catchy storyline with rhyme and repetition and is illustrated with vibrant colors with delightful truck-themed characters. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and kindle formats. This book is forty pages long and appeals most to children ages one to six years of age.

Pros	Cons
Delightful story appeals specifically to children who like trucks Colorful illustrations Catchy and rhythmic, great for reading over and over	No female/feminine characters depicted

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8. Best Bedtime Stories for Empowering Girls – The Rebel Gift Box Set: 200 Tales of Extraordinary Women (Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls)

This boxed gift set includes two volumes of the bestselling volumes of The Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. These books share extraordinary stories of que geared for kids ages six and up –queens and activists, ballerinas and pirates, scientists and inventors, and more for readers to explore and enjoy. The unique narrative style transforms each biography into a fairytale, filling readers with wonder and a burning curiosity to know more about each subject. This boxed gift set includes two hardcover books that feature gorgeous illustrations by female artists from around the world. Books in this set have a combined page length of 448 pages and appeal most to children ages six and up.

Pros	Cons
Empowering stories Appealing for independent readers or for storytime 200 stories	Because they are marketed specifically to girls, boys may be less engaged in the stories.

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What to look for when choosing a good bedtime storybook for kids

As you can see, there is a wide variety of bedtime story books available in the market today. Here are a few things to consider when purchasing one for a child in your life. 

Content

Children enjoy stories that are playful and appealing to their interests. When choosing a bedtime book specifically, avoid content that could be scary, which could potentially disrupt sleep. Rhythmic stories with colorful illustrations are great choices for young children for bedtime. 

Format

The bedtime story books featured in this article come in a variety of formats including hardcover, paperback, kindle, audiobook. However, each book does not come in each and every one of these formats. Be sure to read the product descriptions so that you purchase your book of choice in the format most desirable.

Length

When considering your purchase, think about the length of the storybook you are purchasing. You can determine how many pages are in the book, or the duration of the audiobook in the details of the product listings online. Longer books often contain multiple stories, which can be a great value. 

Copyright/Release Date

Consider the copyright/release date and the publication date of the book/version you are considering so you make sure you have the most up to date version if the book has been reprinted or updated.

Cost

Just like with any purchase, some wine books cost more than others. Hardcover books with color illustrations typically cost more, but will be more durable and long lasting than paperback books. 

Conclusion

Each of the highlighted bedtime storybooks in this feature are highly recommended. Consider all of the information provided and your individual preferences in terms of content and format when making your choice of which bedtime storybook for kids will be the best pick for you and your child.

Photo credit: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock; Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock