Our favorite bedtime stories for babies

Last updated: November 2006

email print share

Reading any book is a soothing way to send your baby off to dreamland but stories about going to bed sleeping or dreaming are parti!ularly suitable for bedtime and !an even help your !hild understand and a!!ept bedtime rituals as he gets older" No matter whi!h book you pull out at bedtime read it in a soothing voi!e to help !alm and reassure your baby" #ere are some of our favorite bedtime books guaranteed to make at least one of you sleepy: $ Good Night, Gorilla by %eggy Rathmann &hen the 'ookeeper makes his nighttime rounds one mis!hievous gorilla steals his keys and follows him releasing the other animals from their !ages one by one" (nder a moonlit sky they parade silently behind the sleepy 'ookeeper and follow him into his house where the keeper)s wife dis!overs them and es!orts them ba!k to their beds" %ra!ti!ally wordless the book tells a delightful going-to-bed story with magi!al illustrations that will en!hant your !hild" $ Goodnight Moon by *argaret &ise +rown illustrated by ,lement #urd -or de!ades !hildren have taken the story of the little rabbit in Goodnight Moon to heart as he performs his evening ritual of saying goodnight to every ob.e!t in his room in!luding /a !omb and a brush and a bowl full of mush"/ ,lement #urd)s illustrations start out intensely !olored and gradually fade to shades of gray as the bunny grows drowsy" *any parents tell us they depend on this 0uintessential bedtime book to help their !hildren nod off at night" $ The Runaway Bunny by *argaret &ise +rown illustrated by ,lement #urd &hen a young bunny threatens to run away and be!ome a ro!k """ a fish """ a flower """ his mother .oins him in his imaginary flight and assures him that she)ll follow wherever he goes" 1t)s a sweet story of the un!onditional love of a mother for her !hild told in soothing rhythms an ideal book for helping your baby go to sleep feeling safe and !ared for" $ Hush Little Baby by 2ylvia Long 1f you don)t think the !lassi!s !an be improved on reading 2ylvia Long)s new edition of /#ush Little +aby/ may !hange your mind" (nlike the original song)s language whi!h spoke of a mother buying her !hild all sorts of things to !omfort him this new version emphasi'es the beauty and !omfort found in the natural world" 3he familiar bedtime melody will !alm and soothe your !hild and you)ll appre!iate the book)s tender gentle spirit" $ Counting Kisses: A Kiss-and-Read Boo by 4aren 4at' /*y tired little baby do you need a kiss5/ -rom /ten little kisses on teeny tiny toes/ to /one last kiss on your sleepy dreamy head / sparse te6t and winsome illustrations lead you and your baby through a kissing !ountdown that)ll soon be a favorite bedtime ritual for you both" $ !noo"ers: !e#en !hort !hort Bedti$e !tories %or Li#ely Little Kids by 2andra +oynton 3he !harming Snoozers serves up seven bite-si'e tales sweetened with humor" 7a!h little story takes a minute or less to read" ,olorful tabs help older babies turn the pages themselves" 8nd the wonderfully absurd /2illy Lullaby/ at the end .ust might be!ome a family favorite: /9o to sleep my 'oodle : my fibbletyfitsy foo : 9o to sleep sweet noodle : 3he owl is whisp)ring )*oo")/

$ Good Night, Little Bear by %atsy 2!arry; illustrated by Ri!hard 2!arry #ere)s a !lassi! Little 9olden +ook that many moms and dads will remember from !hildhood" 8fter finishing a bedtime story -ather +ear hoists Little +ear on his shoulders and takes him to bed" 1n this playful tale of /&here !ould Little +ear be5/ -ather +ear sear!hes <wink wink= high and low above the !hina !abinet under the stove even in the woodbo6 outside to find him" Little +ear finally reveals himself when they pass a mirror" 1n a gesture every parent !an relate to Little +ear goes to bed believing he)s fooled his dad"

1tsy-+itsy 2pider
3he itsy-bitsy spider ,limbed up the water spout >own !ame the rain 8nd washed the spider out ?ut !ame the sun 8nd dried up all the rain 8nd the itsy-bitsy spider ,limbed up the spout again

#ush Little +aby

#ush little baby don)t say a word" %apa)s gonna buy you a mo!kingbird 8nd if that mo!kingbird won)t sing %apa)s gonna buy you a diamond ring 8nd if that diamond ring turns brass %apa)s gonna buy you a looking glass 8nd if that looking glass gets broke %apa)s gonna buy you a billy goat 8nd if that billy goat won)t pull %apa)s gonna buy you a !art and bull 8nd if that !art and bull fall down @ou)ll still be the sweetest little baby in town

2omewhere ?ver the Rainbow

2omewhere over the rainbow way up high 3here)s a land that 1 heard of on!e in a lullaby

2omewhere over the rainbow skies are blue 8nd the dreams that you dare to dream really do !ome true

2omeday 1)ll wish upon a star 8nd wake up where the !louds are far behind me &here troubles melt like lemon drops 8way above the !himney tops 3hat)s where you)ll find me

2omewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly +irds fly over the rainbow &hy then oh why !an)t 15

1f happy little bluebirds fly +eyond the rainbow &hy oh why !an)t 15

Lavender)s +lue <>illy >illy=

Lavender)s blue dilly dilly Lavender)s green &hen you are 4ing dilly dilly 1 shall be Aueen

&ho told you so dilly dilly &ho told you so5 )3was my own heart dilly dilly 3hat told me so

,all up your friends dilly dilly 2et them to work 2ome to the plough dilly dilly 2ome to the fork

2ome to the hay dilly dilly 2ome to thresh !orn &hilst you and 1 dilly dilly 4eep ourselves warm

Lavender)s blue dilly dilly Lavender)s green &hen you are 4ing dilly dilly 1 shall be Aueen

&ho told you so dilly dilly &ho told you so5 )3was my own heart dilly dilly 3hat told me so