10 Great Bedtime Stories to Read Aloud
by Christina Lewis
http://www.kidsbookshelf.com

Reading to your children is one of the best things you can do with them.
Spending quality time together while snuggling up with them at night reading a good bedtime story is a wonderful way to bond. Below are ten great bedtime stories to read to your children.

Goodnight Moon
By Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by Clement Hurd

In this classic bedtime story the little rabbit says goodnight to everything in the great green room as well as the stars, the air, and the moon. This is a perfect book to read to a child as they prepare for bed.


Good Night, Gorilla
By Peggy Rathmann

This humorous bedtime story will delight young readers as they follow the
zookeeper making his way through the zoo checking on the animals and telling
them goodnight. But the gorilla has snatched the zookeeper’s keys and is letting all of the animals out of their cages. One by one they follow the 
zookeeper home, the lights are turned off and they all say goodnight.


The Going To Bed Book
By Sandra Boynton

The sun has set and all the animals have gone below deck to take baths, brush their teeth, and get their pajamas on. As the moon rises they all go back up to exercise. And when the day is done they go to bed while the moon is high in the sky and the sea rocks them to sleep. Children will enjoy this special bedtime story as they relate to the bedtime routine of the animals.


Harold and the Purple Crayon
By Crockett Johnson

One evening Harold decides to go for a walk, he takes his purple crayon, drawing many adventures on the way. When he gets tired he draws his bedroom window around the moon, then draws his bed and falls asleep. This
enchanting story shows children where imagination can take you.


Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go To Sleep
By Joyce Dunbar
Illustrated by Debi Gliori

We all want to hear something happy before we go to sleep. Willa can’t sleep because she’s afraid of having a bad dream, so she asks her brother Willoughby to tell her something happy. Willoughby points out all of Willa’s things that are just waiting for Willa to wake up and need them – her slippers, clothes, breakfast and toys, and the morning is waiting to wake her up. This is a wonderful book that reassures children morning is waiting to bring them joy and happiness.


Guess How Much I Love You
By Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Anita Jeram

How much does Little Nutbrown Hare love Big Nutbrown Hare? As far as his
arms can stretch, as high as he can hop and right up to the moon, but Big
Nutbrown Hare loves Little Nutbrown Hare as far as his arms can stretch, as
high as he can hop and right up to the moon and back! This beautifully
illustrated and touching story shows the loving bond between parent and child.


Half a Moon and One Whole Star
By Crescent Dragonwagon
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

What goes on in the night? Some are sleeping and some are waking. On a
warm summer night Susan is in bed but not yet asleep, listening to the sounds of summer. The night creatures are awake, some people are working and her parents are talking on the porch. This soothing rhythmical story tells of a whole world at night, while Susan sleeps peacefully, dreaming of daytime.


The Boy Who Wouldn’t Go To Bed
By Helen Cooper

Summertime makes it hard to go to bed when the days are long and it’s still
light out at bedtime. The boy did not want to go to bed, he declared that he would stay up all night, and drove away in his little car. But when the lion wants to snore instead of roar, the train wants to rest instead of race, and the musicians want to play a lullaby instead of a party – the whole world falls asleep. Except for the boy’s mother, who couldn’t go to bed until he did. All this adventure is sure to tire out even the most stubborn sleepers!


Good Night
By Elizabeth Coatsworth
Illustrated by Jose Aruego

The sun has set and there is a star in the dark night sky watching the world go to sleep. This cheerful story demonstrates a child’s familiar nightly ritual and the illustrations show a fun surprise at the end that the star has seen many times before!


Animal Sleepyheads 1 to 10
By Joanna Cole
Illustrated by Jeni Bassett

This adorable rhyming bedtime story is sure to lull children to sleep. From 1 to 10 children can count all of the animals happily sleeping.

Related Articles:

Making Cents
Have fun teaching your kids numbers, money, values, and cards!

Old Fashioned Kid's Games
What games did kids play in the 1940's before Gameboy, Pokeman and computers? The 1948 Home Comfort Cookbook from the Wrought Iron Range Company gives us a peek at what children did for entertainment before the advent of electronics. 

Moving Through the Alphabet from A to Z 
This is a fun and educational way to have get your kids moving! They can learn the alphabet, get some exercise, and have a blast with Mom!

Field Trips? During Summer Vacation?
Don't let the fact that school's out deter you from doing some education things this summer. Learning can be fun!