Bedtime Books for Babies

They say that it is never too early to start reading to your child. When I first started reading to my newborn, I felt a little weird, since my baby had no apparent interest (or even awareness) of the book. But as he gets older, I can really see his love growing for books. One of my favorite times to read is right before putting him down for bed. It is a nice part of a bedtime routine that lets him know what to expect next and paves the way for a smooth trip to the land of nod.

Here are some of my favorite short bedtime stories for babies:

Title: The Book of Bedtimes
This is perfect for the smallest of babies. This board book has 10 pages and each page has a drawing of an animal sleeping and two words. It rhymes and really flows off your tongue.

Title: Time For Bed
This one is a little bit longer at 14 pages. The text is still pretty short and is really beautiful. My husband and I end up quoting it throughout the day and calling our kids all sorts of pet names like “little goose.” It has also prompted my husband to ask my toddler interesting questions like “What happened today that made you laugh?” which always elicits and giggle. I am currently reading this one at least once a day to my 9-month old and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.

Title: The Going to Bed Book
This one is great for babies and toddlers and even preschoolers. The text is little longer and has Sandra Boynton’s typical fun style. It is a great poem and it won’t be long before you can recite the whole thing from memory.

Anyone have more favorite baby bedtime stories?

** This post was originally written 4/25/2006 **