One of my favorite recent books to appear in the kids' section is a picture book, written by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Semple with art by Melissa Sweet, called You Nest Here With Me. It's a simply lovely winding down book that manages to be informative and soothing at the same time. Mixed media and deft, expressive watercolors illustrate the lives of wild birds from catbird to hawk, while the text declares where each of these birds sleep--punctuated with the (human) parent's gentle reassurance that, "You nest here with me."
Sweet without being saccharine, and supplemented with a few extra facts about each of the birds at the end of the book, You Nest Here With Me is one of my favorite bedtime books in ages--likely to soothe equally its adult readers and young listeners.
In case one bedtime book isn't enough (is one bedtime book ever enough?), here are a few more we have to share.
Wonderful Bedtime Picture Books
(that you won't immediately get tired of reading)
The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Clement Hurd
Llama, Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Goodnight Already by Jory John, illus. by Benji Davies
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illus. by Beth Krommes
There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illus. by Tom Lichtenheld
Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
Power Down, Little Robot by Anna Stanesziewski
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood
Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett
Somewhere around the end of this list, everyone should be getting sleepy. Happy reading, and sweet dreams!
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