Favorite Bedtime books

Here are some of our current favorites to read at bedtime. Most fall into the traditional bedtime story category, but a few do not. My daughter has an ever-expanding library (as do I) so I try to rotate her books every few weeks. This gives her some variety and saves me from reading the same books over and over and over again.

1. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann: has very few words and a simple premise. (Board book)
2. The Moon Sees You & Me by Caleb Burroughs: this is a new book, but we read four times in a row the day we got it. "The moon sees you, The moon sees me, Together, apart, Wherever we may be." The rest of the book follows a similar pattern with the sun, wind, rain, snow, sand, waves, and stars. (Board book)
   
3. Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freedman: savannah animals settle down for sleep (Board Book)
   
4. The Hug Book: A Little Golden Book. About all the reasons we give hugs
5. the companion book, Where do kisses come from?. All the reasons we give kisses
6. Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger. This book has beautiful painted illustrations and very few words. Each night, Grandfather Twilight closes his book, puts on his jacket, and goes for a walk through the woods. He is tasked with a very special job each evening--read the book to find out what. 
7. Stormy Weather by Debi Gliori. This one is one of my favorites. Animal parents assure their little ones that they will protect them in stormy weather. "From north to south and east to west, from cave to berg and twig to nest, a sleepy hush across the world, small creatures in their beds are curled. 
   
8. The Trouble with Dragons by Debi Gliori. Not a bedtime book per se, but my daughter loves this. The trouble with dragons is that they don't know how to take care of the earth and are destroying it by making dragons galore, turning up their heaters, and leaving messes. With help from other animals, the dragons learn to reduce and reuse their demands on our natural resources. 
   
9. Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch. We are big on dragons in our house. Little Bear thinks a dragon who eats milk and cookies lives in his grandparents' basement. 
10. The Amazing Hamweenie by Patty Bowman. I feel this book was actually written with adults in mind. Hamweenie lives in an apartment, in the city. He dreams of grandeur, stardom, of being loved the world over and idolized by children. Nevertheless, he is thwarted at every turn. One of our cats lays on my daughter's bed every night at bedtime, and I think she relates to Hamweenie's frustrations. I just hope she doesn't get too many ideas.