A bedtime book in the tradition of Goodnight Moon! This perfect read-aloud describes that magical time, just as we’re drifting off to sleep, when the moon shines brightly and life emerges from the forest. When the sun goes down and most of us are getting ready for bed, the nighttime animals of the forest all wake up to the light of the moon. The gentle rhyming text and soft and dreamy artwork will appeal to young and old readers alike. Every kid and every family has their own bedtime ritual, and there are definitely kids out there that would go against my rules with their book collections. Maybe the world’s big questions help them fall asleep, or scary books relax them. (I had some friends who loved to read Goosebumps by R.L. Stine right before bed.) There are also budding prodigies who want one of the books from the Baby Loves Science series as a bedtime story. The following soothing bedtime books are sure to lull kids to sleep, but their personalities and book needs are as all-over-the-place as us adult book lovers, so you can always let the kid choose their own book for bedtime.

Getting Ready For Bedtime

Building a vibrant library for your kids requires books from all perspectives, even for soothing bedtime books. Kids who read have more emotional intelligence and empathy, but they also need to read a diverse array of perspectives in order to understand that they’re part of a larger world. There are so many books for all kinds of kids these days, but publishers can still do better in terms of race and gender equity and disability representation.

6 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 126 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 236 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 976 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 536 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 306 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 586 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 626 of the Best Soothing Bedtime Books for Kids - 35