Baby & Toddler

Pre-K

11 Books to Turn to When You Just Can’t Read Goodnight Moon Again

by Jennifer Ridgway

If you’ve read Goodnight Moon to your little one enough times to know what comes after “Goodnight clocks” (yes, it’s socks) and can picture the cow jumping over the moon in your mind right this very minute, it may be time to make some new additions to your stack of bedtime reading books. Here are some great alternatives to Goodnight Moon to try out with your kiddos tonight. (Don’t worry, the comb, and the brush, and the bowl full of mush will still be waiting for you, right where you left them.)

Ages 0 - 2

Leo, Sleep Tight!

Leo, Sleep Tight!

by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Ruth Hearson

Available from:

Leo is quickly becoming a beloved book character that children love reading about. In this story, Leo uses all five senses to wind down and get ready for bed. It is an excellent book to help little ones establish a bedtime routine before nodding off.

Also available from:

Global Baby Bedtimes

Global Baby Bedtimes

by Maya Ajmera

Available from:

This simple book shows the universality of sleep with pictures of sleeping, yawning, and napping babies from different countries who are all dressed in traditional clothing from their cultures. Perfect for infants, who are attracted to other human faces, and with limited text that can easily be read as a lullaby.

Also available from:

Bedtime Bonnet

Bedtime Bonnet

by Nancy Redd, illustrated by Nneka Myers

Available from:

Bedtime means hair care in one little girl’s family. But when she loses her bedtime bonnet, her nighttime routine gets thrown off track. With her family’s love and encouragement, she finds her bonnet and snuggles into bed. Young children will enjoy following the family’s bedtime routine in this sweet and comforting story.

Also available from:

Little Owl’s Night

Little Owl’s Night

by Divya Srinivasan

Available from:

One of my family’s longtime and enduring favorites, this whimsical book follows Little Owl as he flies around the forest and sees the other animals. It doesn’t rhyme, but the book’s cadence makes it a great read-aloud, and the illustrations are bold yet not too stimulating for bedtime. Srinivasan introduces readers to different animals and new words — there is no baby talk here. And while the idea of a book about a nocturnal creature might seem like a bad choice for bedtime, rest assured that Little Owl does eventually go to sleep to the sounds of his mother’s gentle voice. You can also check out Little Owl’s new book Little Owl’s Day for more adventures.

Also available from:

Dream Animals

Dream Animals

by Emily Winfield Martin

Available from:

Send your little one to dreamland with this whimsical and charming story from the creator of The Wonderful Things You Will Be. Tiny readers will discover a world filled with magical animal friends and gentle adventures, making it an excellent bedtime pick.

Also available from:

Ages 2 - 5

Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Say Good Night

Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Say Good Night

by Tiger Tales, illustrated by Sanja Rescek

Available from:

Little dinosaur enthusiasts can’t get enough of this prehistoric twist on classic nursery rhymes! Adorable, brightly illustrated dinosaurs scrub-a-dub-dub in the tub, snuggle their stuffies, and run through the town in their nightgowns. Kids love the bouncy, familiar rhymes in this bestselling board book!

Also available from:

10 Kisses Before Bedtime

10 Kisses Before Bedtime

by Danielle McLean, illustrated by Ag Jatkowska

Available from:

Get ready for bed with the families in this touch-and-feel board book. Young children love reading about the familiar bedtime routine, from taking a bubble bath and brushing their teeth to reading a story and drifting off to sleep.

Also available from:

Goodnight, Numbers

Goodnight, Numbers

by Danica McKellar, illustrated by Alicia Padrón

Available from:

This picture book from math whiz (and “Doogie Howser, M.D.” alum) Danica McKellar features children saying goodnight to everyday things such as utensils, body parts, and toys as they go through their bedtime routines. Each page highlights a different number, one through ten. And the book helps with math literacy in different ways, including getting children used to hearing numbers in order, guessing the next number, and finding all the things on the page that come in the specific number.

Also available from:

Goodnight Racism

Goodnight Racism

by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Cbabi Bayoc

Available from:

Instead of saying goodnight to hairbrushes and bowls of mush, say goodnight to injustice and racism with this bestselling board book from the author of How to Be an Antiracist. In it, the moon shines down on children everywhere, hoping for fairness, justice, and peace. Pick up the author’s other board book, Antiracist Baby, for another story about justice and equality.

Also available from:

Bedtime for Baby Sloth

Bedtime for Baby Sloth

by Danielle McLean, illustrated by Sarah Ward

Even baby sloths like to put off going to bed for as long as possible. When the day ends, baby sloth finds every excuse to stay awake, including bidding the moon goodnight. The adorable animal characters and the gentle story encourage children to settle down and catch some Z’s.

Preorder from:

Where Do Jet Planes Sleep at Night?

Where Do Jet Planes Sleep at Night?

by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Christian Slade

Available from:

From the same duo that brought us Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? (a book that was on repeat for quite a while in our house!) and Where Do Steam Trains Sleep at Night?, comes a new book about the bedtime rituals of planes. Sayres’s text always has an imaginative way of combining machines with familiar bedtime rituals. Slade’s illustrations of the anthropomorphized planes — including jet planes, helicopters, and Air Force One — are fun and whimsical.

Also available from:

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2023.