Drift off to dreamland 💤

Put your kiddos down to sleep with one of these popular bedtime stories.

At the end of a long day, it’s finally time to put the kids to bed where they will drift off into slumber and dream of magical places. Except they aren’t in bed or slumbering. They are awake and still full of energy. Many parents know that this calls for a bedtime story.

Bedtime stories are the perfect way to send kids off to sleep thinking of vibrant lands and magical characters. Some of the most popular bedtime stories share the importance of going to sleep through the eyes of some of the children’s favorite characters. Most importantly, bedtime stories offer a great opportunity for parents and children to bond over their favorite books, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

From popular titles like Llama Lama Red Pajama to classics like Where the Wild Things Are and newcomers like Bluey, here are 22 popular bedtime stories for children. There is something here for every family to enjoy before drifting off to dreamland.

22 Popular bedtime stories for children

Llama Llama Red Pajama

by Anna Dewdney

Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama in this rhyming read-aloud favorite!

Llama Llama's tale of nighttime drama has charmed readers for over a decade and makes an ideal story for bedtime reading. With this board book edition, Anna Dewdney's infectious rhyming text and expressive artwork are availabe to the youngest readers. Children will relate to Baby Llama's need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama's reassuring message.

Where the Wild Things Are: A Caldecott Award Winner

by Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf.

This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations. When Max dresses in his wolf suit and causes havoc in the house, his mother sends him to bed. From there, Max sets sail to an island inhabited by the Wild Things, who name him king and share a wild rumpus with him. But then from far away across the world, Max smells good things to eat…

Bluey: Sleepytime

by Joe Brumm

Come on a dream-filled adventure with Bluey and Bingo in this special picture book with fold-out pages! Based on the award-winning animated series Bluey, as seen on Disney+.

It's sleepytime at the Heeler house! Bingo wants to do a Big Girl sleep. As she drifts away into a dreamy adventure with Flopsy, will Bingo make it through the night and wake up in her own bed?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

by Bill Martin - Eric Carle

A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck-- all parade across the pages of this delightful classic children's book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin's singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.

Goodnight Moon

by Margaret Wise Brown - Clement Hurd

The classic bedtime story and snuggly bunny slippers, packed in a reusable tote ready to take along for bedtime, naptime, or storytime.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! A sturdy and beautiful book to give as a gift for new babies, baby showers, birthdays, and other new beginnings!

Featuring interactive die-cut pages, this board book edition is the perfect size for little hands and great for teaching counting and days of the week.

Kissed by the Moon

by Alison Lester

May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong. Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby's wonder at our beautiful world. From Australia's favorite picture-book creator, Alison Lester, comes a timeless book to share and to treasure.

Bear Snores on

by Karma Wilson - Jane Chapman

Bear's cave fills with animal friends as he sleeps in this classic book from New York Times bestselling team of Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.

One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on!

The Gruffalo

by Julia Donaldson

A mouse is taking a stroll through the deep, dark wood when along comes a hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. The mouse is good enough to eat but smart enough to know this, so he invents . . . the gruffalo!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

by Helen Oxenbury - Michael Rosen

Have you ever gone on a bear hunt? Come along on this one with a brave young family - four children (including the baby) and their father. They're not scared. With them you will cross a field of tall, wavy grass ("Swishy swashy!"), wade through a deep, cold river ("Splash splosh!"), struggle through swampy mud ("Squelch squerch!"), find your way through a big, dark forest, ("Stumble trip!"), fight through a whirling snowstorm ("Hooo wooo!"), and enter a narrow, gloomy cave. WHAT'S THAT? You'll soon learn just what to do to escape from abig, furry bear!

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

by Mo Willems

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

What Color Is Night?

by Grant Snider

Look closer. Grant Snider's beautiful debut picture book explores the wonders--and colors--of nighttime. For night is not just black and white. Ending in colors yet unseen, and a night of sweet dreams, this lilting lullaby is sure to comfort those drifting off to sleep. With luminous art as spare and glowing as the moon, and lyrical text that reads like a friend leading the way through the wilderness, What Color Is Night? is a rich and timeless look at a topic of endless fascination, and a perfect bedtime read-aloud.

Good Night, Little Blue Truck

by Alice Schertle - Jill McElmurry

Say good night with Little Blue Truck and friends as they prepare for bed in this #1 New York Times bestseller!

Beep! Beep! Beep! It's time for sleep. A storm is brewing, and Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are hurrying home for bed. But who can sleep with all that racket?

Love

by Matt de la Peña - Loren Long

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be

by Emily Winfield Martin

The New York Times bestseller that celebrates the dreams, acceptance, and love that parents have for their children . . . now and forever. This is the perfect heartfelt gift for kids of all ages, plus a great choice for baby showers, birthdays, graduations, and other new beginnings!

If Your Monster Won't Go to Bed

by Denise Vega - Zachariah Ohora

If you have a monster that won't go to bed, don't bother asking your parents to help. They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed. It's not their fault; they're just not good at it. Read this book instead.

It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it's not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it's not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).

I Love You, Good Night

by Jon Buller - Susan Schade - Bernadette Pons

There are so many ways to say I love you--discover them all in this oversize edition of a bedtime favorite.

In this sweet and simple board book, a mother mouse tells her wee one just how much she loves her...in twelve different ways! Some ways are silly, some are heartfelt, but all of them evoke unconditional affection. This oversize edition of a classic story is ideal for bedtime or naptime.

I'm Not Sleepy!

by Jonathan Allen

Morning has come--and that means bedtime for a very tired Baby Owl. But he keeps insisting: IM NOT SLEEPY! So what if he gives a great big stretch? Hes only preparing his wings for when he can fly. A huge yawn? That just means hes bored, because--after all--owls need LOTS of excitement. This charming tale of a cranky little owl determined to stay awake will be a sure-fire hit with kids ... and their parents too!

Blueberries for Sal

by Robert McCloskey

What happens when Sal and her mother meet a mother bear and her cub? A Caldecott Honor Book!

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother a picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter. Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

by Jon Scieszka - Lane Smith

You thought you knew the story of the "The Three Little Pigs"... You thought wrong.

In this hysterical and clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of “The Three Little Pigs.”

Olivia

by Ian Falconer

The Caldecott Honor Book and #1 New York Times bestseller is now available in a sturdy format perfect for pig-loving toddlers everywhere!

It's everyone's favorite pig...it's OLIVIA!

Join Olivia as she…

...finally goes to sleep at last.

Madeline

by Ludwig Bemelmans - Ludwig Bemelmans

Nothing frightens Madeline--not tigers, not even mice. With its endearing, courageous heroine, cheerful humor, and wonderful, whimsical drawings of Paris, the Madeline stories are true classics that continue to charm readers, even after 75 years!

Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was the author of the beloved Madeline books, including Madeline, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Madeline's Rescue, winner of the Caldecott Medal.

From the timeless classics read for generations to new gems that are winning hearts today, these stories are abound to create memories that last a lifetime. So, when bedtime hits, grab a book, get cozy, and read off to dreamland.

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