Book picks similar to
The Night Garden by Elise Hurst


imagination
cats
bedtime
picture-books

One Moon, Two Cats


Laura Godwin - 2011
    Two cats are not asleep. Across a great distance, but under the light of the same moon, a city cat and a country cat pounce and play, crouch and leap in a rollicking nighttime adventure. When morning comes, they are both back in their respective homes and finally, turn in to sleep.

Rumble Grumble . . . Hush


Kate Banks - 2018
    Toys grow to life-size: a tin monkey plays a real drum and fiddle--rat-a-tat, toot!--a stuffed lion roars--rumble, grumble--and a dump truck empties its load--BANG! But when quiet time comes, and a hush settles over his bedroom, animals nap, and the boy becomes absorbed in other activities, like reading and drawing.Here is an irresistible read-aloud by a picture-book master that captures all the joy of a child's play, and renders a boy's imagination real.Praise for And If the Moon Could Talk by Kate Banks: "With quiet phrases and luxurious color, Banks . . . evoke(s) a perfectly peaceful bedtime." --Publishers WeeklyPraise for City Cat by Kate Banks: "If you have to pack a suitcase, . . . make room in it for this book." --The New York Times

Big Box Little Box


Caryl Hart - 2017
    My box, your box, Snore box How many ways can a cat interact with a box? This cat will entrance young readers as it investigates every box it can - and makes a mouse friend along the way. With bright, bold illustrations from Edward Underwood, this is a striking and witty book for children and adults alike. Fans of Chris Haughton, Jon Klassen and Sophy Henn will love it.

Moonhorse


Mary Pope Osborne - 1988
    Rocking on the porch after dinner, a little girl and her father enjoy the twilight until Daddy dozes off.

What Was I Scared Of?


Dr. Seuss - 1997
    Finally, when the two find themselves hiding from each other in a Snide bush, the terrified narrator realizes, "I was just as strange to him as he was strange to me."  This little Seussian gem, plucked from the back of The Sneetches and Other Stories, shines on it own as it delivers a timeless message about fear and tolerance.

Lorenzo, the Pizza-Loving Lobster


Claire Lordon - 2016
    But, Lorenzo can't remember exactly what was on it. Was it made with seaweed cake, kelp paste, eelgrass, and sand dollars? Or kelp dough, squid ink, algae, and coral rings? Or maybe sponge patties, jellyfish jelly, seaweed noodles, and seashells? After a few unappetizing attempts, Kalena becomes frustrated with Lorenzo and leaves hungry and unhappy. As she walks home, she comes across something delicious . . . It must be the pizza Lorenzo was talking about! She's so hungry she could eat it all, but she brings it back for Lorenzo and her to look at together. Once they figure out how to make it, they have a pizza party for all their friends!

The Dancing Tiger


Malachy Doyle - 2005
    Full color.

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon


Patty Lovell - 2012
    Molly Lou heard all about how her grandma didn't have fancy store-bought toys when she was little. She made dolls out of twigs and flowers and created her own fun in her backyard. So Molly Lou does just that, proving that the best thing to play with is a huge imagination!

So, What's It Like to Be a Cat?


Karla Kuskin - 2005
     Are cats afraid of the dark? Where do they prefer to sleep? What time do cats eat their breakfast? And what do they really think of dogs (and people!)? The award-winning team of Karla Kuskin and Betsy Lewin explore the secret inner lives of felines in this beguiling question-and-answer interview between an intrepid child and a very clever cat.

The Amazing Hamweenie


Patty Bowman - 2012
    From the stage to the red carpet, the skies to the sea, Hamweenie believes, without a doubt, that he will be the greatest star the world has ever seen. The horrors of reality, alas, befall him: a beautiful apartment, a loving little girl, his every need fulfilled to excess. His treats are simply too delicious. His pillows? Beyond luxurious. Such torture! Hamweenie must escape! But with his wretchedly wonderful owner appearing at every turn, will he ever make it out of the apartment? From debut author and illustrator Patty Bowman comes a picture book about the secret life of cats and about dreaming big--no matter what your species.

Russell the Sheep


Rob Scotton - 2005
    until, at last, he falls asleep.

The Cutest Thing Ever


Amy Ignatow - 2019
    An adorable and hilarious picture book filled with the cutest things imaginable   This wacky, imaginative picture book sets out to answer a big question: Wanna see the cutest thing EVER? Just when you think you’ve seen it, there’s more! Is it a kitten? A unicorn? Bunny astronauts? These things are cute, but are they really the cutest thing ever? After being paraded through a colorful world of cuteness, young readers will discover a mirror on the final page, which reflects the actual cutest thing ever and makes them shout—it’s me! With charming illustrations and laugh-out-loud text, The Cutest Thing Ever is a fun read-aloud for parents and children to share together.

Oscar and the Mooncats


Lynda Gene Rymond - 2007
    He also loves to climb way up where he can see everything. He jumps onto the fridge, onto the bookshelf, and onto the roof of the garage, but if he jumps just a little bit higher, his view would be out of this world. With the mightiest leap of his life, Oscar makes it all the way to the moon. Oscar makes some new friends there.

The Five Forms


Barbara McClintock - 2017
    . . but is shocked to find that doing so conjures real animals right into her home! The chaos escalates as she releases a leopard, a snake, and a dragon, each creature larger and more destructive than the last. It is only once she manages the fifth and final form that things return to normal. But will she be able to clean up the mess she’s created before her mother returns home?A New York City Public Library Notable Best Book for Kids

Kitten's First Full Moon


Kevin Henkes - 2004
    It is Kitten's first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. And she wants it. Does she get it? Well, no . . . and yes. What a night!A brief text, large type, and luminescent pictures play second fiddle to the star of this classic picture book—brave, sweet and lucky Kitten! "Henkes's text, reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's work in the elemental words, rhythms, and appealing sounds, tells a warm, humorous story that's beautifully extended in his shimmering, gray-toned artwork."—ALA BooklistWinner of the Caldecott Medal, an ALA Notable Book, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, and winner of the Charlotte Zolotow AwardSupports the Common Core State Standards