The Way Home in the Night


Akiko Miyakoshi - 2015
    "My mother carries me through the quiet streets," the bunny explains. "Most of our neighbors are already home." The bunny can see their lights in the windows, and hear and smell what they might be doing: talking on the phone, pulling a pie out of the oven, having a party, saying goodbye. When they reach home, the father rabbit tucks the bunny into bed. But the bunny continues to wonder about the neighbors' activities. "Are the party guests saying goodnight? Is the person on the phone getting ready for bed?" And what of the footsteps that can be heard in the street as the bunny falls asleep? "Will she take the last train home?"This beautiful picture book captures the magical wonder a child feels at being outside in the night. Award-winning author and illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi's softly focused black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of neutral color have a dreamlike quality, just right for nodding off to sleep with. The book is intriguing in that it contains twice-told stories, once as they are observed and second as the bunny imagines them. This offers a perfect prompt for young children to create extensions of other stories they have read or heard. A deeper reading could encourage critical thinking by comparing the different pastimes of the neighbors or, ultimately, what it means to be home.

While The World Is Sleeping


Pamela Duncan Edwards - 2010
    . . while the world is sleeping.Bestselling author and illustrator Pamela Duncan Edwards and illustrator Daniel Kirk take you on a flight across the night to see what happens in nature . . . while the world is sleeping.Spend the the night on an exploration with foxes, porcupines, raccoons, fish, mice, and more as their day begins while the rest of the world is fast asleep. Fly across the night on a snow owl as you glide over meadows, lakes, forests, and rivers with only the moon to light the way.

I Am Not a Chair!


Ross Burach - 2017
    Full of vibrant and playful illustrations and hilariously absurd logic, kids will want to read it again and again.Could there be anything worse for Giraffe? Maybe being sat on by a skunk or smooshed by two hapless hippos, or worst of all—cornered by a hungry lion? No one seems to notice that Giraffe is not standing around just to be sat upon. Will he be able to find his voice and make his friends realize who he really is?

Hello Hello


Brendan Wenzel - 2018
    Beginning with two cats, one black and one white, a chain of animals appears before the reader, linked together by at least one common trait. From simple colors and shapes to more complex and abstract associations, each unexpected encounter celebrates the magnificent diversity of our world—and ultimately paints a story of connection. Brendan Wenzel's joyous, rhythmic text and exuberant art encourage readers to delight in nature's infinite differences and to look for—and marvel at—its gorgeous similarities. It all starts with a simple "Hello."

Unicorn Day


Diana Murray - 2019
    But when it's revealed there's an impostor in their midst, the party comes to a screeching halt...Will the unicorns welcome all and continue their fun in all its glittery glory?A clever, colorful, and over-the-top picture book about unicorns, celebrations, and most importantly, friendship.

Once Upon a Northern Night


Jean E. Pendziwol - 2013
    The poem describes the forest of snow-covered pines, where a deer and fawn nibble a frozen apple, and a great gray owl swoops down with its feathers trailing through the snow. Two snowshoe hares scamper and play under the watchful eyes of a little fox, and a tiny mouse scurries in search of a midnight feast. When the snow clouds disappear, stars light up the sky, followed by the mystical shimmering of northern lights - all framed by the frost on the window.Jean E. Pendziwol's lyrical poem reflects a deep appreciation of the magic of a northern winter night where, even as a child slumbers, the world outside does not rest but continues its own natural rhythms.Isabelle Arsenault's spare, beautifully rendered illustrations, with their subtle but striking use of color, make us feel that we too are experiencing the enchantment of that northern night. They simultaneously evoke winter's nighttime life and the cozy warmth and security of a beloved child's sleep.

How Do You Go to Sleep?


Kate McMullan - 2019
    Meerkats sleep in a stack. Is that how these kids go to sleep? Or do they hibernate in snow all winter long like frogs? Or maybe they sleep the day away like skunks? No, that can't be right! By the book's conclusion, the kids have imitated all kinds of animals who are portrayed sleeping in their natural habitats, thanks to Sydney Hanson's charming illustrations. Readers will recognize the way the human child eventually goes to sleep--with stuffed animals, a bedtime story, and a kiss good night!

Kiss Good Night


Amy Hest - 1984
    In the little white house, Mrs. Bear was putting Sam to bed.Outside, the wind blows and the rain comes down. Inside, it is Sam'sbedtime. Mrs. Bear reads him a story, tucks him in, and brings him warm milk. "Are you ready now, Sam?" she asks. "I'm waiting," he says. What else does Sam need before he'll go to sleep? Could Mrs. Bear have forgotten a kiss? Now this NEW YORK TIMES best-selling story by two of the most beloved picture book creators is available in a board book edition suitable for the youngest listeners.

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy


Jan Thomas - 2012
    And her Brave Cowboy and his silly, interrupted lullaby are sure to get everybody singing—before they head off into cozy dreamland…

The Pout-Pout Fish


Deborah Diesen - 2008
    Fish swims aboutWith his fish face stuckIn a permanent pout.Can his pals cheer him up?Will his pout ever end?Is there something he can learnFrom an unexpected friend?Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in this fun fish story that's sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.The Pout-Pout Fish is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Full of Fall


April Pulley Sayre - 2017
    The book takes readers through the leaves’ initial change from green to red, yellow, and orange, the shedding of the leaves, and the leaves crumbling as winter approaches. Extensive back matter explains the science behind this process to the youngest of budding scientists.

I Love Trains!


Philemon Sturges - 2001
    A follow-up to the successful I Love Trucks!, this rhymed picture book introduces the preschool set to trains and the jobs they do.

A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals


Lucy Ruth Cummins - 2016
    Once upon a time there was a very hungry lion and some adorable little animals...What do you think happened next?

Russell the Sheep


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

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures


Nikki Grimes - 2020
    a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED reviewIt's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night."The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review