Jack wants to know what it could be, and Alice decides to go find out. "But what if it's the Wicked Wolf?" Jack asks. "Shhh," says Alice. "Everything is going to be all right." As the two go deeper into the woods and get closer to the odd noise, Jack grows more afraid. But Alice reassures him as she guides him along, and together they make a surprising and sweet discovery. Author Timothy Knapman balances the excitement of adventuring into the unknown with the comfort of returning home safe and sound, while Helen Oxenbury's classically charming illustrations make this a perfect bedtime book to share with little explorers, both the brave ones and those who may need some reassuring that everything is going to be all right.

    Now, big sister assures little sister, the fears that once felt as big as a mountain feel as minuscule as a speck of dust.

    All is peaceful until—QUACK! Is that a duck at the barn door? And now a goat? A pig? A cow? A horse? Each new unexpected guest is bigger and louder than the last! How will the sheep ever get this barnyard crowd to quiet down before—COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

    But Mommy says this bed is for sleeping, not jumping! What happens when he can't resist jump, jump, jumping on his new fluffy, bouncy bed?

    The only thing he doesn't like is going to sleep. And he'll do anything he can to avoid it. Until one day, Duncan's mom has had enough of his stalling. ?Try counting sheep,? she tells him. So, he does. At first, it's kind of fun. As he counts, each sheep appears, wearing its number like a race car, and leaps over the bed. But then comes Sheep #68, who hesitates. He needs a drink of water before he can jump. Then he has to go to the bathroom. Then he wants to put on running shoes. Will Sheep #68 ever do what he's supposed to?Kerry Lyn Sparrow's hilarious picture book story offers a new take on a universal experience. Using delaying tactics to avoid going to sleep at bedtime is a common routine for young children, and they'll love the sly humor when Duncan's own tricks get turned on him by the (?sheepish?) sheep. In subtle colors with lots of telling details, Guillaume Perreault's illustrations bring Duncan's bedtime rituals and his unexpected sheep guests humorously to life. This book makes a fantastic, funny read-aloud, appealing to both children and adults.

    Perfect for readers who enjoy How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? and other subversive bedtime tales.What do you do before you go to bed at night?Bigfoot hugs his wooby extra tight, while aliens have pillow fights.Nessie gets a drink, then swims down deep.But in the end, everybody needs to sleep . . . even monsters!

    Mercer Mayer's famous Little Critter works hard to do it right in this funny picture book. Little Critter has a mountain of tub toys to remember, stuffed animals to line up so they can watch, bubble bath to pour, a floor to flood, and so much more. What will Little Critter find at the end of his huge effort? A dry and cozy finale.

    But the story is about more than brooms, mops, and vacuums. Mama and Papa turn the deserted office building into a magnificent kingdom filled with paper. Then they weave a fantasy of dragons and kings to further engage their reluctant companion--and even encourage him to one day be the king of a paper kingdom.The Paper Kingdom expresses the joy and spirit of a loving family who turn a routine and ordinary experience into something much grander. Magical art by Pascal Campion shows both the real world and the fantasy through the eyes of the young narrator.

    You might be surprised.Great story to introduce the concept of empathy -- don't make assumptions about others, ask and observe. Perfect for girls and boys, ages 4-8.

    Imagine a night when your toy train rumbles on its tracks out of your room and roars back in, full sized, ready for you to hop on for a nighttime adventure. Imagine a night when a farmer plays a lullaby on his fiddle, and his field of sunflowers begins to dip and sway to the rhythm. Imagine a night when ordinary objects magically become extraordinary...a night when it is possible to believe the impossible. With the intrigue of an Escher drawing and the richness of a Chris Van Allsburg painting, renowned Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves depicts that delicious time between sleep and wakefulness, creating a breathtaking, visual exploration of imagination and possibility that will encourage both children and adults to think past the boundaries of everyday life, and see the possibilities beyond.

    Clara's friend Asha is an enormous fish, which means that hide-and-seek, Halloween, snow days, and afternoons in the park offer surprising opportunities for adventure. With oil paintings that playfully suggest stories within stories and convey great emotional range, this is a captivating book about the special world of a child's imagination--where a giant fish might come to visit, and the things you do and the things you fell with an imaginary friend are intensely real.

    Luckily, Mom Unit knows exactly how to get him into his sleep module.From a debut picture book author and the illustrator of Little Boo, this funny twist on a familiar nighttime routine will click with bedtime avoidance experts everywhere.

    When Bear can t sleep, he goes on an adventure and discovers the wonders of New York City a parade, Central Park, hot dogs, and more! But when he finally gets tired and looks for a place to rest . . . he learns why it s called the city that never sleeps. What s a bear to do? Caroline Nastro s gentle adventure and Vanya Nastanlieva s engaging illustrations are sure to comfort and delight!"

    But when the sky calls out for its missing star, can the little boy and his sister figure out a way to return the star to its friends in the sky...even if it means saying goodbye forever?This warm-hearted and enchanting bedtime story celebrates the rewards of true friendship.

    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.