Best Bedtime Books for Children

Opening our shop last year gave us the exciting opportunity to expand our product range into children’s books. During our childhood we were never far from a pile of books and are lucky enough to have many, many happy memories which revolve around the magic of storytelling. So, we have really enjoyed sourcing a beautiful range of children’s books from engaging first stories for babies through to captivating tales of friendship, family, love and kindness for older children. We try to find books which have inspiring illustrations, a focus on the beauty of the natural world and offer something a little bit different to the traditional tales of purple scales! Books to fall in love with and treasure for many, many years.  Books to gift to special little people and books to treat yourself to. Books which might make it into that cardboard box in the loft to be brought out and enjoyed for generations to come.

In the chaos of our busy lives, the calm that comes when the bedtime routine finally reaches the finish line and everyone snuggles down for a bedtime story, is magical.  It’s a moment that we try to make it home for whenever we can. We have read to our children from almost the moment they were born (often to preserve our own sanity – nursery rhymes were never our thing!) and watching them fall in love with books is truly heart-warming.

Sourcing Unique Children’s Books:

We have found that having a story which has bedtime as a theme, helps our children to wind down, it becomes a cue for sleep. And so we have sourced a selection of books which weave tales of dreamland to try and help your little ones to drift off peacefully (we can but hope!).

Books to fall in love with and treasure for many, many years.  Books to gift to special little people and books to treat yourself to. Books which might make it into that cardboard box in the loft to be brought out and enjoyed for generations to come.

Our Pick Of The Best Bedtime Books

For the babies, Jane Cabrera’s “Kiss Goodnight” is the perfect introduction into the magical world of bedtime stories.  With bold, contemporary illustrations and simple, rhyming text the story tells a tale of baby animals who need a kiss goodnight. Jane is a local author/illustrator who lives on Dartmoor and her books are based on traditional nursery rhymes with a fun, modern twist.

A new one which has just arrived in store, is Frances Stickley and Anuska Allepuz’s absolutely beautiful book “What Will You Dream of Tonight”. It starts with the line “tucked into bed with a world in your head as we cuddle and turn down the light”and off the reader goes into an endless possibility of magical dreams. The lyrical text is woven into sumptuous illustrations which will take you on an adventure through waterfalls and shipwrecks, deserts, dragon-filled skies and more.  

We have a three year old in our family who has suddenly discovered a fear of The Dark and a fun new book by Nicola O’Byrne called “The Rabbit, The Dark and The Biscuit Tin” tells the tale of a mischievous little rabbit who just doesn’t want to go to bed. The obvious solution is to try and trap the Dark in a Biscuit Tin – what could go wrong?! As the story unfolds, it helps little readers to see that The Dark as nothing to be afraid of and lots of good things happen in the night. But the BEST thing about The Dark is, of course, reading a really good bedtime story.

And finally, a family favourite is the enchanting story by Claire Freedman and Carrie May called “Dreamweaver”. It has become a bedtime tradition in our house to read all about the Dreamweaver who collects magical dreams and sprinkles dream-dust on all the sleepy baby jungle animals. A tale of wishes coming true and happy, sleepy adventures all through the night. 

And with that it is off to bed for me too, with the anticipation of a new book and fresh sheets. Do you think I will be able to read more than one chapter without falling asleep…

Sweet Dreams

The Crane and Kind Family x

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