Skip to main content

Books That Take You There: Nighttime

By
Picture books about the night are a popular and a very versatile genre for children. These type of books offer everything from calming bedtime stories to fascinating books about nocturnal animals and exploring the dark night. If you like stories about nighttime and are comfortable with books that explain the mysteries of the world after sunset these books are for you. 



Night of the Hedgehog
Written by Tanya Rosie
Illustrated by Chuck Groenink
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2025. Picture Book.

A young girl and her father go on a special walk one night in their garden under the full moon. They quietly wait outside at a special spot and are rewarded when they see a mother hedgehog and her babies coming for a drink of water. The hedgehogs quietly walk along the "hedgehog highway" that the father and daughter created for them. After the hedgehogs have gone on their way the father and daughter return home with a cherished memory they can share. 

This is a sweet read aloud that describes the relationship between a father and his daughter and the magical evening they spent together. Beautiful illustrations and gentle rhyming text make this a perfect bedtime story. 


Night: A Children's Fable
Written by Katherine L. Jumbe
Illustrated by Shana Dixon
Monclair: Levine Querido, 2025. Picture Book.

The story is set in the Malawain savanna where people and animals enjoy the warmth and light of sun-filled days. But when night falls, they complain about the dark. Disappointed by their ingratitude, the Dark disappears, leaving the world in constant daylight. At first everyone is excited to have long days of constant sunshine but it begins to take it's toll on the people and ecosystem, as the heat becomes to much. With the natural balance disrupted it is up to two young sisters, Alekachawo and Baby Mwana to journey to the "great Sky Road" to plead with the Dark to return and restore balance to the world.  

An excellent introduction to fables with a wise African proverb. This nighttime read aloud explores gratitude and the importance of balance in nature as well as the consequence of taking things for granted. 



The Night Market
Written by Seina Wedlick
Illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
New York: Random House Studio, 2024. Picture Book.

A young girl is excited to visit the night market with all its wonders. Along with her parents, she takes a  bag of gold coins and visits the night market. The night is filled with wonder and excitement as she visits different stalls that sell everything from lemonade, drums, spices, and even jokes for coins. As the market winds down at sunrise she finds herself with one gold coin left just enough to buy herself a ticket to another market.

This book is full of vibrant gold and blue illustrations that immerse you in another world as you experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of a Nigerian night market. An enchanting look at cultures and traditions as seen through the eyes of a child.


Lights at Night
Written by Tasha Hilderman
Illustrated by Maggie Zeng
Toronto: Tundra Books, 2025. Picture Book.

This delightful story will take you on a journey of light, both natural and man-made! During different seasons we use lights in different ways. Explore the seasons and the way light is used to help celebrate those seasons. What seems like an ordinary light can bring extraordinary results as it lights up the night with its glow! 

A sweet picture book that is an ideal bedtime read with its comforting peaceful illustrations. And with the story as your guide you can discuss the different seasons, light sources, and family moments spent together at night.


Goodnight Sounds
Written by Debbie S. Miller
Illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan
New York, NY: Bloomsbury's Children's Books, 2024. Picture Book.

It's bedtime and a child is soon lulled to sleep by the sounds of the city playing softly outside the bedroom window. What sounds help you fall asleep? In this satisfying book of  night sounds you can discover the relaxing evening noises that are heard in urban, suburban, rural, and even woodland places that bring comfort as you drift off to sleep. 

A perfect bedtime read aloud that is soothing and poetic as it explores the the many different sounds that can help children relax and fall asleep.  






















Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Fowl Play

By
  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Kareem Between

By
  Kareem Between By Shifa Saltagi Safadi New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024. Fiction. 324 pages.  Kareem loves football and as he gets ready to start seventh grade he dreams of someday becoming the first Syrian American NFL player. Seventh grade is not off to a great start for Kareem, after football tryouts don't go as he had planned, his best friend moves away, and his mom returns to Syria to help bring his sick grandfather to the US for treatment. So when Austin, the quarterback and coach's son, offers to talk to his dad and get Kareem on the football team in the spring, if he will cheat and do his homework for him, Kareem agrees. Kareem really wants to fit in at school and he is desperate to find a friend, but deep down he knows that doing Austin's homework isn't the right thing to do. And to make things harder, Kareem's mom asks him to be a friend to Fadi, a Syrian Christian refugee. He knows he should stand up for Fadi and help him adjust to the new school,...
Post a Comment
Read more