Book reviews.
We LOVE books in our house.
We are constantly on the look out for new stories to read and cannot buy every single book. Instead, we visit our local library frequently. You will see many of the photos used in the book reviews below are of library books.
We hope you love these books as much as we do!
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BOOKS TO HELP KIDS TRANSITION TO A BIG BED
Transitioning from cot or parent’s bed to a big kid bed can be difficult. The following books may be able to help your little one to understand and get excited about the change!
I Sleep in a Big Bed by Maria van Lieshout follows a boy who moves from his crib to his big bed. The boy narrates the story, first explaining how and where he slept as a baby and then asks the question ‘do I still sleep in a crib? Followed by a big NO, Big Kids sleep in a big bed.
He then briefly tells what happens when he goes to bed and how it feels if he wakes up at night. I loved the part that it can take some time to feel ok in a big bed. The book ends with the boy smiling and saying he loves his bed and that he’s a big kid.
My daughter liked and was inspired by this book. Her only critique was that it should be a girl as a main character, and the colour of the book theme pink, of course!
The illustrations are simple but effective and this book has been written by a mum inspired by her little boy’s move to a big bed. It is a definite must read prior to transitioning your little one to a big bed.
ISBN: 9781452162904
An engaging story of a little one excited about bedtime and sleeping in their new big kid bed. There are things he likes about the bed and things he is concerned about. The bed is very tall, ‘what if I fall’. The bed is so big and ‘I’m so small’. The parents address each concern and as little ones do, they realise they can get out of the bed and go off and explore! This cheeky little character discovers the pets are all asleep and so are mum and dad and finally decides he is tired too and goes back to his big kid bed to fall fast asleep. The pictures are bright and colourful.
The only comment my 3.5 year old daughter had was why the boy had one strand of hair and he appeared to be wearing a diaper and she wondered why, if he was such a big kid.
ISBN: 9780763679347
BOOKS FOR WHEN KIDS HAVE TROUBLE FALLING ASLEEP
Do you have a little one that has difficulty falling asleep? These books may not help them fall asleep any easier, but they can be used as conversations starters. Also, as a parent with a little one that has difficulty falling asleep, these books help me know I’m not alone, others have walked the same path.
The rabbit who wants to fall asleep
The rabbit who wants to fall asleep is a unique book. Roger, the rabbit, can’t fall asleep. Mummy rabbit takes him to see Uncle Yawn who knows just what to do. Children are invited to join Roger on his journey with prompting throughout the book to add their name into the story.
The little elephant who wants to fall asleep
Ellen the elephant is tired and wants to go to bed. She takes her friend (your child) through the magical forest to the place where she sleeps and they fall asleep together.
About both books
The books are long and for many adults, boring, however that’s their purpose. Written by Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin, a Swedish behavioural scientist, they incorporate hypnotic suggestions and guided imagery to help children relax peacefully into sleep.
There are many myths and misconceptions around hypnosis. In the books the hypnotic suggestions like ‘fall asleep now’ are just that – suggestions for relaxation and calmness. They won’t make your child act against their will or send them into a sleep-like state – just ask the many parents who find the books don’t help their child fall asleep.
Personally hypnosis is not my thing, however, I’ve been known to tell my child to fall asleep now 😀 so I thought I’d try the books out. My daughter has always had heaps of trouble falling asleep. She moves, tosses, talks etc and just can’t relax easily into sleep. Both worked miracles! Surprisingly she likes the stories and even more surprisingly, lays still while I read it. Because the stories are long she sometimes falls asleep while I’m still reading. It’s been life changing for me. While I can’t guarantee they’ll have the same effect on your child, if they are having difficulty falling asleep it may be worth trying out these books.
Millie’s Missing Yawn by You Jung Byun is a beautifully illustrated story of a little girl who can’t go to sleep. She has done all the usual things she does before bed so she should be able to sleep. Then she realises she has lost her yawn and sets off to find it. Millie searches throughout the home, then around the world and finally at the moon. She does not find her yawn and finally heads home to bed. As she lies in bed remembering her adventures she finds her yawn, and falls fast asleep.
The book comes with a bedtime promise – it is 100% guaranteed to make you yawn. It did not make my daughter yawn unfortunately, but it lived up to its promise and had me yawning as I read the book to her!
ISBN paperback: 9781843653844
ISBN hardcover: 9781843653851
This is a story of a little Princess who goes to bed but can’t sleep because there is so much noise. A dragon is roaring, knights are clanking, ghosts are oooing, giants are stamping. She tells each one to shhh! And then she begins to cry. All the characters she has asked to stop making noise now wonder what they can do to get the little Princess to stop howling, so they sing her a lullaby. The ending is cute … can the little Princess sleep?
ISBN: 9781444930511
This is a fun read by Jory John and Benji Davies. Bear is very tired and could sleep for months. Meanwhile his neighbour, Duck, is reading a book ‘101 ways to stay awake’ and decides to pay a visit to Bear. Duck is bored and wants to play. Bear just wants to sleep, but Duck keeps disturbing him until Bear has had enough and orders Duck out of his house. Duck waddles off complaining that Bear is so grumpy and finally goes to sleep. Bear on the other hand … is wide awake.
ISBN: 9780008101350
We love Doreen Cronin’s Click, Clack book series and this one does not disappoint. It is night time on the farm, and Farmer Brown tucks all the animals into bed. Cows in the dark, sound asleep. Sheep in the dark, sound asleep. Chickens in near dark, sound asleep. Duck in the dark, wide-awake! Farmer Brown tries lots of things to help duck sleep – singing, reading, turning on the white-noise machine. Duck is wide-awake, but not Farmer Brown! Duck tries to sleep but he just can’t. Until finally he finds the perfect place to sleep.
This book may not help your little one sleep any easier, but it is a fun read with a storyline that many a tired parent can relate to.
ISBN: 9781534451087
BOOKS FOR WHEN KIDS HAVE TROUBLE NAPPING
Great reads for when naps are hard.
Annalise Devin McFleece won’t nap. No matter what her parents try, nothing will make her nap. As her Dad pushes her in a stroller in the park and PLEADS with her to PLEASE have a nap, others in the park think a nap is a great idea and ask to have Annalise’s nap. As everyone naps, Annalise realises there is nothing for her to do and she is feeling rather sleepy but she still can’t nap. What does it take for Annalise Devin McFleece to finally take a nap?
Chris Grabenstein has captured the pain of many a tired parent perfectly! Though it won’t likely have your nap fighter suddenly taking a nap, it is a fun read. My daughter loved this book. Sadly it did not fuel her desire to nap.
ISBN: 9781524771294
BOOKS FOR WHEN KIDS ARE SCARED AT NIGHT
Kids have incredible imaginations which contribute to fears of the dark and monsters. Here are some books to read when kids are scared at night.
We love Renée Treml’s books in this house. Her book Sleep Tight, Platypup is a great bedtime read for any child scared of the dark. The illustrations accompanying the text are as beautiful as the story. Platypup wakes at night and sees a shadow and hears a noise which scares him. Mummy comes when he calls and comforts him. She takes him outside to show him how the world around him looks at night. The moonlight dances and creates shadows. The trees are there, just like during the day. The wind stirs the trees and grasses making a noise, just like during the day. Platypup discovers that it is not so scary at night after all.
I recommend accompanying the story with a night walk with your child. My daughter and I still do quite a few night walks as our special time together before bed, especially in the winter when the sun set earlier. We head out on dusk so it doesn’t push her bedtime back too much and take torches to discover the beauty of the night.
ISBN hardcover: 9780143789697
BOOKS FOR WHEN KIDS WAKE FREQUENTLY AT NIGHT
Night wakes are tough, but you’ll know many a parent has experienced them when you read these books.
This is a hilarious read about a boy, Finn, who is constantly woken by his parents. The tables are turned. Mummy needs a drink. Daddy had a bad dream. Daddy can’t sleep without his phone (apparently his lovey!) and a back scratch. Daddy can’t get back to his bed without Finn carrying him, which is not so easy given how big daddy is. Mummy gets her pj’s all wet and needs help with a change. Finn wonders when these two are going to sleep through the night. When an exhausted Finn finally gets back to his own bed, needing just one hour of sleep before the day starts, someone else wakes!
Both my daughter and I love this book! My daughter thought it was hilarious that Finn was woken so much by his parents. I, on the other hand, enjoyed imagining what it would be like if the tables were turned and I was waking up frequently throughout the night!
ISBN: 9781760897901
BOOKS TO PREPARE FOR NIGHT WEANING
Night weaning can be tough. These three books may be able to help both mum and their older baby, toddler or child understand and accept weaning off breastmilk at night.
Nursies When the Sun Shines, by Katherine C. Havener, is a beautifully illustrated book to help the toddler or child understand night weaning. It teaches them that night is for sleeping and when the sun rises they can nurse again. It is not a text laden book, however it drives home key messages including ‘nursies’ go to sleep too. This concept that milk goes to sleep at night is easily understood by most children. It also shows the child waking at night and falling back to sleep without milk.
Some may find the book is more geared to co-sleeping, however all children should be able to identify with it. I suggest adapting the words in the book too to suit your family. For example you may wish to change reference to ‘baby’ to child.
Sally Weans from Night Nursing encourages a gradual process of night weaning, and paints a picture for your child of what they might experience in the process. Children may identify with Sally and say ‘no’ to night milk.
The author, Lesli Mitchell, is a prior mental health therapist who believes in validating and acknowledging the distress that weaning can cause, while also reinforcing the benefit of a night’s sleep.
Families might find this book suitable from one years on.
As with all weaning books I suggest adapting the wording to terms you and your family use for breastfeeding.
This book uses simple language to take readers on the journey of a toddlers gentle night weaning. I liked how the story rhymed and the simple text to explain that milk is for the daytime.
BOOKS FOR PARENTS ON PARENTING AND ATTACHMENT
Full disclaimer, these are the books that I like. They have a positive psychology focus.
Rest, Play, Grow is beautifully written and packed with practical examples to help parents make sense of the sometimes baffling behaviour of children. It is focused on attachment and developmental psychology and based on renowned Dr Gordon Neufeld’s research and clinical practice as a developmental psychologist. In the book Dr Deborah MacNamara leads parents on a journey to understand their child better through play, connection, understanding the role of feelings and tantrums and more. If there is only one parenting book that you read, this book would be the one I would recommend you pick.
ISBN: 9780995051201