Here at Cincinnati Moms Blog, we are passionate about literacy and children’s books! (Not only do we all read to our children, but we’ve got one contributor who’s a children’s book author, one contributor who’s a reading teacher, one contributor who’s a consultant for an independent children’s book company, and two who work at a children’s book store!) We pride ourselves on choosing high-quality books for our children that are engaging and contain themes and topics that children both enjoy and need. We use books to empower, encourage, and educate our children, and we are pleased to share our favorite children’s books with all of you!
The Night Parade
“This is a cute little story about adventures that happen at night. The colors, rhymes, and silliness are just fun.” -Sarah
I Love You to the Moon and Back
“This one is a classic and speaks to the heart of the love that exists between parents and their children. Its unspoken emphasis on protection, security, and unconditional love make it a beautiful story.” -Sarah
Goodnight Moon
Where the Wild Things Are
“Goodnight Moon was a classic toddler favorite at our house for many months with its soothing language and bright colors. My own personal nostalgic fave is Where the Wild Things Are, since I still remember vividly the monstrous-but-not-quite-scary Wild Things and Max their King from my childhood.” -Jen
The Goodnight Train
“Great for toddlers who love trains. Cute rhyming and quirky art. The train takes readers on a ride to sleepy land!” -Chrissy
The Monster Who Ate Darkness
“A tiny little monster who feels empty inside tries to stuff himself with all of the darkness in the universe, but all he really wants is a little love. It is a cute story with cute illustrations. I think it might make a good story for a kid who is afraid of the dark, or afraid of monsters under the bed as it demystifies those ideas and makes them adorable.” -David
Moonday 
“The moon decides to visit and stay with a young boy and his family, and a ton of problems ensue! Mom and Dad have to find a way to hide the moon, hanging out in their back yard so the neighbors don’t get too curious. The tide comes into their back yard! Everybody is tired and confused because night won’t end. Adam Rex is excellent and putting together funny, charming books for kids with awe inspiring illustrations, and this book is no exception.” -David
Steam Train, Dream Train
“Ezra’s first word was “moon,” as he pointed to Goodnight Moon. So sweet. We also love Steam Train, Dream Train.” -Kelli
Good Night, Gorilla
“Goodnight Gorilla is great for storytelling and inference skills with toddlers, as there are just a few words. With young ones, it’s up to the parents to tell what’s happening in the pictures and name all of the animals.” -Kelli
On the Night You Were Born
“On the Night You Were Born is a sweet story about how the heavens and earth responded when your baby was born. It talks about polar bears staying up all night dancing to celebrate, geese flying home, and the heavens celebrating the uniqueness of your little one. I dare you not to tear up when reading this to your baby.” -Casey
Time for Bed
“Time for Bed is from the perspective of animal parents telling their little ones to go to sleep, like “Time for bed little mouse little mouse, darkness is falling all over the house”. It has a soft tenor and serves us well as a quiet bedtime read.” -Casey
Little Owl’s Night
“Little Owl’s Night is our favorite bedtime tale about a little owl who goes through the forest checking on other animal friends, some who are awake (like him) and others who are sleeping at night. The story ends with a sweet explanation from his mama about how night ends, which little owl never gets to see because he is already fast asleep. Love the illustrations in this story too – very bold and simple.” -Casey
Guess How Much I Love You 
“I started reading this book to Adelynn when she was maybe a few weeks old. It’s simple, it’s sweet, and is about a deep love a parents (the gender of the parental figrue is not given, only referred to as “Big Nutbrown Hare”) has for their child. But it also reminds us, as parents, how much our little ones loves us as well. The colors of the illustrations are soft which I think is good to help little minds calm.” -Amy
A Book of Sleep 
“In this book, the illustrations are what really make it special. The story is simple and sweet, centering around different animals drifting off to sleep under the watchful eye of the owl. The text is soothing in its rhythms and your little one will love it!” -Jesika
If Animals Kissed Good Night
“This is such a charming little book that explores how lots of different animals would kiss goodnight. The text rhymes and has great rhythm and it is so sweet! As you can imagine, animal-loving toddlers and preschoolers will love this book.” -Jesika
Please share your favorite bedtime books with us!
