Books for bedtime: find a new favourite

Max’s pet worm loves listening to stories – and also loves curry and chilli crisps. As it grows, Max realises his pet is not a worm after all, but something MUCH bigger. This heartwarming tale of a boy and his unusual pet’s relationship is full of the everyday magic that stories bring.

Follow a father and child in an imaginative journey towards bedtime. Based on traditional Indian lullabies, this rhyming book is ideal for bedtime. A feast for the senses.

The animals in the forest are finishing their day and settling down to sleep – it’s time for quiet and time for dreams. A beautiful, lyrical, lullaby of a book that’s perfect for soothing little ones into sleep.

A sturdy board book with sliders to push and flaps to lift, starring a sweet bear called Niko.

All the animals are off to a jazz festival – the are deer playing clarinets, the tiger is on the trombone and the elephant is twanging a banjo! When it’s time for a singsong under the stars, what better than Twinkle, Twinkle? This musical board book, with Nicola Slater’s delightful 50s retro-feel illustrations is a lovely one whether for bedtime, playtime or on the go in the pushchair.

Little Bunny sets out from her burrow for the first time – there are adventures to be had before it’s time for bed. A simply told story and a very sweet book that combines illustrated backgrounds with real photography.

You may be familiar with the tale of the Very Hungry Caterpillar and what he eats over the course of a week, but now it’s time to join him as he makes his way home to bed. A calming goodnight story from the nation’s favourite caterpillar.

This soothing picture book lullaby celebrates the beautifully tender moments that families share with their sleepy babies at bedtime.

An adorable little ginger kitten is sleepy – but they need everything to be just right to get to nap time.

In this sweet instalment of the Lulu series, Lulu has a new adventure with her cousin Hani – her very first sleepover. 

When it’s time to say ​‘Goodnight’, every language has a different way of saying the same thing. This soothing picture book has a lilting rhyme throughout as it helps us learn the phrase in various languages – along with the message that whatever our language or culture, we all sleep under the same stars, and bedtime is special for everyone.

It’s starting to get dark but Rabbit doesn’t want to go to sleep, so he traps the Dark in his biscuit tin. Can the Dark convince Rabbit about the benefits of night-time and to let him out? The perfect book for little ones who might be a bit reluctant to put down their toys and say goodnight. 

Would you rather serve a meal to a very polite rat or a very bad-mannered cat? John Burningham’s hilarious sequel to Would You Rather… poses this and other vital questions. A brilliant book you can turn into a game, which also ends with a particularly snuggly bed.

It’s nearly time for the Big Dreaming. Big Bear and Little Bear will sleep through the Winter and wake in Spring. But Little Bear is worried he’ll run out of dreams, so he sets off on an adventure to find some… Perfect for bedtime reading.