The Witching Hour

Written by Jennifer Harris

Illustrated by Adelina Lirius

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-440-9

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

June, 2025 

 

For those who read fantasy or believe in the supernatural, the witching hour is that time, late at night, when entities like witches make their appearance. But for this family of witches, the witching hour is a little different: that unique hour that slips in between dinner and sleep when their littlest one is set to be put to bed. For them, this time of fussiness is as chaotic and rowdy as any time when other worldly creatures come out to play or cause mayhem. 

From The Witching Hour, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Adelina Lirius

A lovely family of two witches, a small boy and a baby have just finished their meal when the chaos begins. After its bottle spills, the baby begins to cry which turns to caterwauls and then to crescendos. The little boy covers his ears, the black cat is alarmed, and the two witches start to implement an assortment of tricks to calm the baby.

From The Witching Hour, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Adelina Lirius

They take turns, one rocking the child as they perch on a broom before the other takes it for a ride, bouncing on the broom like a pogo stick. The little boy takes the child in hand and does flying loop-de-loops to soothe the baby. When a wand is finally brought out, an owl from a magical parade of toys is just the thing to quieten the baby. For now, at least.

From The Witching Hour, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Adelina Lirius

There are still routines to follow in that witching hour like baths and diaper changes and again the baby is having none of it. So new tricks come out. Snacks, songs, dancing, and even a bat are brought out to the crying child. The baby might not be amused but her big brother is enjoying everything from the music to the pink poodles and tries to help distract and entertain her.

From The Witching Hour, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Adelina Lirius

As every parent and caregiver will know, the baby will eventually tire itself out–hopefully!–and finally, finally succumb to the exhaustion that caused such mayhem and misery.

 

Bedtime must be a special time for Jennifer Harris as her earlier book, The Keeper of Stars, highlights another getting-a-child-to-bed ritual, though with a far gentler story. But, The Witching Hour, as disquieting as it might seem, is actually a very sweet story about family coming together to help the youngest settle down. And though the strategies this family uses may be a little bit different than those your family might use–after all, very few of us have flying broomsticks and magic wands and bring bats to distract a baby–they are creative and diverse, and this family is willing to try anything. Surprisingly, Jennifer Harris never makes the story ridiculous or uproariously funny. She keeps it charming and familial and affectionate. Any parent or older sibling will understand and feel for this family at this witching hour.

 

Illustrations for The Witching Hour were created by Sweden's Adelina Lirius who used gouache, coloured pencils and digital application to  design a magical home of a wonderful witch family. From the spider web play pen to their hanging herbs and lush yard of fairies, frogs and flowers, Adelina Lirius has given Jennifer Harris's words a playground of colour and fascination.

From The Witching Hour, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Adelina Lirius

 

Anything could happen 

in the witching hour.

 

Jennifer Harris is correct that anything can happen in the witching hour whether in a witches' home or that of a human family. But the aim of calming a baby and bridging the time between eating and sleeping is universal, though the approaches taken can be unique. Still a little magic can always help.

Do Not Turn the Page!

Written by Jane Blondie

Illustrated by Marcus Cutler

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-0206-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-8

February 2025 

 

Charlie is outside playing in the sand and dirt when he notices the reader has appeared. And so, begins a one-sided conversation as Charlie speaks to the reader about what he's doing, what he doesn't want to do, and what he expects of the reader. Unfortunately, the reader will do exactly what Charlie does not want and that is to turn the page. (After all, it is a book.)

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

Listen. Turning the page gets me closer to the bathtub and there will be NO bath for me. Not today. Nopey, nope, nope!

Charlie is adamant that he wants to play in his sand fort and so instructs the reader to close the book and never turn a page again. And yet with each progression in reading, Charlie is disappointed because the reader is not listening to his directives. It just gets worse.

Ugh! You turned the page again.

This. Is. Serious. 

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

 

With each turning of the page, the reader is chastised by Charlie for leading him from his sand box to inside the house, into the mudroom, through the living room, the kitchen and up the stairs. Accompanied by his cat and pig stuffie, the dirty child is forced by the reader turning the pages to hide from his mother who is already running the bath water. And even though Charlie makes many lingering stops along the way, from having a snack, doing art, and hiding in a toy box, ultimately his fate has been sealed by the reader and their need to turn pages. 

There is absolutely NO WAY you are getting me into that tub.

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

Well, the reader may get Charlie into his bath but a kajillion bubbles and rubber duckies help keep him there before he has one more routine to try to avoid.

 

I'm impressed by Jane Blondie's ability to write a one-sided dialogue that engages and interacts with the young reader so naturally. They will be delighted with the possibility that they control the story and where it leads, even though the adults may know otherwise. To connect so effortlessly with the reader in her debut picture book is an accomplishment but one that undoubtedly stems from Jane Blondie's teaching experiences. Still, it's the humour of Charlie as he pleads with the reader not to turn the page and then his disgust that they have done otherwise. The annoyance is evident but so is his good nature in understanding that this is how it usually goes i.e., he's going to get a bath no matter what. Charlie may be a little cheeky but he's still polite and more than appreciative to have the young readers along for the ride.

From Do Not Turn the Page!, written by Jane Blondie, illus. by Marcus Cutler

Marcus Cutler, who also illustrated The Walrus and the Caribou which I reviewed a few years back, gives a playful nature to his digital artwork. From a messy play area outside, littered with everything from an empty box to a discarded crown and a toy dump truck to a sticky snack of blueberry jam on crackers–and on his hands, on the table, and on Charlie's clothing–this could be any family home with children. Even the end papers are rife with yarn, muddy handprints and paw prints, bubbles, and more. Marcus Cutler gives a vitality to Charlie at play and in his routines and, rather than appearing to be unruly or ornery, Charlie charms, taking direction from the reader who moves him from outdoors to a bath, recognizing the inevitability of his story.

 

If you're an adult reading this book to some young readers, be prepared for the howls of laughter when they realize the character is conversing with them. They may be able to tell where the story will end up, probably having experienced similar events, but they'll be pleased to have been invited to participate. I foresee many, many readings of Do Not Turn the Page! just so the page can be turned, and children can witness the impact of their actions.

Sleepy Bird (new board book edition)

In March of 2018, I reviewed Sleepy Bird, Jeremy Tankard's newest book in his Grumpy Bird series. This book has now be released as a board book, perfect for the youngest of children whom you may be trying to get to bed. The book is as delightful now as it was when I first reviewed it so I wanted to bring it to the attention of parents and teachers and maybe the very young who are starting to read. Sleepy Bird may become their go-to laugh before bed.

 

Written and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard

Scholastic Press

978-1-4431-4632-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-5

August 2024

It's late.  Why isn't Bird sleeping?!

From Sleepy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Bird is not sleepy, or so he thinks.  He wants to play and party and seeks out each of his animal friends to keep him company.  Each one tells him it's bedtime and recommends a sleep aid like hugging a blankie (that's from Fox), or reading a bedtime story (Beaver), snuggling with a stuffie (Rabbit), singing a lullaby (Raccoon) or counting sheep (obviously from Sheep).  But he poohpoohs their suggestions, storming off like he often does (remember, he was Grumpy Bird in his first book).

From Sleepy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

But, after a little while, he is reduced to tears and questioning empathically "WHY SHOULD I GO TO SLEEP?"  His friends, ever faithful, come running and support their dear friend with all the recommendations they'd made earlier, helping their feathered companion find a way to dreamland.

From Sleepy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

What parent doesn't know the child who will not go to sleep?  In fact, they will recognize the crankiness, protestations, and eventual winding down of a little one, and their own ploys used to help a child fall into slumber.  Undoubtedly they will also recognize some comments made by Bird's friends, especially "I thought he'd NEVER fall asleep," as proclaimed by Fox.  But it's Bird's responses that always have me laughing. (I think, Jeremy Tankard, there's a Funny Bird in your future.) Bird's replies to his friends, ever escalating in their intensity, include "Blankie shmankie", "Are you TRYING to give me nightmares?" and to Sheep's suggestion of counting sheep: "HOW CAN YOU GET SLEEPY COUNTING TO ONE?"

But, as clever as the text is and as pertinent as its theme, Sleepy Bird will grab readers and non-readers with its bold and colourful illustrations.  Jeremy Tankard's wacky characters are as familiar now as Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Mo Willems's Elephant and Piggie and we love everything about them: their vibrant colours, coarse lines and clean shapes as well as their expressive poses and faces. What is more is that Jeremy Tankard's landscapes of splatterings of flowers, rocks, and trees amidst enormous ground-level stars and a moon provide a surreal contrast to a very commonplace story i.e. putting a reluctant child to bed.

So, the next time you have to help little ones find their way to rest, grab those blankies and stuffies and read Sleepy Bird.  I can't assure you that they'll go to sleep but you'll at least enjoy the attempt until they decide for themselves that sleep is best.

• • • • • • •

 

Grumpy Bird (2007)

Boo Hoo Bird (2009)

Hungry Bird (2016)

Sleepy Bird (2018)

Sea Snooze

Written by Sarabeth Holden

Illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-442-4

28 pp.

Ages 3-5

July 2024

 

While a mother reads a bedtime story to her children perched in their bed, their imaginations are invited to soar.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

All aboard our little boat!

We'll sail all night. Let's see where we float!

In their dream boat, they travel far and wide, over mountains and icy seas, where the stars shine bright and guide their way. They see gulls and guillemots, minke whales and belugas, and seals.  As the animals play and feed, the children sail across the waves.

Minkes in the sound exhale from their spouts,

spraying drops of sparkling water all about.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

These are but their dreams, spurred on by their mother's reading and their own lives in an Arctic environment. In fact, their bedroom provides all the setting elements, from the animals in a mobile near the bed, to a wallpaper border of water and starry sky, and stuffed bears and narwhal. (If readers look closely, they'll see the patches on the balloon tethered to their boat match those of the well-loved stuffed narwhal toy on the bed.) Their dreams come from their lives: the bed is their boat, its blankets their sails, and their experiences, from snacking on seaweed and fish to watching the wildlife of their Arctic home, give texture to their dreams.

Soon the morning will come,

the sunshine glittering gold,

with all the wonders that

the new day holds.

What a lovely rhyming text to send your own young ones into their nightly respite! They may not know of an Arctic home with an ocean rich with wildlife both in the water and above it, but they'll appreciate taking a boat to a wondrous place with familiar elements from their own lives. Author Sarabeth Holden, who also wrote Please Don't Change My Diaper! and Benny the Bananasaurus Rex, both of which were also illustrated by Emma Pedersen, may currently live in Toronto but her experiences living in Nunavut and being a mother feed her stories. Sea Snooze speaks to parents putting little ones to bed and to those same little ones visiting dreamland via their own experiences. A co-founder of the Toronto Inuit Association, Sarabeth Holden embeds this story in modern Inuit life whose homes could be anywhere in Canada. But, by emphasizing the landscape that only those of the far north would understand and the inclusion of an occasional Inuktitut word, Sarabeth Holden helps us see that the dreams of these children are unique to their home, and all the richer for their familiarity with it. Yet, with her energetic rhyming that has us travelling with the children on their dream boat, Sarabeth Holden is singing a lullaby for children to rest, imagine, and enjoy their lives in a different way.

From Sea Snooze, written by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Emma Pedersen keeps the playful in the soothing tranquility of children heading to sleep and into their dreams. From their colourful pajamas and bedding to their assortment of toys and art, these kids have wonderful energy to feed those dreams. And though their dreamworld is mostly one of dark turquoises and blues, not unlike the Arctic Ocean and a night sky, Emma Pedersen infuses those scapes with warmth in the playfulness of the animals and the whimsy in their faces and in the clouds. 

 

You might want to read Sea Snooze to your own little ones, perhaps before bedtime, so that they might be encouraged to use their imaginations to discover their own sleep journeys. Their beds may be different, their toys unlike those in Sea Snooze, and the animals they have seen a far cry from the narwhal and the minke whale, but hopefully they'll have their own foundation for dreams to bring joy and contentment and, of course, sleep.

The Keeper of Stars

Written by Jennifer Harris

Illustrated by Dorothy Leung

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-568-6

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

April 2024 

 

We know the bedtime routine. It usually includes getting washed, brushing teeth, dressing in pajamas, and the reading of stories. Milo's routine includes these but with a few extras, like tapping his dad's picture three times and then hitching a ride on a comet to help the Keeper of Stars. He'll have a busy night ahead.

From The Keeper of Stars, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Dorothy Leung

What does the Keeper of Stars do? They clean up the skies, and there's a lot to clean up. There are airplane smudges, balloons, and stray feathers, but also stars that need washing and polishing. (This sweet sentiment is so reminiscent of my own father speaking about moving the clouds and shining the stars while we slept that I get a little lump in my throat.)

From The Keeper of Stars, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Dorothy Leung

The Keeper of Stars, a large bear with a star patch upon its forehead, instructs Milo how to bathe the stars, even as they get ticklish, and then, watched over by owlets and bats, how to put back all those fallen stars which sailors use for navigation. It's a lovely playful time for Milo and the stars.

 

When they are finally done for the night, the Keeper of Stars and Milo sit down for a repast of herring sandwiches and cocoa before the child returns to his bed, not always remembering his nightly endeavours.

From The Keeper of Stars, written by Jennifer Harris, illustrated by Dorothy Leung

Most bedtime stories are filled with tenderness as little ones settle and a quiet descends. But Jennifer Harris's story has a special gentleness to it. Perhaps it's the solemnity with which Milo taps his father's photo beside his bed when sleep is nigh. Perhaps it's his mother's exhaustion as she maintains Milo's bedtime routines as she falls asleep as he slips away to join the Keeper of Stars. Perhaps it's the camaraderie of working alongside others to get a job done but still having time for a bit of joyous play. Perhaps it's all of those things. Reading The Keeper of Stars will leave young readers calm and intrigued, looking into the heavens for the big bear of Ursa Major and falling stars and even owls and bats in the night sky. And maybe even dreaming of their own celestial adventures.

 

Toronto's Dorothy Leung, who illustrated When the Wind Came and The Bird Feeder, uses a style of art that enhances Jennifer Harris's sensitive story. She uses pencil and gouache, as well as Photoshop, to create images that are both ni and grounded, taking readers into the heavens but from the familiarity of a child's room at bedtime. Even when juggling the stars and arranging them into messages, Milo has an earnestness about him. He is quiet and busy, doing what he must but recognizing the joy in what he is doing, for himself and others. Dorothy Leung gives him an inner serenity which, considering his focus on his father's photo, would be a challenge for many. She brings the quiet and takes away the fears of the night, through her choice of colours, the softness of her shapes, and the expressive lines of her characters, which include the stars.

 

If you have a little one who needs to be drawn gently into the world of sleep, The Keeper of Stars will do just that. It will take them in hand to dream of nightly duties by joining those who populate our heavens and add sparkle to our lives. It will help them sail into the calm of sleep and the respite of the tireless.

Hello, Dark

Written by Wai Mei Wong
Illustrated by Tamara Campeau
Pajama Press
978-1-77278-221-9
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
October 2021

Tomorrow's release of Wai Mei Wong and Tamara Campeau's picture book Hello, Dark may herald the use of a new strategy for young children to help them cope with their fears of the dark. After all, the dark will always be there and if there's a way to make friends with it, it's certain to make bedtime and sleep time much easier.

From Hello, Dark by Wai Mei Wong, illus. by Tamara Campeau

After a child has been put to bed, he sits on his bed, facing his closet and begins a conversation with the dark. Starting with a cordial "Hello, Dark," he begins to recite what he knows of the dark, such as that it creeps in when the sun goes down and keeps him wide awake and worrying. He knows of the creaks and the sounds it makes, hiding everything in its shadows and making him feel helpless and alone. But tonight the boy is determined that things will be different.

I'm tired of being afraid of you.
Tonight, can we talk?

From Hello, Dark by Wai Mei Wong, illus. by Tamara Campeau

Now the child recounts all the good things that the darkness helps to happen, from animals like the fox and the owl that feel safe in the shadows and the moon and stars that can only shine when in the darkness.

Thinking that maybe the dark isn't scary but really just lonely, the boy offers to be its friend. He suggests that they talk about happy things, play imaginary games–the dark makes a good shadow pirate–count sheep, breathe, and listen to music, many strategies offered to help all of us fall asleep. But by making the dark his partner in those strategies, the child removes the dark from a sleep-inhibiting role and truly makes it a friend.

 

From Hello, Dark by Wai Mei Wong, illus. by Tamara Campeau

Too many parents and teachers dismiss children's fears of the dark by telling them that there's nothing to be afraid of. Sadly, that does not eliminate the fear. By addressing a child's fear as something tangible, even as a dark amorphous form, Wai Mei Wong has let this child have his fear and helps him, and every child who reads this book, to cope with it. He is every child and so his solutions to deal with the dark could also belong to every child. Moreover, by having him try a variety of strategies from breathing to listening to music, using his imagination and self-soothing through talk, Wai Mei Wong offers children opportunities to make friends with the dark for themselves.

Artist Tamara Campeau could have given the night the eerie nature that many children attribute to it but this deeply-coloured book is anything but dark. Tamara Campeau, who recently illustrated the gorgeous Grandfather Bowhead, Tell Me a Story, uses rich blues and purples to evoke the night but permeates the child's room with the primary colours, even if subdued in a lack of light. From his pajamas and bed covers to growth chart and books, everything that is familiar to him is always there, even if the dark is too, and reassures children that all those much-loved playthings and familiar bedroom items will still be there in the morning. 

If you know a child who struggles with the night, Hello, Dark will offer them more than one way to cope with being left in a room without light, the greatest of which is embracing the darkness as a companion, not villain.

Poesy the Monster Slayer

Written by Cory Doctorow

Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller

First Second

978-1-62672-362-7

40 pp.

Ages 4-7

July 2020

 

Her parents may be typical in their frustration with a little girl who just won't go to sleep but her reason is very atypical: she has monsters to slay.

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

With Halloween only days away, there may be much talk of monsters and creatures of the night. Some children will be frightened just as many already are of those horrors that tend to come out when the lights are dimmed. But for Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Russell Schnegg, whose parents use her full name the more frustrated they become with her, it's her parents who frustrate her. 

"Parents! Always with the bedtimes!"

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

After her father finally leaves with a "PLEASE stay in bed tonight" Poesy is ready. She's been reading her monster book and she knows about all of their weaknesses. When the werewolf appears, she's ready with her wand and Princess Frillypants silver tiara. Of course, her father hears and chastizes her for playing with her toys. (She doesn't explain about the werewolf.)

Then there's the Great Old One who "made a noise like a frightened teakettle in a blender rolling down a hill" which she swiftly dispatches with her bubblegum perfume in its eye. This time it's her tired mom yelling at her to get back to bed.

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

Kindly Poesy realizes she must "take care of the rest of the monsters more quietly" though, of course, her parents hear her as she disposes of a vampire and Frankenstein's monster. When morning finally comes around, it's her parents who look the worse-for-wear.

A prolific writer, Toronto-born Cory Doctorow is better known for his science fiction and tech non-fiction writing. Though he has written for YA readers, this is his first picture book and I suspect the premise of getting a child to bed, especially one whose name is almost identical to that of his own daughter, may be a very personal one. But with much humour, about how Poesy sees her parents–"He was so tired that he stepped on a Harry the Hare block and said some swears. Poor Daddy! Rotten monsters!– and how she slays the monsters, Cory Doctorow takes something from the scary side to the funny side. Matt Rockefeller's illustrations, rendered in pencil, graphite powder and coloured digitally, have a cheekiness to them, surprising because of the dark nature of the story. But together, words and art suggest that those monsters in the dark can be handily taken care of by a child.

Poesy the Monster Slayer will empower your little ones if they have any fears about the monsters that may lurk in their rooms after dark, though it might not hurt to ask them politely to keep the noise down so their hard-working caregivers can get some well-earned sleep.

 

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

Goodnight, World

Written and illustrated by Andrea Lynn Beck

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-4431-4865-8

32 pp.

Ages 2-6

September 2019

It's not always easy for children to see beyond their own worlds. Not everyone gets an opportunity to travel and experience how others live firsthand. But that should not limit their understanding or ability to feel compassion. In Andrea Lynn Beck's newest picture book, a child wonders about other children around the world who too are heading to bed, recognizing that they will be both very different and still similar.

From Goodnight, World by Andrea Lynn Beck

A child who lives with his family on a sailboat is preparing for bed and looking up at the sky and questioning whether other children are looking up and seeing the same stars. He thinks about those on different continents–his room houses a number of geographical instruments like a map, compass, globe and sextant to fuel this attention–and the structures they might live in and the furniture upon which they sleep.

From Goodnight, World by Andrea Lynn Beck

In lovely rhyming text that melds innocence with curiosity, Andrea Lynn Beck presents a global appreciation of all children as they settle in for the night under domes or roofs with goats, in caves, on boats, in high-rises or buildings made of mud and straw. The boy imagines wonderful landscapes far and wide, high and low, and the children often reading, sometimes playing, before sleep under a common celestial feature. 

As the illustrations in her earlier picture book Good Night, Canada demonstrate, Andrea Lynn Beck's pencil crayon and paint on watercolour paper artwork is bright and fresh and reflective of a child's perspective and reality. She invites readers into a child's room, to cuddle with a stuffie and dog, and to dream of other lands and children. And for those who want to learn a little more about the homes shown throughout the book, Andrea Lynn Beck shares stories about each, including how she created the book to show how our world is our home.

Our world is so big, and sometimes so small...

It is our home, goodnight to us all.

Goodnight, World will definitely be added to my Read a Book of Bedtime booklist for its comforting take on a child's end of day reflection and wonder about the world and its children.

🌎🌏🌍🌎🌍

A French-language edition, Bonne nuit autour du monde, will also be released by Scholastic Canada this month.

In the Sky at Nighttime

Written by Laura Deal 

Illustrated by Tamara Campeau

Inhabit Media

978–1-77227-238-3

28 pp.

Ages 3-6

May 2019

While getting a child to sleep with familiar imagery is not unusual, it is when it embraces the northern environs of the Arctic and culture of its indigenous people.

In the Sky at Nighttime is a northern bedtime story. It's late and it's dark, and outside there is the crunch of winter snow and the cold crisp air. There are northern lights "painting bright colours across the endless sky" and a hunter on snowmobile returning home. Far above the snow-covered buildings and streets, a raven roosts, calling to others. But deep within a house illuminated in the darkness, there is an intimacy as a "mother's delicate song to her child rises like a gentle breeze."

From In the Sky at Nighttime, illus. by Tamara Campeau, text by Laura Deal

Nunavummiuq Laura Deal's text is very simple, usually with two lines per double-spread, often starting with "In the sky at nighttime." It takes us from outside in, leading from the expansive outdoors of both rural and urban landscapes, then drawn into the world of a mother and child. It sees the day ending and the outlook for a new day.

At peace for the day ahead

and the one we leave behind.

Quebec's Tamara Campeau brings the chill of the text to the book's landscapes through her snow-covered homes and streets, her people bundled in hooded parkas, and red-nosed and -cheeked children. The snow glistens as it provides still insulation but also as it sparkles with the stars and luminous northern lights in the darkened sky.

From In the Sky at Nighttime, illus. by Tamara Campeau, text by Laura Deal

I've just updated my Read a Book of Bedtime booklist to include Laura Deal and Tamara Campeau's splendid bedtime picture book In the Sky at Nighttime. Children in northern areas will be tickled with the book's familiarity and homeyness of people and place, while those in other climes will learn bedtime in the far north can be as warm and as cozy as a mother's embrace amidst shelter from the cold.

Read a Book of Bedtime: A youngCanLit booklist

Getting a child to bed can be either incredibly easy or arduously difficult.  Whatever the situation at your home, try one of these books of youngCanLit to help ease the transition to sleep at bedtime while carrying your little ones off to dreamland.

Z...Z...Z...Z...Z...Z...Z........

Animal Alphabed
Written by Margriet Ruurs
Illustrated by Jennifer Emery
Wordsong
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
2005

Bed Tales
Written by Brigitte Waisberg
Illustrated by Ariana Koultourides
Annick Press
20 pp.
Ages 2-4
2018

Bedtime 1 2 3
Written by Eric Walters
Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Orca Book Publishers
26 pp.
Ages 0-4
2017

Bedtime Ba-a-a-lk
Written by Rukhsana Khan
Illustrated by Kristi Frost
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 2-6
1998

A Bedtime Yarn
Written by Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2017

The Big Bed
Written by Bunmi Laditan
Illustrated by Tom Knight
Farrrar Straus Giroux
32 pp.
Ages 4-6
2018
Reviewed here

Blanche Hates the Night
Written and illustrated by Sibylle Delacroix
Owlkids Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-6
2016

The Boy and the Blue Moon
Written by Sara O’Leary
Illustrated by Ashley Crowley
Henry Holt and Co.
40 pp.
Ages 5-8
2018

Dream Boats
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin
Simply Read Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-8
2013

Every Single Night
Written by Dominique Demers
Illustrated by Nicolas Debon
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 3-7
2006

Goodnight, Anne (Inspired by Anne of Green Gables)
Written by Kallie George
Illustrated by Genevieve Godbout
Tundra
40 pp.
Ages 4-6
2018

Goodnight, Canada
Written and illustrated by Andrea Beck
North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2012
Reviewed here

Good Night, Good Night
Written by Dennis Lee
Illustrated by Qin Leng
HarperCollins
24 pp.
Ages 0-5
2018

Good Night Sam
Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books
24 pp.
Ages 3-6
2003

Goodnight, Sleepy Animals (A Nightlight Book)
Illustrated by Christine Battuz
CrackBoom
14 pp.
Ages 0-3
2016

Goodnight, Sweet Pig
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Josée Masse
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
2007

Goodnight, World
Written and illustrated by Andrea Lynn Beck
North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)
32 pp.
Ages 2-6
2019
Reviewed here

Goodnight, You
Written and illustrated by Geneviève Côté
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
2014

Grandmother Ptarmigan 
Written by Qaunaq Mikkigak and Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Inhabit Media
24 pp.
Ages 0-4
2013
Reviewed here

Hop into Bed!
Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland
North Winds/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3 7
2018

I Dare You Not to Yawn
Written by Hélène Boudreau
Illustrated by Serge Bloch
Candlewick Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2013

If I Were the Moon
Written by Sheree Fitch
Illustrated by Leslie Elizabeth Watts
Nimbus
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2019

In the Sky at Nighttime
Written by Laura Deal
Illustrated by Tamara Campea
Inhabit Media
28 pp.
Ages 3-6
2019

Jeremiah and Mrs. Ming
Written by Sharon Jennings
Illustrated by Mireille Levert
Annick Press
24 pp.
Ages 5-8
1990

Midnight, Mimi
Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2001

 


Moon Wishes
Written by Guy and Patricia Storms
Illustrated by Milan Pavlović
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
2019
Reviewed here 

Mortimer
Written by Robert Munsch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
28 pp.
Ages 5-8
1985/2018

Mouse Tales
Written by Philip Roy
Illustrated by Andrea Torrey Balsara
Ronsdale Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2014
Reviewed here

Nap Time
Written by Susan Hughes
Annick Press
14 pp.
Ages 1-3
2017

Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That
Written by Victoria Allenby
Illustrated by Tara Anderson
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 2-52013
Reviewed here

No Monsters Here
Written by Sharon Jennings
Illustrated by Ruth Ohi
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
24 pp.
Ages 2-7
2004

Ocean Meets Sky
Written and illustrated by Eric and Terry Fan
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
48 pp.
Ages 4-8
2018

Penelope and the Monsters
Written by Sheri Radford
Illustrated by Christine Tripp
Lobster Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-8
2005

The Pirate's Bed
Written by Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by Matt James
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2015

Rokko
Written and illustrated by Paola Opal
Simply Read Books
24 pp.
Ages 0-4
2012

Scaredy Squirrel at Night
Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 5-10
2009

Shadow Chasers
Written and illustrated by Elly MacKay
Running Press Kids
32 pp.
Ages 4-6
2014

Shh! My Brother's Napping
Written and illustrated by Ruth Ohi
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2014
Reviewed here

Sing a Song of Bedtime
Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 0-6
2015
Reviewed here

Sleepers
Written and illustrated by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Tundra
24 pp.
Ages 2-5
1999

Sleep, Sheep!
Written by Kerry Lyn Sparrow
Illustrated by Guillaume Perreault
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2018
Reviewed here

Sleep Tight, Mrs. Ming
Written by Sharon Jennings
Illustrated by Mireille Levert
Annick Press
24 pp.
Ages 5-8
1993

The Sleeping Porch
Written and illustrated by Ian Wallace
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2008

Sleepy Bird
Written and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard
Scholastic Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-5
2018
Reviewed here

Song for a Summer Night: A Lullaby
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2015
Reviewed here

Sweetest Kulu
Written  by Celina Kalluk
Illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 0-6
2014
Reviewed here

Thank You for My Bed
Written and illustrated by Doretta Groenendyk
Acorn Press
24 pp.
Ages 1-5
2011

Time for Bed: Baby’s Bedtime Routine (Baby Steps)
Written by Carol McDougall & Shanda LaRamee-Jones
Nimbus
18 pp.
Ages 0-2
2018

A Wave Came Through Our Window
Written by Zetta Elliott
Illustrated by Charity Russell
Rosetta Press
26 pp.
Ages 4-7
2015

Where's Bunny?
Written by Theo Heras
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
Pajama Press
24 pp.
Ages 1-3
2018
Reviewed here

Will Sheep Sleep?
Written and illustrated by Hilary Leung
Scholastic
40 pp.
Ages 0-3
2018

Who Is Sleeping in Aunty's Bed?
Written by Kathy Stinson
Illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis
Oxford University Press
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
1991