Book Picks - Ten Good "Goodnight" Stories

Since the purpose of a bedtime story is to prepare children for bed, it isn't surprising there are a lot of books with "goodnight" in the title.

Here's a list of ten good "goodnight" books:

1.  Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

2. Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

3. How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen

Bedtime Tips: Create Stories with Your Children

Children love using their imagination, so instead of just reading bedtime stories to your children, why not make some up with them? 

For younger children, you may need to invent most of the story, but that doesn’t mean they still can’t contribute.  For example, let them decide the name of the prince, or the colour of the princess’s pet dragon. 

If you aren’t confident in your storytelling abilities, start by retelling your favourite fairytales, and your child can provide some new twists.  Who says “Little Red Riding Hood” can’t become “Little Purple Riding Hood”, or that “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” can’t become “Goldilocks and the Three Aliens”?

For older children, you can take turns adding a new sentence to the story.  Some suggested opening lines to get your story started are: 

• On the first day of winter Prince Woebegone looked out his tower window and saw….
• When Mage the Magician asked for a volunteer from the audience….
• Princess Brave was not afraid of anything, until she…..
• As they left the pet store, Sam and Julie asked their mom if they could….
• One night, Martin heard a strange noise coming from under his bed, so he decided to….
• When the frog jumped into Ashley’s purse she....

Don’t forget to write down the best stories.  Your child can even draw pictures to accompany them. 

If you have an original story to share that you have written with your child, please post it in a comment below.