This Cairn is for the Kids
Reading should be fun, even when it’s a bedtime story for kids
The world heaves a sigh of relief in the fall, when school aged children return to their rightful place in the classroom (bless teachers, they are truly superheroes who should make a million dollars a year) and parents everywhere get to come up for air and enjoy a few hours of a sanity-ish.
In honor of my favorite season - everyone knows that the true new years is back-to-school time - I want to share my favorite picture books. Parenthood can be seemingly unending drudgery as much as it can be a delightful pursuit so in an effort to increase the enjoyable elements, I’ve curated some tried and true titles that we consistently reach for at bedtime. These are the titles I never tire of, no matter how many times I read them - many of which I know almost by heart at this point.
Make sure to comment below on your favorite bedtime stories!
Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss - I know it’s risky to open with Dr. Seuss due to the recent light that was shown on his racist history. With that said, if we are to separate the art from the artists, Fox in Socks is objectively one of the funnest books to read, I have many fond memories of our beloved nanny reading this to Marty as a baby and toddler, with him giggling with glee at the silly wordplay.
The Dragons are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky - Speaking of wordplay, I find Jack Prelutsky’s work so interesting, this is one of two included on this list! A bonus for this title is that each page is a separate mini poem - a great bargaining tool for a quick bedtime (“ok we’ll read two pages only and then straight to bed!”)
Beastly Verse by Joohee Yoon - A visually interesting rendering of classic poems, this book is so fun to read and includes a few pullout page, silly tongue twisters and calming poems.
Stardines Swim High Across the Sky by Jack Prelutsky - It bears mentioning the delightful images that comprise this book were illustrated by Carin Berger and look like a collage, truly bringing these grammatically twisted creations to life.
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue - The sweetest of the bunch, a story within a story as two parents convince their resistant sleeper that all the animals sleep in a melodic and quick book.