Bedtime Stories
Chosen by Jennifer, these are the stories that brightened up even the most difficult bedtimes! Her kids are teenagers now but these treasured picture books are stored in a box in the loft, too beloved to give away.
The Singing Mermaid
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Lydia Monks
With brilliant rhyming verse, and bright and distinctive illustrations, this story is perfect for bedtime.
Tempted by the promise of fame and fortune, the Singing Mermaid joins a circus. The crowds love her, but the poor mermaid is kept in a tank by the wicked circus owner Sam Sly, and she soon longs to return to the freedom of her ocean home…
Of all the many wonderful Julia Donaldson stories, this was the one my daughter knew off by heart and loved the most. Yes, it’s almost guaranteed when you get to the end your child will be demanding “again, again!” but I never got tired of this book, it’s a story you’ll be happy to read on repeat. These beautiful rhymes are made to be read out loud and the pictures are gorgeous. “Did you ever go to Silversands, On a sunny summer’s day?” It only adds to the magic when you can visit the beach in Aberdour and try to see the mermaid for yourself!
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Flat Stanley
Author: Jeff Brown
Illustrator: Rob Biddulph
Stanley Lambchop was just an ordinary boy – until a noticeboard fell on him. Now he’s flat as a pancake! Being flat is fantastic – he can be rolled up, sent in the post and even fly like a kite. But it’s not all fun and games … there are thieves in town. Can the flattest boy in the world be its biggest hero?
This is an absolute classic picture book - a favourite from my own childhood that I loved sharing with my kids. It’s about an ordinary family - and a magical world where boys can go on holiday in an envelope! It’s got quiet moments of reflection - and exciting moments of jeopardy! It’s also heartwarming, with a core message about being kind to everyone no matter how different they may look. Above all it opens a world of imagining - what adventures could you have if you were only an inch thick?
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Emily Brown and the Thing
Author: Cressida Cowell
Illustrator: Neal Layton
Emily Brown and her rabbit, Stanley, are trying to sleep. But a Splish-Splosh noise is keeping them awake... It's a Thing! And this Thing just won't go to sleep. Emily Brown and Rabbit try everything, but nothing works. Just what could be the matter?
My kids loved this warm and witty picture book by Cressida Cowell and so did I! It’s really funny, with plenty of twists and turns, and above all has the most excellent determined and no-nonsense hero in Emily Brown, aided and abetted at all times of course by Stanley the rabbit. Emily has lots of other magical adventures with Stanley by her side, in Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency and That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown - they’re all great but this one, with the wonderful character of the Thing, was our favourite.
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Burglar Bill
Author: Allan Ahlberg
Illustrator: Janet Ahlberg
Who's that creeping down the street? Who's that climbing up the wall? Who's that coming through the window? Who's that? ... It's Burglar Bill!
Burglar Bill lives all by himself in a tall house full of stolen property. Every night (after eating his stolen fish and chips) he goes out to work... stealing things. From hats to baked beans, Burglar Bill will take anything! But one day, Burglar Bill steals something very unexpected indeed…
Another book that offers a wonderful opportunity to attempt funny voices when reading out loud - my Bill was definitely a cockney. My son was thrilled at the daring naughtiness of it all especially when I played along and opened my eyes wide in shock! Luckily all’s well that ends well, with much hilarity along the way. Burglar Bill is perhaps not as well known as some of the Ahlbergs’ other classic stories such as Each Peach Pear Plum, Peepo! and The Jolly Postman, but we have a particular soft spot for him in our house.
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Peace at Last
Author: Jill Murphy
With a snoring Mrs Bear, an excitable Baby Bear and a house full of tapping and dripping and ticking, peace is hard to come by – will Mr Bear ever get a decent night's sleep? The familiar noises, repetition and beautiful illustrations make Jill Murphy's delightful Peace at Last an all-time favourite bedtime story.
Who doesn’t love a story about a mummy bear, a daddy bear and a baby bear? This is the book to read when bedtime seems to have been going on for ten hours with no end in sight. My kids loved it and as a bonus for me, every time Mr Bear exclaimed “Oh no, I can’t stand this!” I could voice the frustration and weariness out loud and feel solidarity with exhausted parents everywhere. Jill Murphy has written so many fantastic stories - Whatever Next and On the Way Home were also favourites with my kids. Peace at Last has a special place in my heart and I could probably still tell the story without a copy of the book in sight!
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