Why Reading to Your Baby Is One of the Best Bedtime Habits (and some of my favorite picture books for every age)
This sounds silly to say now, but when my youngest was little, I had absolutely no idea there was a whole world of children's books.
We had been gifted three books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Dear Zoo. That was the extent of my knowledge of children's books, and I'm sad to say I rarely read to my son as a baby or young toddler.
When my third baby was born, I read The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie, and a whole new world opened up to me. I learned about the benefits of reading aloud to my kids and how much reading together could grow our connection. I could go on and on, but the point is, it was life changing for my family.
We now have an extensive library of picture books and read every single day. It's one of our favorite things to do, and I think it could become one of your favorite things too.
What Does This Have to Do With Sleep?
You might be asking, "Ok, this is nice, Jess, but what does this have to do with sleep support? Because that's why I'm here."
Sleep support is often portrayed as being cold, neglectful, or harmful to attachment. While I strongly disagree with those stereotypes and know that sleep support can be done in a holistic, supportive, and loving way, I also think there are lots of little habits that can support healthy sleep while building connection with your child.
One of my favorites is reading together.
Implementing a consistent bedtime routine is one of the best things you can do to set your child up for sleep success. The steps in the routine tell your child's brain that sleep is coming and give them time to transition into bedtime.
Books have become one of my favorite parts of that routine.
Research has found that children who are read to beginning in infancy tend to have larger vocabularies and stronger early literacy skills by the time they start school.
Reading aloud to your baby supports healthy brain development, language, and early learning. It also creates regular moments of connection between you and your child, which are an important part of healthy development.
In The Read-Aloud Family, Sarah Mackenzie says it so well:
"A child is never too young for a read-aloud… When we read with our youngest kids, we help them associate books and stories with affection. They connect books with warmth and love. When we pull our young children onto our laps and take the time to read a story, they feel cared for and safe. Helping our kids associate that warm, happy, loved feeling with books is a great gift."
Sleep support isn't tossing your child in a crib and walking away. It is so much more full and holistic than that. Reading is one of my favorite ways to bring connection into your bedtime routine. It fills your child's cup before sleep and gives you a simple way to connect before you say goodnight.0
One of My Favorite Tips for Families With More Than One Child
One of the biggest challenges during the first year is figuring out how to meet everyone's needs at once.
The baby is hungry. Your toddler wants to play. Your preschooler wants to show you a trick they just learned. Everyone needs something.
One of my favorite habits during those years was reading aloud while I nursed or bottle fed the baby.
When babies get to be a few months old, they often become much more aware of what's going on around them. Every noise or little distraction can interrupt a feeding. Many babies end up snacking all day instead of taking a good, full feeding.
As a sleep consultant, I care a lot about full feedings because they play a big role in helping babies get the calories they need during the day to support their sleep at night.
Reading aloud solved several problems at once.
My older kids had my attention instead of competing for it. They sat quietly with me during feedings because they were listening to the story, and the baby was able to stay focused long enough to get a good feeding.
Was it perfect every time? Of course not. But it worked well enough that it became a regular part of our day.
It also gave me another excuse to buy more picture books, which I was perfectly happy about.
My Favorite Picture Books
Here are a few of my very favorite picture books for different ages. Honestly, all four of my kids (ages 3–9) enjoy all of these books, but I tried to group them by the age they seem to enjoy them the most. They're all wonderful though. Honestly, just get them all. 😂
Pro Tip: Whenever you read to your child, no matter how young, read the title, author, and illustrator. It is so fun to watch them start recognizing favorite illustrators or remember other books by the same author.
For Babies and Toddlers 2 and Under:
Mama's Kisses by Kate McMullan
Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park
Time for Bed by Mem Fox (one of my favorite authors)
Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
The King of All Things by Shay and Catherine Gregorie
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler
Elementary Favorites:
Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor (so funny)
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich
Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels
The Library by Sarah Stewart
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (hilarious)
The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Mama Seeton's Whistle (I will not lie to you. I can't read this one without sobbing. You've been warned.)
Great for Preschoolers:
Grandpa Toad's Secret by Keiko Kasza
Mike Mulligan and More: A Virginia Lee Burton Treasury
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
We Were Tired of Living in a House by Liesel Moak Skorpen
One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Koala Lou by Mem Fox
Still a Hit With My 9-Year-Old
I can't help but feel so incredibly thankful for picture books that still capture my 9-year-old son's attention. Kids are never too old for picture books, but I know reading picture books with him will look different as he grows than it did at 5. So whenever I find a picture book he loves or he brings me one to read, I feel so grateful to the author and illustrator.
These books are wonderful for younger kids too, but I think they're especially good at holding the attention of older children.
The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers
The Hundred-Year Barn by Patricia MacLachlan (my very favorite picture book!)
Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco (Really, any Patricia Polacco book.)
Any book by Bill Peet
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee (great for all ages, but my 9-year-old especially loves this one)
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
What Do They Do with All That Poo? by Jane Kurtz (Just trust me. 🤣)
Over and Under the Coral Reef by Kate Messner (Really, the entire Over and Under series is fantastic.)
I hope this gives you a few new books to add to your library. If you're just getting started, don't feel like you need to buy dozens of books overnight. Pick one or two that sound fun, start reading together every day, and build your collection over time.
I certainly didn't know what I was missing when my oldest was little. I'm so thankful someone finally introduced me to the world of children's books, and I hope I can do the same for you.