January 3 – Festival of Sleep Day

Happy Festival of Sleep!

Is today the day you catch up with the sleep you lost over the holidays? Maybe it’s time to hibernate until spring. Whatever you plan to do, be sure to read a picture book or two before you hit the hay.

Goodnight Already! written by Jory John and illustrated by Benji Davies (2014)

Newest bedtime story… HERE.

Good Night, Sleep Tight written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Judy Horacek (2012)

Skinny Doug, the twins favorite babysitter tells them one nursery rhyme after another trying to get the twins to sleep. After each one, Bonnie and Ben repeat “We love it! We love it! How does it go? Will you tell it again?” And each time Skinny Doug says, “Some other time. But I’ll tell you another I heard from my mother.” Eventually, Skinny Doug kisses each twin on the head and says, “Good Night, Sleep Tight” and the twins finally go to sleep.

Time to Sleep Sheep the Sheep! written and illustrated by Mo Willems (2010)

Cat the Cat announces bedtime to all her friends. She tells Sheep the Sheep, Pig the Pig, Giraffe the Giraffe, Crab the Crab, Horse the Horse, and Shark the Shark. But when she gets to Owl the Owl, she stops herself just in time and says ‘Never mind’. Everyone lays down in sleeping bags under a starry sky and fall asleep. Everyone that is except for Owl the Owl who is wide awake.  ‘Checkers anyone?’

Snowbaby Could Not Sleep written by Kara LaReau and illustrated by Jim Ishikawa (2005)

Snowbaby would not, could not go to sleep. Snowmama and Snowpapa try everything they can to help him sleep, counting snowflakes, and extra blanket of snow, a glass of cold water with extra ice, singing Frosty the Snowman and Let It Snow. But nothing works. Finally Snowmama has an idea. She scoops up soft fluffy snow and builds Snowbaby a little snowdoggie. Snowbaby helps snowdoggie go to sleep and so everyone in the house now can go to sleep.

Time to Sleep written and illustrated by Denise Fleming (1997)

As winter approaches the animals rush to spread the news. Skunk tells Turtle that it’s time to dig a hole and go to sleep. Turtle passes the information to Woodchuck, who needs to tell Ladybug, who must tell Bear. Ladybug rushes to tell him that the geese are leaving and that he should go to sleep. But Bear was already asleep. Ladybug apologizes for waking him and one by one, all the animals say goodnight to each other as they prepare for their winter sleep.