5 Bedtime Stories that Never Get Old
5 Bedtime Stories that Never Get Old
Stories told right before bedtime snuggle up next to us with our pillows and our teddy bears and embed themselves into our subconscious minds. They’re as beloved as childhood pets and are retold throughout generations. There’s a reason some bedtime stories never get old and the key is simplicity.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
In the great green room under the glow of the full white moon, the child tells everything in the room good night from the bowl of mush to the little old lady whispering “hush”. The reader’s focus is carefully drawn from object to object in the room as the object is bade a good night. Throughout the simple story, readers can follow the little white mouse throughout the room, a curiosity—almost like an early side-plot—that entrances readers of all ages.
What makes this book timeless is how familiar the room becomes. It exudes quietness and stillness, peace and serenity through a very simple story that shows a child’s gratitude for all that they have. Saying good night to everything not only shows that the objects are recognized but also that they are cared about, no matter how inconsequential they might otherwise be.
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Told using harmonious, soothing couplets, Time for Bed tells how different baby animals and their mamas cuddle up and settle down for sleep. Kittens, puppies, fish, lambs, and other animals children learn about in their formative years a lulled to sleep. The story concludes with a mother and her child, which solidifies the imagery as well as the emotion of one of nature’s strongest bonds. The result is a peaceful and secure child drifting to sleep in their bed.
This story is timeless because of its exacting yet simple and subtle rendering of the mother/child bond that when healthy is one of the most nurturing and affirming bonds in human existence.
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Two bunnies, a parent and child, are getting ready for bed. When the little bunny asks, “Guess how much I love you?” the story begins. Throughout the story, the two make increasingly more grandiose comparisons to illustrate their love. In the end, the understanding is that true love’s magnitude is incomparable to anything else.
The story is simple, but it’s a great use of illustration through text and imagery. It’s timeless because not only is it visual, but it’s emotive. The reader’s feelings grow in tandem with the bunnies’.
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
In this humorous adventure, a zookeeper makes the rounds, telling the zoo animals good night. What the zookeeper doesn’t realize is that the mischievous gorilla has pocketed his keys and is going through the zoo unlocking all of the animal’s cages behind him. The line of animals grows increasingly lengthy. It’s only when the zookeeper gets home and into bed and tells his wife good night that a chorus of other voices repeat him that he realizes they aren’t alone. The zookeeper’s wife quickly returns the animals to their cages.
Simple, though, a little less sedate than the others listed, this book is a bedtime classic because it uses the same repetitive “good night” strategy as seen in Goodnight Moon. Meanwhile, there’s an element of conflict and suspense that keeps young minds curious, which is will the zookeeper find out about the animals and when he does, what will happen? Will the gorilla get into trouble? The story is also relatable as children, like the zoo animals, often want to follow their keepers (parents) to bed at night. The concluding message is that everyone will stay safe and sound if they sleep where they are supposed to sleep.
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan
For little owl, the night starts in the day, so this book is uniquely one of few that takes places in the velvety darkness of night. Little owl with his enormous green eyes spends the book visiting various animals. Little owl is curious and inquisitive, making links between his environment and who he encounters—for example, he wants to tell the sleeping bear about the moon; however, the bear doesn’t wake up.
Little owl eventually asks his mother how the night ends. The description of the end of night is prosaic and lovely, and perhaps serves as a beautiful source of comfort for children in understanding that the dark and sometimes scary night will eventually yield morning light. At this point, when dawn breaks, little owl goes to sleep.
This story works because it is simple. Little owl is curious and exploring, much like its young readers. For those of us who write for children, these are important lessons—we must consider our audience, what they are thinking, what they are concerned with, etc. Likewise, that lesson should be translated into business storytelling. Consider your audience and what they need, want, think, feel, are curious about, etc. and explore those curiosities simply and transparently in the stories that you tell.
Need help telling simple stories that resonate with your audience (or just want more bedtime recommendations)? If so, click here to contact us, The Storyteller Agency. We love what we do, and so we do it the best we can every time we pick up a pen.
