What Makes a Great Bedtime Story?
Ah, bedtime. Just the word can strike fear in some moms hearts, or it can bring a feeling of peace. Depending on which aspects you think of. If your “bedtime hour” is anything like mine it starts off as anything but serene. Here is what it looks like at my house: dinner dishes need to be done, the house is a mess from the day, my kids are probably still “wound-up” and wanting to have fun, and the bedtime routine ahead seems stressful and more like an awaiting struggle. Does that sound familiar to you too? Fast forward to when my kids are asleep. All of a sudden they seem as the darling angels that I always knew they were and there is a feeling of rest and warmth in my home. Sometimes we have a wonderful night and the transition from hectic to relaxing is smooth, and sometimes it’s not. That’s just life. However, there is a magical ingredient that can increase the odds of having a lovely transition to a beautiful bedtime: bedtime stories.
Just like music, some books are more suited to calming and some are more suited to entertainment. A great bedtime story is one that will lull your child and help them wind-down and prepare for bedtime. They slow racing thoughts and help little minds and bodies adjust to the transition of a tranquil night. How do they do this? How do you know which books make the best bedtime stories? Here we will discuss 3 of many characteristics that excellent bedtime stories posses and why they make a difference.
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Topic
This is the most obvious characteristic. Generally speaking books that are centered on the topic of bedtime make a good bedtime story. They may be books that talk about the world outside slowing down and preparing for night. They may be books that talk about the wonder of dreaming. They may even be books that simply talk about bedtime routines. Either way, such books help remind children what bedtime is like and help them mentally prepare. It is helpful especially for young children, such as toddlers, to read books about bedtime routines like brushing teeth and goodnight kisses to help them get in the right frame of mind before they go through the motions themselves.
Books don’t have to be about the topic of bedtime however. Any book that is soothing and calming can work as a great bedtime story. “If You Want to See a Whale” by Julie Fogliano and Erin E. Stead, for example, is a book about a little boy who wants to “spot a whale”. It has nothing really to do with bedtime, but the color palette and rhythm of the book are soothing which still makes it a wonderful bedtime book in my opinion. Another outstanding example is “You Belong Here” by M.H. Clark and Isabella Arsenault. This book is pleasingly suited for bedtime and though the topic isn’t on bedtime itself, it is on the comforting subject of belonging.
Color Palette
When the world turns to nighttime at the end of each day the sky darkens and the hues of the world are muted. Cool colors such as shades of blue and black prevail. These colors are “heavy” and can add to a calming atmosphere in preparation for sleeping. Therefore, books with these color palattes tend to make good selections for bedtime. A fabulous example is “Before I Wake Up…” by Britta Teckentrup. In this book she uses predominately black and shades of blue to create a mollifying effect in her book.
However, great bedtime stories don’t have to have dark color palettes to be effective. Other color families such as pastels can work great and be just as effective. For example, “When the World is Dreaming” by Rita Gray and Kenard Pak uses a pastel color spectrum. The light and airy feel of the illustrations in this book can be just as effective as heavy dark color palettes.
Rythmn
Rythmn is one of my favorite characteristics in books. I love a book with a good rhythm. A skilled author can construct their sentences in such a way that they control the whole pace and feel of their book, along with the readability. To create excitement many short and “punchy” sentences can be used. To create a pensive feel long, drawn out sentences with lengthy words may be best. Periods and commas create emphasis or places to take a pause and illustrations can break-up a story as well when there aren’t many words on a page. There are so many factors that go into the rhythm of a book that it’s fascinating.
For bedtime stories books with a rambling or swaying rhythm are my favorite. Rambling rhythms are relaxing and suggest that there is no rush and time to spare. Swaying rhythms can transform books into magical lullabies that essentially start to “rock your child to sleep”. If you are having difficulty determining if a rhythm is right for a bedtime story you really don’t need to over think things, all you have to do is read it aloud. If the book lends itself to being read aloud in a soothing calm manner than it is probably a good fit for you and your child.
Really, there are no real rules for finding the perfect bedtime story for you and your children. Stories that are effective for you may contain just one of these characteristics. Others, such as “A Moon of My Own” by Jennifer Rustgi and Ashley White and “Goodnight Everyone” by Chris Haughton have all three.
Sometimes reading a book that is familiar, one that is beloved in your home and has been read over and over again, can be the right sort of comfort that your child needs to prepare for bedtime. These are just some thoughts and ideas to get you thinking about what works for you and your child in the hopes that bedtime in your home can go a little more smoothly and beautifully each night.
If you are looking for some specific picture book recommendations I shared a list of 20 of our favorite bedtime stories here.
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