bedtime books

Evy's bedtime routine involves several books. Is five too many?

Daddy and Evy (9 months old), January 2012 

The current line-up:

• Goodnight Moon - This classic holds up. By now Mama and Dada have it memorized, and Evy's recent renditions indicate that she does, too.
  
• Sleepyhead - Pat found this one in our favorite local bookstore. The cadence and rhymes are very sweet and swaying, and the story of a little one putting off bedtime is all too familiar! The illustrations make me think of a child's dream. The premise is confusing if you don't read the back of the book, but you know- it's a 12 page board book so it's really not that complicated.
  
• Llama Lllama Nighty Night - A simple story of Llama Llama's bedtime routine. Sarah introduced us to Lllama. The stories in this series are all very simple, but just the fact that they feature a family of llamas makes them awesome.
  
• Little Quack's Bedtime - Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle, and Little Quack are pretty cute. This one also offers a comforting refrain, and a story about Mama Duck unveiling the truth behind the ducklings' fears. Evy was pretty young when she started flipping to the page with the owl to whoo whooo.
  
• Time for Bed - This book features several baby animals with their moms (or dads - now that I think about it you can't tell for sure). In each scene the little one is being urged to sleep  through repeating but varied rhymes-  "It's time for bed, little deer, little deer, the very last kiss is almost here."  If someone read this to me I'd be asleep in an instant. 

Right now I nurse Evelyn before books, and Pat is the bedtime reader most nights. We switch off sometimes, and I love that cozy time reading as she gets sleepier and sleepier, snuggling in close. These days she chimes in, saying "hushhhh" along with the old lady, and narrating Llama Llama's bath until she's too sleepy to talk.