Does your child enjoy reading, or having you read to them? Mine do, and I love reading as an adult. My parents used to read to me all the time and I developed a love for books at a very young age. And story telling has always been a big part of our nap or bedtime routines since the kids were babies, and even more so now as they start getting themselves ready to sleep on their own. Need a few ideas for the youngest of the family? Here are a few books your toddler will love.
About Tommy Nelson
Tommy Nelson the children’s division of Thomas Nelson, publishes a wide variety of high quality, enjoyable products that are consistent with the teachings found in the Bible.
Tommy Nelson products are designed to expand children’s imaginations and nurture their faith while pointing them to a personal relationship with God.
Books by Amy Parker
- Night Night, Farm Touch and Feel – You and your child can say good night to the animals on the farm, all while enjoying their pajamas and saying goodnight to their parents and to God.
- Night Night, Sleepytown – Help say goodnight around Sleepytown to the fun and silly characters getting ready for bed, just as your child is doing with you.
- Night Night, Train – Puppies in their PJs board the train to Sleepytown to say goodnight to their parents and to God, all while having a delightful train ride.
- Night Night, Jungle – Take a nighttime tour of the jungle to tell the sleepy animals goodnight. Find sloths, toucans, lemurs, and more while getting your child settled in for the night.
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Book by Bonnie Rickner Jensen
Really Woolly I Love You, Little One – Enjoy the tale of a sweet lamb and his friends learn just how much the people around them love them. Plus, with fun rhymes, Bible verses, and included prayers will help your child know just how much God loves him or her too.
Book by Thomas Nelson
Go to Sleep, Sheep! (Bedtime Barn) – If your child struggles to get settled at bedtime, why not read this fun story about a sheep who just wants to play while the other animals are ready to sleep! Hopefully your lovely little lamb will realized bedtime isn’t terrible, after all, the animals must sleep too.
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Book by Ben Whitehouse
Dinner for Dinos: Gulp, Guzzle, Chomp, Chew – Do you have a picky eater? Healthy foods don’t have to be scary or a struggle. These loveable dinos show the kids how eating healthy food can help them grow big and strong, just like they will in the book! Plus they get to help make dinner, clean up after, and say their nighttime prayers!
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Book by Lisa Bevere
Lizzy the Lioness – Help your toddler learn about asking for help, being brave, and finding courage even when they might be the smallest creature in the room! By asking God and your parents for help, you can do anything.
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My Thoughts:
One of the best pieces of parenting advice I ever received was make bedtime a routine as soon as possible. This not only helps your baby get used to the idea of going to bed easier, but it gives you a step-by-step plan to follow every night. Our plans were always pretty simple, starting usually with a bottle or dinner, then a bath, some quiet play time together, and then a book (or three) before saying goodnight. Even as my children got older, we still followed some version of this goodnight routine so it was never a surprise to them that it was suddenly bedtime.
The books would change every once in a while though. Fairy tales were always popular, especially if we added voices and sound effects. But there comes a time when the independent child wants to do it themselves! You want to encourage this of course, but within reason, especially at bedtime. This is when board books are a lifesaver. They can take the “beating” that little fingers can give it, and even hold up to some teething and rough playing. These titles by Tommy Nelson are perfect for bedtime stories, whether you are reading just one more before tucking them in or they read it to you four times in a row.
And even if it’s not just for bedtime, they stack up neatly on the shelf or in the toy bucket, ready for yet another reading of riding the train to Sleepytown, finding your courage like Lizzy, learning how to be helpful and grow strong like the Dinos, or put on your PJs and get settled in the bed like in Night Night, Farm. Be sure to pick up any or all of these titles today and settle in with some books your toddler will love!
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We’ve added Tommy Nelson to our Summer Fun on MDR 2018 Gift Guide! Check it out here!
