Does anyone know any positive uplifting bedtime stories for young children? (stepmother, parents)
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I found anything from the original Brothers Grimm will set the little darlings on the right course!
That's nothing. Many of the original Hans Christian Andersen's stories (not the "sanitized" ones kids read today) make Brothers Grimm look like Disney World. "Little Mermaid" is one example. But "Little Match Girl" has to be the worst one of all.
Last edited by MillennialUrbanist; 04-30-2021 at 09:41 AM..
My son adored Shock Headed Peter because it was so outrageously horrid that it became funny. His grandmother would read it to him and he loved his grandmother so the book was a favorite because of the association.
It's certainly intended to frighten children into some semblance, of, well, not necessarily good behavior but to be seen and not heard and not annoy the adults.
Of course, my son inherited a fearless gene from his father and I can see how Struwwelpeter might be rough for a more tender-hearted child.
I absolutely adored Bill and Pete when my kids were little. I came across their images recently and burst into tears. They are absolutely precious. Might be stimulating for bedtime but not too much. Very cute, positive and uplifting. By Tomie DePaola. Check it out!
Bill and Pete
Bill and Pete Go Down The Nile
Bill and Pete To The Rescue
Bill is a crocodile in the Nile River and Pete is his bird best friend who is his toothbrush. Adorable.
There's a new children's book character I just discovered..."Pete the Cat". I found a book full of short stories about a funny feline named "Pete" (who rocks out on an electric guitar and wears red sneakers on all four feet). I couldn't put it down, I just had to buy it for youngest grandson's (4) birthday. It's now one of his favorites, and his older brother (7) likes it, too. I found another book about Pete's new white sneakers (which end up turning different colors depending on what he steps in). Pete's day to day adventures include giving up bananas (after eating a "bad" one gives him a tummyache), making a very unique sandwich, riding a train, making Valentines for his friends, and having a picnic with dinosaurs (where he plays guitar in a dinosaur band and gets the carnivores to eat salad!!!)
There's one book (that had been mine), that was oldest DD's (now 35) absolute bedtime favorite. And it was called, of course, "Three Bedtime Stories". It was a large book, beautifully illustrated by "Garth Williams", with three famous "three" stories..."The Three Little Pigs", "Goldilocks and The Three Bears", and "The Three Little Kittens". My dad (DD's "Pop Pop") loved reading her that one...she was only two or three, but she'd provide a running commentary while he was reading. "The mommy cat is CROSS!!! She's SPANKING the kitten!!! Pop Pop! She's SPANKING him!!!" When Goldilocks sat in Baby Bear's chair..."She broke it! She BROKE it! Can they get him a new one? Can they fix it?" Pop Pop had to assure her that Papa Bear glued it back together. He was really amused by it, and until he died (sadly a short time later), he was always telling people how worried she was about Baby Bear's chair.
Sadly, she took that book along with her to preschool one day, and it got lost. I was never able to find another edition, but I'm still looking (30-some years later).
Last edited by Mrs. Skeffington; 05-02-2021 at 06:36 AM..
There's one book (that had been mine), that was oldest DD's (now 35) absolute bedtime favorite. And it was called, of course, "Three Bedtime Stories". It was a large book, beautifully illustrated by "Garth Williams", with three famous "three" stories..."The Three Little Pigs", "Goldilocks and The Three Bears", and "The Three Little Kittens". My dad (DD's "Pop Pop") loved reading her that one...she was only two or three, but she'd provide a running commentary while he was reading. "The mommy cat is CROSS!!! She's SPANKING the kitten!!! Pop Pop! She's SPANKING him!!!" When Goldilocks sat in Baby Bear's chair..."She broke it! She BROKE it! Can they get him a new one? Can they fix it?" Pop Pop had to assure her that Papa Bear glued it back together. He was really amused by it, and until he died (sadly a short time later), he was always telling people how worried she was about Baby Bear's chair.
Sadly, she took that book along with her to preschool one day, and it got lost. I was never able to find another edition, but I'm still looking (30-some years later).
I absolutely adored Bill and Pete when my kids were little. I came across their images recently and burst into tears. They are absolutely precious. Might be stimulating for bedtime but not too much. Very cute, positive and uplifting. By Tomie DePaola. Check it out!
Bill and Pete
Bill and Pete Go Down The Nile
Bill and Pete To The Rescue
Bill is a crocodile in the Nile River and Pete is his bird best friend who is his toothbrush. Adorable.
That looks like something my little ones will enjoy. Thank you very much for the tip. I've ordered the first one.
There's a new children's book character I just discovered..."Pete the Cat". I found a book full of short stories about a funny feline named "Pete" (who rocks out on an electric guitar and wears red sneakers on all four feet). I couldn't put it down, I just had to buy it for youngest grandson's (4) birthday. It's now one of his favorites, and his older brother (7) likes it, too. I found another book about Pete's new white sneakers (which end up turning different colors depending on what he steps in). Pete's day to day adventures include giving up bananas (after eating a "bad" one gives him a tummyache), making a very unique sandwich, riding a train, making Valentines for his friends, and having a picnic with dinosaurs (where he plays guitar in a dinosaur band and gets the carnivores to eat salad!!!)
There's one book (that had been mine), that was oldest DD's (now 35) absolute bedtime favorite. And it was called, of course, "Three Bedtime Stories". It was a large book, beautifully illustrated by "Garth Williams", with three famous "three" stories..."The Three Little Pigs", "Goldilocks and The Three Bears", and "The Three Little Kittens". My dad (DD's "Pop Pop") loved reading her that one...she was only two or three, but she'd provide a running commentary while he was reading. "The mommy cat is CROSS!!! She's SPANKING the kitten!!! Pop Pop! She's SPANKING him!!!" When Goldilocks sat in Baby Bear's chair..."She broke it! She BROKE it! Can they get him a new one? Can they fix it?" Pop Pop had to assure her that Papa Bear glued it back together. He was really amused by it, and until he died (sadly a short time later), he was always telling people how worried she was about Baby Bear's chair.
Sadly, she took that book along with her to preschool one day, and it got lost. I was never able to find another edition, but I'm still looking (30-some years later).
Great! Pete the cat sounds perfect. A cat rock star... they'll love it. (Their dad is a musician.) Thank you!
Pretty much any book about animals acting like people is good fun for kids and adults!
I'll add Brothers Grimm fairytales to that. While original stories about people are violent and sexually explicit at times, most animal stories are G-rated and child-friendly, like "The Fox and the Hound". They read more like Aesop's fables than what you'd expect from Brothers Grimm. Maybe pre-read them before using them as bedtime stories, to filter out the scary ones, but all in all, they're a safe bet.
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Have you seen the Pigeon books? They are really hilarious - kids get the subtle humor, and enjoy the perspective of being the one who gets to tell the pigeon to go to bed, take a bath, etc.
My favorite is Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the bus, but The Duckling Gets a Cookie and The Pigeon Needs a Bath are great too.
I was reading to first graders before COVID, and these were always their choice from my stack of books.
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