10 books to help kids who are afraid of the dark
Kids who are afraid of the dark can keep the whole house awake at night. Help your child get some sleep and not be afraid of the dark when you enjoy some reading fun together with one of these titles that tackles one of the most common fears children have.
Another Monster at the End of This Book () is the sequel to The Monster at the End of This Book. The newer version features Sesame Street favorites Grover and Elmo. For your techie kids, there's also an app version of this storybook. In the story, Grover and Elmo both try to stop you from turning the pages and, as you're getting dangerously close to the end of the book, their anticipation becomes more and more hilarious to your children. Rest assured, just as The Monster at the End of This Book was really Grover, Another Monster at the End of This Book reveals an equally loveable, non-scary monster.
This classic children's book has been around for more than 25 years but Franklin in the Dark () continues to draw in new generations of fans. Franklin is afraid of the dark but the dark he's afraid of is inside his turtle shell. Throughout the book, we find everyone has their own fears, from the bird who's afraid of heights to the duck who's afraid of water. Even Franklin's mom shares her fear, which helps Franklin understand and deal with being afraid of the dark.
Another classic fear of the dark book, Can't You Sleep Little Bear? () centers around a little bear who can't sleep because he's afraid of the dark and the loving Big Bear who cares for him. By lighting up the dark cave and finally taking him outside to see the twinkling stars and bright moon, Big Bear patiently helps Little Bear so he's not afraid anymore.
God is with Me Through the Night () is a religious children's book that's a gentle reminder for kids of all ages that God is with all. After they say their bedtime prayers, your kids will love the colorful illustrations and inspiring words on every page. The story focuses on all sorts of creatures who are afraid at times but are comforted that God is with them no matter what.
Plop is a baby barn owl who refuses to go hunting with his parents at night. He is afraid of the dark so he sets off on a journey that will change his life in The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (). Along the way, he sees all sorts of people enjoying exciting things under the night sky, such as fireworks, camping and stargazing. It doesn't take long for Plop to figure out that nights are actually pretty neat.
Author Mercer Mayer's beloved character Little Critter is taking on nightmares in this fun book for preschoolers. In What a Bad Dream (), Little Critter dreams a magic potion has turned him into a monster who won't go to bed, take a bath or eat anything but fudge pops. He's not a critter anyone wants to be around so his family leaves him alone in his dream and Little Critter must make an important decision by the end of this book.
Arnold is terrified of all the monsters lurking in his bedroom in Bedtime Monsters (). He quickly learns those monsters are just as scared as he is, hiding under the covers and getting startled at every noise they find suspicious. It's not long before Arnold learns his imagination has given him more to worry about than the actual things that go bump in the night.
If your children love Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University, then they'll love I Need My Monster (). This tale features a boy who is missing his monster. One night when Ethan is about to go to sleep, he checks under the bed for his favorite monster, Gabe. But Gabe has left a note that he's gone fishing so Ethan starts interviewing other monsters to fill in for Gabe until he returns. The colorful pictures and funny text make the monsters not so scary anymore and the book's happy ending will help little ones sleep peacefully knowing their imaginative monsters aren't so frightening after all.
Mr. Fish is fast, strong and smart. All of these qualities are sure to help Ms. Clam when she needs help finding her lost pearl in Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark (). But Mr. Fish has a secret: he's afraid of the dark. Miss Shimmer and Mr. Lantern are by his side to help him conquer his fear of the dark and get Ms. Clam her pearl back too.
There's nothing like some Dr. Seuss fun to help kids who are afraid of the dark. What Was I Scared Of? () is written in glow-in-the-dark ink that's perfect for a flashlight game before bed. The story is about the narrator who's afraid of an empty pair of pants that seem to be everywhere the narrator goes. And when the narrator and the pants find themselves hiding from each other in the same bush, they discover they've been scared of each other this whole time.
1. Another Monster at the End of This Book
Another Monster at the End of This Book () is the sequel to The Monster at the End of This Book. The newer version features Sesame Street favorites Grover and Elmo. For your techie kids, there's also an app version of this storybook. In the story, Grover and Elmo both try to stop you from turning the pages and, as you're getting dangerously close to the end of the book, their anticipation becomes more and more hilarious to your children. Rest assured, just as The Monster at the End of This Book was really Grover, Another Monster at the End of This Book reveals an equally loveable, non-scary monster.
2. Franklin in the Dark
This classic children's book has been around for more than 25 years but Franklin in the Dark () continues to draw in new generations of fans. Franklin is afraid of the dark but the dark he's afraid of is inside his turtle shell. Throughout the book, we find everyone has their own fears, from the bird who's afraid of heights to the duck who's afraid of water. Even Franklin's mom shares her fear, which helps Franklin understand and deal with being afraid of the dark.
3. Can't You Sleep Little Bear?
Another classic fear of the dark book, Can't You Sleep Little Bear? () centers around a little bear who can't sleep because he's afraid of the dark and the loving Big Bear who cares for him. By lighting up the dark cave and finally taking him outside to see the twinkling stars and bright moon, Big Bear patiently helps Little Bear so he's not afraid anymore.
4. God is with Me Through the Night
God is with Me Through the Night () is a religious children's book that's a gentle reminder for kids of all ages that God is with all. After they say their bedtime prayers, your kids will love the colorful illustrations and inspiring words on every page. The story focuses on all sorts of creatures who are afraid at times but are comforted that God is with them no matter what.
5. The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
Plop is a baby barn owl who refuses to go hunting with his parents at night. He is afraid of the dark so he sets off on a journey that will change his life in The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (). Along the way, he sees all sorts of people enjoying exciting things under the night sky, such as fireworks, camping and stargazing. It doesn't take long for Plop to figure out that nights are actually pretty neat.
6. What a Bad Dream
Author Mercer Mayer's beloved character Little Critter is taking on nightmares in this fun book for preschoolers. In What a Bad Dream (), Little Critter dreams a magic potion has turned him into a monster who won't go to bed, take a bath or eat anything but fudge pops. He's not a critter anyone wants to be around so his family leaves him alone in his dream and Little Critter must make an important decision by the end of this book.
7. Bedtime Monsters
Arnold is terrified of all the monsters lurking in his bedroom in Bedtime Monsters (). He quickly learns those monsters are just as scared as he is, hiding under the covers and getting startled at every noise they find suspicious. It's not long before Arnold learns his imagination has given him more to worry about than the actual things that go bump in the night.
8. I Need My Monster
If your children love Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University, then they'll love I Need My Monster (). This tale features a boy who is missing his monster. One night when Ethan is about to go to sleep, he checks under the bed for his favorite monster, Gabe. But Gabe has left a note that he's gone fishing so Ethan starts interviewing other monsters to fill in for Gabe until he returns. The colorful pictures and funny text make the monsters not so scary anymore and the book's happy ending will help little ones sleep peacefully knowing their imaginative monsters aren't so frightening after all.
9. Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark
Mr. Fish is fast, strong and smart. All of these qualities are sure to help Ms. Clam when she needs help finding her lost pearl in Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark (). But Mr. Fish has a secret: he's afraid of the dark. Miss Shimmer and Mr. Lantern are by his side to help him conquer his fear of the dark and get Ms. Clam her pearl back too.
10. What Was I Scared Of?
There's nothing like some Dr. Seuss fun to help kids who are afraid of the dark. What Was I Scared Of? () is written in glow-in-the-dark ink that's perfect for a flashlight game before bed. The story is about the narrator who's afraid of an empty pair of pants that seem to be everywhere the narrator goes. And when the narrator and the pants find themselves hiding from each other in the same bush, they discover they've been scared of each other this whole time.
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