Books for VERY Tired Kids

Whether kids are VERY tired or even just a little tired, it makes for the perfect time to do some reading together! These books are all about characters who may be able to convince you they aren’t tired, but by the end of the stories you might just think otherwise! (Just like those little ones, who are convinced they’re not a bit tired!) You’ll also find that a lot of these titles are really funny stories and just absolutely wild, but in the end calm down enough for snuggles.

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Books for VERY Tired Kids

Bear Can’t Sleep by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

It’s winter, and deep in the forest, Bear should be fast asleep. But when his friends come by to check on him, they realize that Bear is still awake! They brew him hot tea and sing him lullabies, but nothing seems to work. Can Bear get to bed? Or will he be up all winter?

Bear Is NOT Tired by Ciara Gavin

Bear and his duck family do everything together. That is, until winter arrives. Bear is supposed to hibernate this time of year, but he doesn’t want to miss out on any of the fun. But can Bear really stay awake all winter long? Gentle humor and endearing illustrations bring a delightful twist to a bedtime routine that children and their parents will easily recognize.

Can’t Sleep Without Sheep by Susanna Leonard Hill, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Whenever Ava can’t sleep, she counts sheep. But Ava takes so long to fall asleep, it’s the sheep that are growing tired-until finally, they quit! When the sheep promise to find a replacement that Ava can count on, chaos ensues as chickens, cows, pigs, hippos, and more try their hand at jumping over Ava’s fence. Finding the perfectly peaceful replacement for sheep might not be so easy after all.

Don’t Wake the Dragon by Bianca Schulze, illustrated by Samara Hardy

Don’t Wake the Dragon is a fantastic and interactive bedtime story featuring a sound-asleep dragon who under no circumstances is to be woken up! Children are tasked with checking in on the sleeping dragon as the castle cook drops his pots and pans and when the knights throw a loud birthday party. It isn’t until the whole kingdom settles down that the dragon wakes up. What is the kingdom to do?

Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Shawn Harris

A simple goodnight routine turns marvelously madcap in this cleverly rhymed picture book. Instead of settling down to sleep, Dad bakes bread, Mom fixes the roof, and Grandma plays cards with a ghost. And between the dog, the cat, Sister, and Brother, there’s at least three different wars being waged!

Goodnight Already! by Jory John, illustrated by Benji Davies

Bear is exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep.

Duck is wide awake. All he wants is to hang out . . . with Bear.

Will Bear ever be able to catch some ZZZ’s?

Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton

From the multi award-winning picture book maker of A Bit Lost, Oh No, George! and Shh! We Have a Plan, comes the ultimate bedtime board book.A series of exquisitely coloured cut pages of increasing size introduce woodland families – bears, deer, rabbits and teeny, tiny mice – who are all beginning to feel really … rather … tired … YAWN! “Dear me,” says Great Big Bear, “it must be time for bed!” But Little Bear is certainly not sleepy – he’s wide awake! (For now…) With sublime, starry night time scenes and an infectious yawny “Good night” refrain, Chris Haughton creates a lulling bedtime read, perfect for parents and children to share together.

I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt

Frog is excited about autumn and the coming of winter. But when Owl informs him that frogs hibernate till spring, Frog is upset at missing out on all the snowy fun. In this hysterically funny twist on the classic “I don’t want to go to bed” dilemma, Frog comes up with all kinds of reasons why he’s not going to sleep through winter, until he devises a clever way to convince his friends to come along for the ride.

It’s So Quiet by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tony Fucile

It’s time for bed, but one little mouse just can’t get to sleep—it’s TOO QUIET! However, the night is actually full of sounds, from the croak of the bullfrog to the howl of a coyote on a distant hill. As the rhythmic symphony of nighttime noises build in this rollicking read-aloud, the mouse starts to wonder whether he wouldn’t like a little MORE quiet.

No More Naps! by Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

McFleece doesn’t want hers…perhaps they’ll take it! One by one, everyone falls asleep EXCEPT Annalise Devin McFleece. But when she’s finally ready for her nap, all the naps are taken! Is there anyone who has an extra nap to spare?

With every turn of the page, the busy city scene becomes more and more quiet…except for Annalise Devin McFleece.

Sheep 101 by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

One night, a boy counts sheep as he tries to fall asleep.

Crash!

Sheep 101 is stuck in the fence. Will he ever get out and get the little boy to sleep? Meet Sheep 101 and his colorful cast of characters, like Humpty Dumpty, Blind Mouse, Little Piggy, and more!

This Book Will Get You to Sleep by Jory John, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

ATTENTION, READER: This book is going to MAKE YOU TIRED! It will CALM YOU DOWN! Yes, this book WILL PUT YOU TO SLEEP! How? Easy.

There are monster trucks dashing across the pages. There are sheep being chased by dragons. There are electric guitars wailing throughout. Plus so MUCH MORE! Yep. All the typical stuff that makes you sleepy. So . . . are you asleep yet? No? Well, maybe another method would work better . . . So read on, and it’s guaranteed you’ll start to snooze!