I started reading a bedtime book to my daughter when she was only a month or two old. It was a wonderful part of our simple nighttime routine.

High-contrast books are great for newborn babies as they assist their developing eyesight, but the bedtime book held a different role for me. It was about winding down from the day together, snuggling my baby daughter close and taking a moment to appreciate this stage in life.

These were my favourite bedtime books to read to my baby, with lovely spoken rhythm, sweet sentiments and not too lengthy.

Baby Bedtime, by Mem Fox and Emma Quay

This was the book I read every single night to my daughter, for months and months. I’m sure I still have half the book memorised! While I do adore it, I’d suggest having a small selection of books you rotate through rather than creating a routine around the one book. Would it have been a problem if I changed books? Probably not. But if you have a bedtime routine that’s working, you’ll likely be loath to alter ANYTHING.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury

We’re obviously big fans of Mem Fox here, and this is such a sweet book. As a Mum who loves to sneak kisses with my girls, it spoke to me.

When the World Was Waiting for You, by Gillian Shields and Anna Currey

My Mum gifted me this book while I was pregnant and it took me a long time to be able to read it without becoming teary. It speaks wonderfully to that anticipation of waiting to meet your baby and the pure joy when they arrive.

Time for Bed, by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer

Finishing off the list with another Mem Fox book. “Time for bed little mouse, little mouse. Darkness is falling all over the house.” Apparently, Mem Fox wrote the first draft in about an hour and it’s gone on to sell well over 1.5 million copies.

Do you have some favourite bedtime books to read to baby? I’d love to hear it!