Truck and Train Books Say Goodnight

Now I know that right before bed is prime reading time.  This is a special opportunity to bond with your children, to cuddle and share, and to get those kids to sleep so you can finally have some time to yourself!

The best picture books for this prime reading time .... ones that make your kids want to fall asleep!  A great going to bed book will help them relax, make them realize that the end of the day is at hand, and send them off into the quiet zone where no more bathroom trips, glasses of water or sheet adjustments are required.

This week I am profiling two great going to bed books for kids who love trucks and trains.  These books are so good that your kids might actually ask to go to bed just to hear them ... well perhaps I exaggerate, but they are really good!  They are from the proven team of Rinker and Lichtenheld, who I hope are making beautiful books together for many years to come.

To see another favorite bedtime book of mine, visit my previous post Sleep Like a Tiger.


Title:       Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

Author:   Sherri Duskey Rinker

Target:    Preschool - Kindergarten

What this book is about:
The day is ending on the construction site and all the trucks are getting ready to sleep.  The story follows the activities of each type of truck (crane, cement mixer, bulldozer and excavator) as they finish up their work and prepared to go to bed.

Why I love this book:
First off the cadence of this book is lovely and it makes reading it quite rhythmic which is lovely for a going to bed book.  Each segment ends with the refrain "Shh... goodnight, (appropriate truck) goodnight"

I also adore the illustrations by Lichtenheld.  They are fun and charming.  Crane has his nightlight and teddy bear, cement mixer his blanket and bulldozer's dirt bed looks just like a comfy pillow.  I also enjoy that each truck has a face which gives them personality. These pictures will suck you in!

But I also love that the book shares some of the activity that the trucks do during the day.  It makes it the perfect story where kids can appreciate the differences in the truck's functions, while still not rilling them up, but calming them down before bed.

Who this book is for:
Any young child who loves trucks!

Final thoughts:
I would have had this book memorized in a matter of days if it had been out when my boys were young!

To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site  A portion of each purchase goes back to support this blog at no cost to you.



Title:       Steam Train, Dream Train

Author:   Sherri Duskey Rinker

Target:    Preschool - Kindergarten

What this book is about:
Evening has come, and the steam train is being loaded for the night.  Each different type of car  is being filled with the appropriate playthings:  Boxcar - toys, Tankers - paint, Gondola - sand and sand toys, Auto Track - race cars ... etc.  When all is filled the train takes off for dream land.

Why I love this book:
The format for this book is different from Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, where each truck went to sleep.  Here each different railway car is filled with the appropriate cargo before bed.  I point this out because it is not simply a copy of their previous book but with trains, which is what some readers may expect, I know I did.  I found the format a little more awkward than their earlier book, but I think that just may be that my expectations were wrong.

This one I had to read a few times before I "got it" but when I did I found it to be quite fun and lovely.  The candence is again well done and provides a very relaxing prose.  Kids who love trains will appreciate all the different train cars that are included, I mean I have two boys and even I hadn't heard of a Well Car.  Also a nice way to talk to kids about putting away their toys!

The illustrations by Lichtenheld are so well done, and I hate to compare the two books, but I thought the faces on the trucks provided their earlier book with just a little more personality.

Who this book is for:
Kids who love trains, will really appreciate this story.  Parents who want to encourage their kids to pick up before bed, will also like this book.

Final thoughts:
There is a train phase my boys went through were this book would have been read ragged, had it been written yet.   Why is it all the best stuff comes when your kids are too old for it?

To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Steam Train, Dream Train  A portion of each purchase goes back to support this blog at no cost to you.