Bedtime for Frances
By Russell Hoban
The Story
A young badger tucked in for the night keeps finding reasons to get out of bed — a glass of milk, a favorite doll, worries about tigers and cracks in the ceiling — testing her patient parents one request at a time.
Why It's Special
For the kid who has seventeen urgent requests the second the lights go off, Frances is the mirror image of every stalling tactic your own bedtime has ever survived.
- Big idea: Bedtime fears and stalling are normal, and patient love is what gets a child through them.
- Vibes: Cozy, gently funny, unhurried — the quiet rhythm of a house winding down for the night.
Perfect For Kids Who
- are working on settling down at bedtime
- love stories about their own nighttime worries
- respond well to a calm, repeating routine
- enjoy spotting small details in gentle, old-fashioned illustrations
Ask Your Little Reader
- Real-life connection: What do you ask for before bed, the way Frances asks for milk and her doll?
- Feelings & empathy: Why do you think Frances is scared of tigers and cracks in the ceiling?
- Story & problem-solving: What do Frances's parents do to help her feel better?
- Imagination: If you were Frances, what would help you fall asleep?
