Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey
By Emily Winfield Martin
The Story
A gentle bedtime rhyme imagines which dream animal might carry a sleepy child off tonight — a bear to bake pastries, a fox into a magical forest, mermaids for tea.
Why It's Special
For the child who stalls at lights-out, this turns closing your eyes into the start of the adventure, not the end of the day.
- Big idea: Sleep isn't an ending — it's a doorway to wonder, waiting just past closed eyes.
- Vibes: Soft, dreamy, and hushed, with a lulling rhyme made for slowing down.
Perfect For Kids Who
- respond well to a predictable bedtime structure
- love rhyming and finishing the last word
- enjoy imagining animal friends and magical places
- are working on settling calmly into sleep
Ask Your Little Reader
- Imagination: If you could pick any dream animal to carry you off tonight, which one would you choose?
- Story detail: Would you rather bake pastries with the bear or sip tea with the mermaids?
- Real-life connection: What do you think about right before you fall asleep?
- Feelings & empathy: How does it feel to snuggle in and imagine somewhere magical?
