It’s PJ story time night tonight at a new-to-me branch, so I’m expecting the unexpected. I’ve delivered a few PJ story times before, so I’m going to follow a tried-and-true formula and get ready to think on my feet and adapt when necessary. Wish me luck!
A PJ story time is essentially a bedtime-themed family story time that’s offered in the evenings. One of the exciting (read: potentially disastrous) features of an PJ story time is its all-ages nature – you never know if you’ll be sitting in front of a room full of crawling babies or vocal preschoolers. For an on-call librarian, the challenge is even greater, as you don’t often have the luxury of knowing the regulars at your branch.
While we’re on the subject of PJ story times, here are a few bedtime-themed picture books that might just rock at your next jam session (ha ha…)
Dinosaur VS. Bedtime
Bob Shea
Simplicity at its best. Get ready to roar as a confident little dinosaur defeats all who dare challenge him (including a pile of leaves), before facing off against his greatest challenge yet – bedtime!
Everyone Sleeps
Marcellus Hall
A little dog who can’t sleep wanders his neighborhood, wondering if he is the only one still awake. Beautifully illustrated, this is a gentle bedtime story with an endearing little hero.
Goodnight, goodnight, construction site
Sherri Duskey Rinker
And now for something a little bit different – a bedtime book about heavy duty industrial machinery! This is a slightly longer story, but the rhyming text is fun, the illustrations are lovely (even construction machines bring their teddy bears to bed!), and the quirky subject matter is likely to intrigue young listeners.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
Jane Yolen
How does a dinosaur say goodnight? Perhaps not the way you might think! Repetitive, rhyming text, lush, detailed illustrations, and the added joy of dinosaurs make for an engaging twist on the traditional bedtime story.
Llama llama red pajama
Anna Dewdney
Drama, suspense, hilarious illustrations and a repetitive, rhyming story combine in this storytime favourite about a melodramatic baby llama’s bedtime antics.