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Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears

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This beautifully illustrated magical story will enchant children and parents alike. 

Follow the story of the sleepy bears in Sleep Tight, Sleepy Bears in this beautifully illustrated magical story from best-selling author Margaret Wise Brown—creator of the children's classics Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny . It's a perfect bedtime story for your little one.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 12, 2012

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About the author

Margaret Wise Brown

422 books1,377 followers
Margaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.

Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.

She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.

She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.

Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.

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5 stars
48 (29%)
4 stars
55 (33%)
3 stars
49 (29%)
2 stars
11 (6%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Stacie.
2,012 reviews123 followers
September 2, 2019
This is part of the new series of Margaret Wise Brown classics for children. Several manuscripts were found by author, Amy Gary, and turned into books.

This is the perfect companion to the beloved favorite, GOODNIGHT MOON. It is the sweetest bedtime story and the illustrations are just absolutely adorable.

I love that the “big sleepy bear” isn’t identified as a mom or dad. So anyone can read this book at bedtime with a child…Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, sibling, aunt, or even a foster parent.

Big sleepy bear goes through the motions of getting ready for bed and little sleepy bear follows along. First a yawn, then a stretch, then climbing into bed and putting their heads on a pillow. A sweet lullaby and it’s off to dreamland, but who will fall asleep first, big sleepy bear or little sleepy bear?

This is exactly the kind of book I would have read to our kids at night. Little ones can go through the motions of getting ready for bed. With repetitive text, they will soon be reading along with you. The illustrations are soft and adorable making the bears look cuddly. I would bet, reading this book will make any adult and child sleepy. Add this one to your bedtime reading bookshelf.
Profile Image for Vera Godley.
2,091 reviews63 followers
April 23, 2019
Who doesn't love a sweet picture book about bears - any size, any action, any color? This simple story is papa bear and baby bear both are sleepy and are going through their nightly routine of bedtime. Papa bear slows the day and action down with soothing words and actions.

A sweet story and a very good bedtime, go to sleep story.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given.
Profile Image for Sara.
2,225 reviews14 followers
January 18, 2018
Bears seem to be the spirit animal of my little family, and this book was such an adorable addition to the growing library of bear books. Little sleepy bear was so sweet...and when I bought this book, it came with a little stuffed bear that is just as sweet. In fact, it's in our bed as I write this. Love this!
Profile Image for Kailey (Luminous Libro).
3,716 reviews582 followers
April 12, 2019
This sweet book is the perfect bedtime reading to lull children into sleep. With its repetitive prose and soft illustrations, it's sure to have you yawning and ready for a good night's sleep. As a sleepy big bear and a sleepy little bear prepare for bed, they snuggle under the covers, sing a gentle lullaby, and drift off to dreamland.

The soft and warm illustrations are delightful, with light colors and fuzzy brush strokes that invite the reader to give a little stretch and yawn a big yawn before crawling into bed.

I can't wait to read this to my niece at bedtime. I actually makes me sleepy reading it myself! haha!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Media Master Publicity in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Profile Image for Stacy Renee  (LazyDayLit).
2,969 reviews102 followers
June 19, 2019
We received a free physical copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


A very cute story about two sleepy bears; one big, and one small. This is the perfect bedtime story for little listeners.

Simple illustrations in calming pastel colors and the repetition and rhymes make this picture book the perfect choice for bedtime. It has a very soothing effect, very similar to Goodnight Moon! It will have you yawning in no time!

This picture book also focuses on opposites; specifically big and small.

This review and others like it can be found at Lazy Day Literature
Profile Image for K.L. Bernard.
Author 1 book23 followers
July 6, 2019
Two bears are getting ready to rest for the night. The big bear snuggles down into the bed and the little bear follows suit on every move. The little bear even repeats the prayer verse for two angels to watch over them while they sleep and awake them in the morning.

This gentle story is perfect for little ones getting ready for naptime or bedtime. Parents, teachers and caregivers can use this tool as a read-a-loud to get restless kids to wind down and rest, even if it’s for a short sleep. Soft pastel colors create a soothing story perfect for little ones to see. Simple sentence structure also makes this a perfect story for beginner readers.
Profile Image for Jenna.
2,983 reviews41 followers
June 2, 2018
Tämä kirja ei paljoa poikkea vastaavista samanlaisista. Kirjassa iso ja pikku karhu käyvät nukkumaan, toivottavat toisilleen hyvää yötä ja lausuvat enkeleitä sisältävän unilorun. Sisältö saattaa siis tulla vaikkapa ateistille yllätyksenä. Muuten ihan suloinen ja kaunis kirja, jota kannattaa lukea perheen pienimmille unille käymisen aikaan.

Kuvitus ei mielestäni yltänyt esimerkiksi Kustannus Mäkelän julkaisemien vastaavien kuvakirjojen tasolle.
Profile Image for Mama Bearian.
730 reviews4 followers
September 26, 2020
A big sleepy bear and a little sleepy bear get ready for bed and say their bedtime prayers before drifting off to sleep. The big bear is never called mama bear or daddy bear, so this one doesn't need to be read by a parent to work, like some bedtime books do.
Profile Image for Terresa Wellborn.
3,000 reviews47 followers
March 19, 2025
Simple picture book with repetition and cozy illustrations, about big bear and little bear, getting ready to snuggle in for the night. Perfect for a lapsit or group storytime.

Themes: bedtime, bears
Ages: toddler-Kindergarten
Pub year: 2012
Profile Image for Rosa Cline.
3,328 reviews46 followers
November 4, 2016
This is a beautifully illustrated and simple text storybook about bedtime. It is a great one to read to you're little one before bed, text is sweet and calming.
Profile Image for Jessica.
80 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2018
This book is a great nighttime read for younger kids. I absolutely loved it!

DRA Levels: A-1
Lexile Measures: BR-220

Presentation, Voice
Profile Image for Rene' Hurt.
489 reviews4 followers
April 12, 2021
I read this tonight to my grand kids and they really enjoyed it. It was such a cute read. I even enjoyed it. If you have kids please read it to them.
Profile Image for Alana.
2,061 reviews51 followers
December 3, 2021
I love the bedtime routine of the bears and cuddling up for bed, asking with soft, gentle illustrations.
381 reviews5 followers
January 18, 2022
This is such a sweet bedtime book about a “big bear” and “little bear” getting ready for bed. Both big and little bear do each thing as a part of the bedtime routine to get ready for bed.
Profile Image for Jeff Corrigan.
179 reviews19 followers
June 5, 2015
A great bedtime picture book to put your little one to sleep night after night. You can never go wrong with a Margaret Wise Brown book. The illustrations have a soft tone to them and are beautifully done by Julie Clay. Two thumbs up! ~The Librarian Uncle
Profile Image for Kirstie Myvett.
Author 5 books26 followers
June 27, 2019
The illustrations include warm & soft colors. The repetitiveness and contrast between big and little is a teaching tool for children. I immediately started to yawn despite not being sleepy! Perfect bedtime book.
Profile Image for Asho.
1,884 reviews13 followers
September 20, 2022
Cute enough, but very basic in both the story itself and the illustrations. F (4) was somewhat amused that I did the actions (yawning, stretching, etc.) that the bears did while preparing to sleep, but other than that, there's not much to this book.
Profile Image for Amanda Novak.
199 reviews6 followers
owned-books-read
July 3, 2022
Note to self: Two copies owned - one hardcover ex-library, and other is included as part of the Margaret Wise Brown Treasury
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews