The Best Bed for Me

by Gaia Cornwall

From the creator of Jabari Jumps and Jabari Tries, the tale of a stalling child with a lively imagination—and a passion for animal facts—makes for the best kind of bedtime story.

Mama would like Sweet Pea to settle into bed, but it’s not quite time. Even though the bed is fluffy, it’s not as snuggly as curling up like a pig in the mud, or as spacious as sleeping in the wide ocean like a blue whale. It’s not as fun as sleeping high up in a tree like a koala, or hanging upside down like a bat. And it’s definitely not as relaxing as sleeping standing up, like an emperor penguin. But after mimicking all the ways different animals rest, this little one concedes that a comfy bed, a soft pillow, and a good-night wish offer the best way to fall asleep after all. Gaia Cornwall brings us a loving, humorous story for even the most energetic of bedtime listeners.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, LGBT, Childrens, Fiction, Storytime, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 17, 2022

About the author

Gaia Cornwall is an illustrator who loves making patterns for surface design, illustrating for children, and writing picture books. Her images can be seen in magazines, online, in logos, on various products, and even in a couple movies. JABARI JUMPS (Candlewick Press, May 2017,) is her debut picture book. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island. You can see more of her work at www.GaiaCornwall.com

Reviews

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh goodness, I loved this! Mama wants Sweet Pea to go to bed and Sweet Pea is trying to stall by talking about how animals sleep. So the reader gets to learn a little bit and also be entertained by the child trying to put off bed. There is such love shown between the child and mother. I love that the child has two moms and it not commented on within the story. It's just normal. I love when books have representation of LGBTQ+ characters but it's not a big deal because I think it helps society accept those lifestyles more. Anyway a super sweet book! Highly recommended!

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly one of the most endearing, charming books of the year. More review to come, soon!

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cute bedtime bed realistically captures how hard it is to get a child to go to sleep. What sets this story apart from others like this is the factual animal information that the child uses to keep stalling. A sweet story with lots of animals. I like that the characters have various skin tones and the child has two moms.

#ReadYourWorld. I was #gifted this book as a Multicultural Children's Book Day reviewer.

[Genesee Rickel]

If there is a little one in your life who struggles to fall asleep, pick this up. The patience and love emanate from each page, and the child's imagination is a lot of fun. Great for animal lovers! I always appreciate the casual queer inclusion <3. Size can be difficult to evaluate in picture books, but I'd say the parent tucking the child in as a possibly small-fat. "The illustrations were done in pencil and watercolor, then colored digitally."

[Margaret Boling · Rating 3 out of 5]

11/25/2022 ~ Warm, gentle illustrations and a lovely concept for a bedtime book. I also appreciated the incidental inclusion of 2 moms. Sadly, the text / layout didn't work for me. I had a difficult time following the different animals the child wanted to be. Also, I tend to think that bedtime books should have more soothing, repetative text.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, queer-friendly bedtime story.

[Olivia]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/the-be...

THE BEST BED FOR ME is a sweet picture book about bedtime struggles. A young child is getting tucked into bed and considering all the ways he would love to sleep like different animals. He imagines sleeping like a koala in a tree or like a whale like swimming. His mother finally brings him back to the present and the magic of his own bed before the final goodnight.

What I loved: This was a cute bedtime story about how all different kinds of animals sleep. The imagination and whimsy of the conversation comes to life through the sweeping illustrations of the young boy alongside the different animals. A particularly nice touch is the inclusion of the boy having two mothers, which is not a particular plot point but obvious throughout. This kind of inclusion is so helpful.

The story of bedtime is one that will resonate with young children who need time to settle down at night. The amount of text on each page is brief and will work well for toddlers and preschoolers.

Final verdict: A sweet bedtime story, THE BEST BED FOR ME is a charming picture book about settling down at night. Recommend for toddlers and and preschoolers.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Allison Abas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me from the Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD). This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

The Best for Me is a wonderful bedtime story about how different kinds of animals sleep. If you are looking for an educational read that is sure to captivate curious learners, this book is a great choice! In this story, a child imagines different baby animals going to sleep. This book truly captures the wonder and imagination of many small children as they too drift into sleep each night. I particularly loved how this book features a family with two moms (Mama and Mommy). Representation matters! I can not wait to share this story with my first graders, drawing from their own natural curiosity about the animal kingdom.

Thank you MCBD for your generous donation! #ReadYourWorld

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a sweet little story about an expert bedtime stall-er and his parents trying to get him down for the night. My 3yo loved all of the references to animals and their respective places/ways of sleeping.

The character also has two mothers, something which is apparent from the illustrations but not mentioned explicitly in the text. As my daughter also has two mothers, books like these, showing families like hers in everyday situations, are essential but often hard to find. We have enough books that explicitly talk about different family structures and assuring her that her different-ness is OK. These types of books serve their purpose. But when I pointed at these illustrations, she said "Two moms? Like me?" and became instantly more engaged in a story that can be any family but looks just like hers.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as a part of Multicultural Children's Book Day. #ReadYourWorld

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bedtime story has been read, but the child delays the goodnight by reciting all the facts they know about how animals sleep. The imaginative child then puts themselves in the world of the animal, giving the reader realistic imagery about each species and their sleep habits.

This picture book will appeal to children ages 4-8 as both a bedtime story or to be used with a reading theme of animal behavior in a storytime or class read aloud. The pencil and watercolor illustrations make the animals come alive and the transition from the bedroom to each animal's habit make for a visually stunning read aloud.

I would recommend this book for purchase by public libraries.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent bedtime story for kids who love animals - which include every kiddo in my house.
With red pajamas reminiscent of Peter from _A Snowy Day_, the protagonist is sweetly illustrated and the love their moms give them is comforting. Cornwall says she was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic when she wrote this book.
I received an ARC of this book electronically as part of the annual Read Your World Day on January 29, 2026. This non-profit children's literacy initiative, founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen, raises the awareness of the ongoing need to include books in homes and schools that celebrate diversity.

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet but not groundbreaking bedtime book. A little one stalls as Mama tries to tuck them into bed, wishing to sleep like one kind of animal after another. I liked the way the book gracefully imparts factual information about how various animals sleep. Main character kiddo has two moms, but the second mom only appears in the illustrations and isn't named or referred to at all in the text, which was a drawback for me.

Themes: Bedtime, Animals
Readalikes: Bedtime for Sweet Creatures - Nikki Grimes, Sleep Like Me - Tatia Nadareishvili
Age range: Baby-Preschool

[Janet McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s bedtime and Sweet Pea doesn’t want to go to sleep in his bed. He tells his Mama what bed he would like to sleep in. He names different animals and how they sleep and Mama listens intently to him. As the list goes on from Koalas to Penguins, Sweet Pea eventually realizes that the best bed for him, is his very own bed.
Humorous story and is a good bedtime story. The variety of animals and the depiction of their beds and how they sleep will hold a child’s interest. It can open up discussions about animals that they know and how they sleep.

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaia Cornwall's book should be the national anthem for champion bedtime stalling tactics. Not only is the protagonist child brilliant at deferring bedtime, but this anti-bedtime activist keeps escalating preferred beds inspired by animal bedtime habits. A beautiful information text disguised as an "I'm Not Going To Bed" story. Utterly charming and beautiful. And a total bonus that the child has two moms :-D. 5 Thumbs up!!!!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Pea is the older sibling. There are 2 moms and an infant, although it's really just Sweet Pea and Mama talking.

Sweet Pea is in bed and trying to put off bedtime by avoiding getting tucked in. Instead Sweet Pea says they need to sleep like one in a series of animals (including sea otters, emperor penguins, whales, puffins and more). Finally, Sweet Pea decides that sleeping tucked into bed with a pillow and blanket is just right.

Mama is super patient all the way through.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmingly drawn and told account of a bedtime-resistant and very clever young characters with his remarkably patient Mama. The aside information about animals and how they find shelter/sleep offers fun expansion beyond the typical delaying tactics kids use to avoid that final "goodnight".
The dedication is lovely, too, and those with kids this age should give it a try.

[Li Qiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

adorable bedtime storybook about a boy who doesn't want to sleep yet, so he's pretending to be different animals. It's fun to read about how different animal sleep and where they sleep. our kids had a lot of fun reading this book and we were all surprised about whales!

*Received this book for review with MCD
#ReadYourWorld
#gifted

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A child thinks about what the best bed for them is by thinking about all the different ways different animals sleep. I think the child is procrastinated bedtime, but the ending is sweet. I could see some kids wanting to adapt their beds to be more like the animals mentioned in the story. Definitely a good read alike for Bedtime for Sweet Creatures.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this! The illustrations were breathtakingly gorgeous, the dialogue felt extremely realistic to how a child would stall at bedtime, and I seriously love some low-key queer representation where it’s incidental rather than the whole plot. Also it’s such a fun collection of facts about different animals and how they sleep. This hit all the marks for me.

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little one puts off going to bed, discussing all the possible beds that animals use. Mom and Mommy realize what's going on but play along.

This is a cute concept-based book with some fun details about animals and their habitats. The lesbian vibes are not very strong, but the loving family and parenting vibes are sweet.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable bedtime book with an exuberant youngster who’s not quite ready to go to sleep. An avid animal lover, the youngster shows Mama all the ways different animals rest, until at last deciding on the best location for a good night’s sleep.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, but felt a bit short.

[Abby Johnson]

This is a charming bedtime book exploring different animals and how they sleep and including LGBTQ+ rep with a 2-mom family. Hand to readers of Bedtime for Sweet Creatures.

[Suebee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lqbtq; 2 moms

[Leova Manbhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a little boy who does not want to sleep! Cute story with little facts about how animals sleep.

2Moms

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet bedtime story about an imaginative child and patient mother.

[Clementine · Rating 4 out of 5]

really sweet. a great bedtime choice.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet. A child delays bedtime by imagining how many different animals sleep, then finally concedes that a soft bed might be best.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet bedtime book that shows how lots of animals sleep

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

bedtime theme