Fear of the Dark
Suggestions from Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org
Picture books for children in preschool—second grade
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Brave Martha / Margot Apple
Without her cat, Martha worries about all the things in the dark.
Monster brother / Mary Jane Auch
Rodney’s new brother's cries are loud enough to scare monsters away.
Teddy bear tears / Jim Aylesworth
When he calms the fears of his teddy bears, their master makes the nighttime worry-free for himself, too.
The something; story and pictures / Natalie Babbitt
Mylo discovers a way to conquer his fear of the dark.
Brave little monster / Ken Baker
A little monster is afraid that little humans are hiding under his bed.
Olive's first sleepover / Roberta Baker
Olive goes for a sleepover at her friend’s house and, after the lights go out, , starts to worry about green ghouls and giant tarantulas.
Dear big, mean, ugly monster / Ruth Marie Berglin
Joe is afraid of the monster that lives under his bed until they exchange letters and learn surprising things about one another.
Poinsettia and the firefighters / Felicia Bond
When she learns that the fire fighters keep watch during the night, Poinsettia Pig is not afraid to be in her new room.
Who's afraid of the dark? / Crosby Bonsall
Who is really afraid of the dark, Stella the dog or her owner?
j Er BONSALL
Franklin in the dark / Paulette Bourgeois
A turtle afraid of the dark inside his shell, finds that other animals have their own fears. j E-pb B
Switch on the night / Ray Bradbury
A little boy finds help in dealing with his fear of the dark from a new friend.
Too many monsters / Eve Bunting
A boy’s parents show him how to get rid of the monsters in his room.
Shadow night / Kay Chorao
James is afraid of the moon’s shadows.
Henry and the dragon / Eileen Christelow.
Henry’s parents cannot see the dragon’s shadow on his bedroom wall.
Go away monsters, lickety split! / Nancy Evans Cooney
Jeff’s kitten helps him to be brave when he thinks monsters are hiding in the dark.
One dark and scary night / Bill Cosby
Little Bill is sure that things in his dark closet are going to get him. j Er COSBY
What's that noise? / Michelle Edwards and Phyllis Root
A special song sings away the night noises 2 brothers hear.
Go away, big green monster! / Ed Emberley
A child takes care of a monster one small bit at a time.
It's dark-- but I'm not scared / Karen Erickson
A child thinks of the night as a blanket covering his room.
Stormy night / Hubert Flattinger
During a scary night, a child finds safety in a loved one’s arms.
Tiger can't sleep / S.J. Fore
A young boy is kept awake by the noisy, "talented" tiger in his closet that is busy dancing, eating, and making music.
Lights out / Arthur Geisert
Told by his parents that his light must be out at eight o'clock, a young piglet who is afraid of the dark devises an ingenious solution to the problem.
Night in the barn / Faye Gibbons
Four boys want to prove they are not afraid to spend a night in the barn.
I hear a noise / Diane Goode
A little boy learns that monsters have mothers too.
When someone is afraid / Valeri Gorbachev
Suggests some of the ways that animals react to fear, but when a small boy wakes from a bad dream he calls for his mommy and daddy.
Darkness and the butterfly / Ann Grifalconi.
At night Osa becomes afraid of the strange things that might lie in the dark.
The knight who was afraid of the dark / Barbara Shook Hazen
The castle bully discovers bold Sir Fred is secretly afraid of the dark.
The very noisy night / Diana Hendry
One noisy night, Little Mouse asks to get into bed with Big Mouse.
Bedtime for Frances / Russell Hoban
Frances finds it difficult to go to sleep after dark.
Flashlight / Betsy James
Marie’s grandfather gives her a flashlight so that she can see in the dark.
Little Rabbit goes to sleep / Tony Johnston
When a scared little rabbit watches the nighttime with his grandfather he sees it is full of stars and crickets and moon.
No such thing / Jackie French Koller
Howard and the monster under his bed try to convince their mothers that both of them have reason to be afraid after dark.
There's a nightmare in my closet / Mercer Mayer
The nightmare in his closet isn’t really scary after all. j E-pb M
There's a dragon downstairs / Hilary McKay
Although she is afraid, Sophie is determined to confront the dragon that she thinks she hears downstairs at night.
Oh no, not ghosts! / Richard Michelson
An older brother "reassures" his younger sister about all the creatures that she imagines lurking in the dark bedroom, but his words only scare her more.
What if the shark wears tennis shoes? / Winifred Morris
Stephen has a better idea for a hungry shark’s midnight snack.
Junie B. Jones has a monster under her bed / Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones is afraid that monsters might be under her bed. j PARK
The crow (a not so scary story) / Alison Paul
A dark, creepy shape outside a home might be a pirate, a wizard, or something much less frightening.
Once when I was scared / Helena Clare Pittman
Grandfather tells how, when he was a child, he coped with fear during a journey alone through a dark wood.
Creepy things are scaring me / Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey
A boy’s mother sends nighttime sounds and shadows away by turning on a light.
Can't sleep / Chris Raschka.
Bedtime fears are comforted by the moon.
The squeaky door / Laura Simms
A little boy overcomes his fear of the squeaky noise his door makes .
Wanda's monster / Eileen Spinelli
Wanda tries to look at things from a monster's point of view.
What's under my bed? / James Stevenson
Grandpa tells a story about when he was scared at bedtime. j E-pb S
A dark and noisy night : a silly thriller with Peggy the pig / Lisa Thiesing
Peggy wants to sleep, but spooky noises keep her awake.
The owl who was afraid of the dark / Jill Tomlinson
Young Plop the owl is afraid of the dark even though other animals enjoy it.
Amanda pig and the awful, scary monster / Jean Van Leeuwen
Amanda the pig sees monsters at night, but her family finds different ways to
convince her that there are no monsters. j Er VAN LEEUWEN
Frog is frightened / Max Velthuijs.
Frog and his friends are frightened by strange night noises.
Can't you sleep, Little Bear? /Martin Waddell
Little Bear is afraid of the dark, until Big Bear brings him lights and love.
Pip's magic / Ellen Stoll Walsh
Pip the salamander searchs for a wizard to help him overcome his fears.
The monster bed / Jeanne Willis, Susan Varley
A little monster thinks humans will get him while he is asleep.
Max's starry night / Ken Wilson-Max
Max helps his elephant friend Big Blue, who is afraid of the dark.
Scrabble Creek /Patricia Wittmann
A little girl is afraid of the spooky shadows and strange noises when she is camping.
Norton's nighttime / Jane Breskin Zalben
A scared raccoon tries to imagine what some of his braver friends would do.
Good night, Lewis! / Harriet Ziefert
Lewis doesn't like to go to bed because he's afraid of the dark.
Look for these and other great books at
The Children's Library
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228-2252
412.531-1913 8.08
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org
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