Lately, I’ve heard more than one person describe the stress he/she feels. I can relate! So, in times of stress, at bedtime I turn to books that are calming. Like picture books. Yes, I’m an adult who reads (and loves) picture books. I’m also reading The Silmarillion, in case you’re wondering. But my nighttime favorite picture books include the following. To learn more about them, click on the titles below.
Big Bear and Little Fish and Knight Owl
Extra Yarn and I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared
They make me laugh, think, and cause a warm feeling to well up inside each time I read them.
What, if anything, do you read at night or during the day to de-stress in general? If books aren’t your thing, but other activities are (exercising, puzzles, cleaning, building model cars, crocheting/knitting [me too], sitting with your puppy or kitty in your lap), do tell!
Photos by L. Marie.
El Space--The Blog of L. Marie 
You are so smart to exercise self-care. Using picture books is a great way to de-stress. A book I keep in my meditation area (similar to those you recommend) is The Stuff Between the Stars by Sandra Nickel. It’s probably more a story book than a picture book, but it has large and brilliant illustrations. . . and stars.
Yes, books are my thing, too, L. Marie. Also, taking walks and exercising with friends via Zoom are a boon too. Thanks for a most relaxing post, my friend! Here’s to more warm and cozy reading. 😀
Thanks, Marian. Sandra’s books are lovely and soothing. Walks and other exercising–great ways to de-stress! 😊 i love being near trees whenever I walk.
Puzzling and books are my favorite way to relax. When I’m feeling elevated stress, I jump on my elliptical and read. Love all of the picture books!
I thought of you when I mentioned puzzles, Jill, since I knew that’s what you like to do. 😊 A friend of mine mentioned that she loves your books because they help her whens he feels stressed. Your books are cozy. I covered picture books with this post and will probably get to other books) like yours in another post.
You have no idea how happy that make me, L. Marie. Writing a book can be painful at times (like now), but hearing your friend’s reaction makes it all worth it. Thank you for sharing this.
I’m sorry I didn’t email and tell you. I was at her house and should have whipped out my phone and written a note to tell you. I have trouble sometimes remembering to do things unless i write it down immediately!
Lol! No worries. I have to write everything down, too. Thank goodness I have hundreds of journals and notebooks.😉
I’m glad for the scraps of paper I keep by my computer!
I read manga, but usually just when I’m waiting for stuff. Winding down is typically puzzles or, if exhausted, television until I pass out. For some reason, tv and reading both make me sleepy at night. Give in quicker with the tv.
This is why binge watching was invented, though lately with some shows dropping one episode at a time, it’s harder to binge watch unless one is patient enough to wait until they all have dropped.
Does your library have a good selection of manga? I gave up on Fullmetal Alchemist because it was too difficult to find issues. The library was missing books. Even the Half-price Bookstore was missing a ton of them.
It’s weird seeing streaming searches drop episodes like television. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I’m not greedy.
My library has a good interlibrary loan system. I own all of FMA. One Piece is the series I had some trouble with.
I was trying to get more consecutive copies of FMA. My library has interlibrary also. But half the time the books just aren’t available. If I still lived in Chicago, I would probably have more options.
I found that many middle volumes were missing. People would borrow and never go back.
Same thing at my local library!!! 😠 So frustrating!
I understand you, Linda because I read pictures books in bed in the past to block all of ideas to enter my mind making it working without enter in sleep.
Love ❤
Michel
I know what you mean, Michel. I want peaceful images in my mind when I go to sleep!
I am not surprised you like picture books since you draw and paint!
Love to you and Janine. ❤️
and I measure the importance of your personal library, Linda . ❤
Merci, Michel!
Love to you and Janine! ❤️
I like to pull out my book bag filled with impulse take aways from a trip to the local library. Always a mash up of themes, subjects and genres, I sit down on the floor, my bed and/or an outdoor space and just browse whatever catches my fancy. Gleefully flipping the pages with no rhyme or reason. And yes, often they come from the children’s section of the library!
Just yesterday afternoon, I sat in the back yard shade in my baseball chair complete with cup holder to hold my iced tea (!) and browsed through a few. My current impulse stack contains these titles: 1-Angelou, “Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now”; 2-Scottoline & Serritella, “I’ve got sand in all the wrong places”; 3-Kasabian & Kasabian, “The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami” (these first three were the ones I perused yesterday); 4-Kinsley, “Old Age A Beginner’s Guide”; 5-Johnson & Cooper, “Your Guide To Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village”; 5-Angelou, “Rainbow in the Cloud”; 6-Sizemore, “Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker”; 7-Agotnes, “Happy Gut Cookbook”.
Hope your week is filled with sweet dreams, L.Marie!
Laura, Your Guide To Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village sounds like a book I must have in my life! 😀 I looked it up on Amazon. It looks hilarious!!! We need more books like this!
You have a wonderful selection of books! And I’m picturing you in yrou baseball chair happily paging through these books. 😊
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs looks like a winner. I subscribe to one of Mo Willems’s well-known quotes: “If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” That advice has done me well over the years.
😄 😁 Great advice to remember, Ally! Two little boys recommended Goldilocks, because it is one of their favorite books. It made me laugh out loud!
A nice calming crime novel for me! Nothing like a couple of good murders to send me off happily to the land of dreams. Hmm, do you think I should see someone about this? 😉
😄 😁 They don’t call them cozy mysteries for nothing! I would add a good Christmas murder mystery to the list. 😁
Love all of this! Must get Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs and Your Guide To Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village!
I highly recommend Goldilocks! The quaint village book also sounds fun!
Books & Movies ~ yes
Exercising ~ yes
NY Times morning puzzles (Sudoku, mini crossword, wordle, spelling bee) ~ yes
Cleaning ~ hard NO 😀
😄 😁 Cleaning is that way for me, Nancy, though I have a friend who feels relaxed when cleaning and organizing.
I would add Wordle to the list since so many people I know enjoy it daily.
I do like tidying and organizing . . . but I leave heavy cleaning (scrubbing floors, vacuuming, etc.) for “the help” (a/k/a BFF). 😀
I never like scrubbing floors. . . . Which reminds me that I need to get to them. They are looking a little linty.
I’m currently reading Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree. Timely!
Very timely! 😊