Thank you Disney Book Group for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
As a child, teen, and young adult, I was a total book worm. I would go to the library and check out 5-10 books and read for hours on end. There was something about reading and using my imagination to bring the stories to life that was such a calming activity for me.
When I was pregnant, I bought so many books for Harper, and continued to buy them for her entire baby and toddlerhood. They’re still a favorite gift to give for every birthday and holiday. We have quite a book collection and I love it!
When decorating our children’s rooms, I wanted to make books part of the decor – not only because they add pops of color and beautiful images to the space – but because they keep books top of mind and encourage reading.
We recently got the book Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy which is a new book by Drew Daywalt, the New York Times #1 best-selling author of The Day the Crayons Quit (one of our all time favorite books, along with The Day the Crayons Came Home), and illustrated by Scott Campbell. Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy is a hilarious twist on a classic bedtime story: When a boy who routinely refuses to go to bed gets a talkative stuffed animal, the tables are turned! I laughed out loud the first time we read it because that little boy is SO Lincoln! Harper falls asleep relatively quickly, but Lincoln is always asking for more water, to go potty again, more snuggles, etc. He really delays it as much as he can!
The book has such fun illustrations and dialogue and the same sense of humor as The Day the Crayons Quit. It’s one of those books that’s especially fun for parents to read. You can check out the book here.
Here is how I decorate my children’s bedrooms to encourage reading:
BOOKS BY THE BEDSIDE
I always have stacks of books on the kids’ nightstands so they’re easy to reach when we’re winding down for the night. It’s a nice way to keep your favorites “in rotation” and easy to access.
OPEN-FACING SHELVES
One way to keep books top of mind is to display them on open-facing shelves so that the books are more visible and easy to reach. I typically display a few smaller board books at the top, but the bottom shelves are filled with books we read more often. They also add a great pop of color to the room.
BOOKS IN BASKETS
We have quite a lot of books so our shelves don’t always fit them all. I love using decorative baskets to hold books – they’re on the floor so they’re easy for kids to pull from. I love that baskets can add color and texture to a room while also providing storage for toys and books.
DECORATE WITH BOOKS
I love using a stack of books to decorate a shelf or dresser. You can use book ends or put a favorite stuffed animal or toy on top of a stack of books. I love the character it adds to a room!
Do you decorate with books or display them in a special way in your child’s room? What are ways you encourage a love of reading? Don’t forget to check out Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy if you’re looking for a funny bed time book sure to make you and your child laugh (and unwind before bed time!)
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My 7 year old is struggling with reading and what used to be a fun activity has quickly turned into frustration. This may be a fun way to quietly encourage reading. A room refresh never hurts, right? Thanks for sharing
Books are something I’ll always ask for if someone needs ideas for the kids! We also recently got the Dolly Parton Imagination Library available in our area, so I’m excited to sign up our youngest for it!
I haven’t heard of that – thanks for sharing, will check it out!
Where did you get Lincoln’s book shelves?? We need something similar in size. Many I find are just too long for our space. Thanks
Thank you – they are IKEA!
Love this post and their book shelves. I looked on IKEA website but can’t find the exact ones. Can you tell us the name or give us a link?
Love your honest content 😊 Keep it coming
Thank you so much! The shelves can be found here: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40291766/
Thank you for that link! I still come back and look at this post months later haha. One more question. Did you make that letter L with the colorful pompoms or where did you get it? Such a great way to give his room a colorful POP!