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One Minute till Bedtime: 60-Second Poems to Send You off to Sleep
Just one more before bedtime? Please??
It's time for tuck-in, and your little ones want just one more moment with you--so fill it with something that will feed the imagination, fuel a love of reading, and send them off to sleep in a snap. Reach for a one-minute poem!
Former Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt presents a blockbuster collection of all-new poetry penned by some of the most beloved and celebrated poets of our time, including Jack Prelutsky, Jon Scieszka, Mary Ann Hoberman, Nikki Grimes, Lemony Snicket, Jane Yolen, and many more. Illuminated with dreamlike wit and whimsy by New York Times illustrator and award-winning artist Christoph Niemann, here is a new bedtime classic.
When the busy day is drawing to a close and the whole family is ready for rest, take a minute for poetry and send your little ones off to sleep.
It's time for tuck-in, and your little ones want just one more moment with you--so fill it with something that will feed the imagination, fuel a love of reading, and send them off to sleep in a snap. Reach for a one-minute poem!
Former Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt presents a blockbuster collection of all-new poetry penned by some of the most beloved and celebrated poets of our time, including Jack Prelutsky, Jon Scieszka, Mary Ann Hoberman, Nikki Grimes, Lemony Snicket, Jane Yolen, and many more. Illuminated with dreamlike wit and whimsy by New York Times illustrator and award-winning artist Christoph Niemann, here is a new bedtime classic.
When the busy day is drawing to a close and the whole family is ready for rest, take a minute for poetry and send your little ones off to sleep.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2016
24 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Kenn Nesbitt
48 books30 followersKenn Nesbitt is the author of several collections of funny poetry for kids, including Revenge of the Lunch Ladies, When the Teacher Isn't Looking, and The Aliens Have Landed at Our School! His poems have appeared many bestselling anthologies, including every book in the popular Kids Pick the Funniest Poems series, and anthologies from Scholastic with nearly 2 million copies in print. He is also the creator of the world's most popular children's poetry website on the Internet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
December 24, 2020
This is a collection of poems by various authors, some are cuter than others, some are clever. The authors present a large variety of poetry styles including graphically designed poems. Most of all I loved the poems by Nesbitt (my comfort zone), but now I find myself reflecting more over the interesting range of styles.
November 5, 2016
I read a lot of children's poetry and this is THE anthology I've been waiting for. Oh, yes, it was worth the wait. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't know how ridiculously good. The collection features exceptional poems written by the rock stars of contemporary children's poetry: Kenn Nesbitt, Jack Prelutsky, Bruce Lansky, Dennis Lee, Brian P. Cleary, Steven Withrow, J. Patrick Lewis, Bobbi Katz, Janet Wong, Jane Yolen, X.J. Kennedy, Ted Scheu, Judith Viorst and on and on and on. It reads like a Who's Who of the genre. Only a former Children's Poet Laureate like Kenn Nesbitt could likely assemble such a talented group of living children's poets into such a fine collection.
This is a literary gem, but it's full of engaging poems kids (as well as their parents, grandparents and teachers) will actually want to read again and again. The poems are short, often fun, but language rich.
Ah, the art. This is one beautifully and lovingly crafted book. The graphic illustrations were created by New York Times illustrator, Christoph Niemann, and like a good marriage, the poems elevate the art and the art elevates the poems. I particularly like that each poem receives its own page and illustration with plenty of surrounding white space...so every poem, whether four lines or four stanzas, is allowed to shine. The use of monochromatic color expertly divides each section.
Until I actually read through the collection, I thought the poems might all relate to bedtime. Not so. Sure, there are plenty of poems to send kids "off to dreamland," but there are many other kid-focused topics like food, family, and animals. The poems are just as appropriate to read to a newborn as a nine year old at bedtime, although the nine year might want to read just one more to you...
One Minute 'Till Bedtime was just released Nov. 1, 2016 and with the holidays approaching, it makes a wonderful "gift book" that is destined to become a classic. I adore this book...and highly recommend it.
Lorrie L. Birchall
poetryforteaching.com
This is a literary gem, but it's full of engaging poems kids (as well as their parents, grandparents and teachers) will actually want to read again and again. The poems are short, often fun, but language rich.
Ah, the art. This is one beautifully and lovingly crafted book. The graphic illustrations were created by New York Times illustrator, Christoph Niemann, and like a good marriage, the poems elevate the art and the art elevates the poems. I particularly like that each poem receives its own page and illustration with plenty of surrounding white space...so every poem, whether four lines or four stanzas, is allowed to shine. The use of monochromatic color expertly divides each section.
Until I actually read through the collection, I thought the poems might all relate to bedtime. Not so. Sure, there are plenty of poems to send kids "off to dreamland," but there are many other kid-focused topics like food, family, and animals. The poems are just as appropriate to read to a newborn as a nine year old at bedtime, although the nine year might want to read just one more to you...
One Minute 'Till Bedtime was just released Nov. 1, 2016 and with the holidays approaching, it makes a wonderful "gift book" that is destined to become a classic. I adore this book...and highly recommend it.
Lorrie L. Birchall
poetryforteaching.com
April 19, 2019
A sweet book of poems to read slowly each night with your kiddos. Highly recommend.
January 7, 2025
What a fun lovely read with my kids at night. It took forever because we only read like two poems a night
November 8, 2016
Woot for amazing poetry! Although the title is a bit misleading, poems range in topic from family to socks to school buses to rainbows, the book is fabulous and good for anytime of day.
Each poems has its own page (think Prelutsky and Silverstein) and simple illustration. While the anthology has targeted littles, the poems are fun, vocabulary rich and so, so clever, making it a volume good for a slightly older audience.
Each poems has its own page (think Prelutsky and Silverstein) and simple illustration. While the anthology has targeted littles, the poems are fun, vocabulary rich and so, so clever, making it a volume good for a slightly older audience.
August 22, 2017
Miss 3 and I like to explore different books at the library and try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
I chose this one as she quite likes poetry sometimes. I thought they might be more bedtime / sleep / dream themed and they're not but it's still a lovely collection. It's been an enjoyable addition to the bedtime story mix.
I chose this one as she quite likes poetry sometimes. I thought they might be more bedtime / sleep / dream themed and they're not but it's still a lovely collection. It's been an enjoyable addition to the bedtime story mix.
September 23, 2019
Eh cute enough. A bit old fashion in places and only for a certain age. Also, point of annoyance for me, I detest when adults try to pretend to be kids and write from their perspective. it always feels flat and false.
March 18, 2024
Sweet bedtime book of poems for kids 🤗
October 30, 2023
Do you love poems? Need a daily read? This is your book! Filled with 60 second poems. This book is so awesome to me. I love the whole concept of the book. I read the two poems “Map of Fun” and “sleepy.” These were cute little funny bedtime poems that will tickle your feet. The best part of this book is YOU get the chance to pick.
March 8, 2017
Definitely a must-have for any parent, grandparent, or caregiver of a restless munchkin. Or a non-restless munchkin. JUST ALL MUNCHKINS.
December 27, 2016
Excellent collection of thoroughly engaging poems by current poets. Kids will delight in reading this cover to cover and teachers will love reading them aloud. I have plans for a few of them to find their way into my students' weekly sketchbooks. Good stuff, highly recommended!
March 10, 2018
These 60 second poems to send you off to sleep were great.Reading before bed is an awesome way to put an idea into your head to dream about.No scary stuff here for nightmares-that's for sure.
August 16, 2022
I love this type of children's book. The thick pages give it a nice heft, so it feels substantial and special when you're little and not yet used to big heavy books. There's lots to discover, whether you're snuggled in and being read to, or venturing out into reading by yourself.
Opening a book like this is like striking out into a new world. There are uncluttered (unicolor but colorful) illustrations that leave plenty to the imagination; and a variety of topics and writing styles, from goofy to sweet and from feisty to ponderous. There's something for everyone, and you'll be sure to discover a few new favorites. Mine include Meeting a Cow by Sharon Creech, Night Flight by Ted Scheu, Moon Mice by Neal Levin, Gesundheit by David L. Harrison, All at Once by Jon Scieszka, and Wind by Jon Foster. But there are soooo many little gems in this book that pretty much every other page I open has a favorite! (And yes, a few of the poems fall flat for me, but that can't be avoided in an anthology.)
Special mention to illustrator Chris Niemann: one of those rare artists who turns everything to magic with a few sparse strokes of his ink brush (or a few mouse clicks, I suppose: the book tells me that the illustrations were rendered using handmade and digital media). These pictures aren't just an aside, they are a main character. They have a distinct old-fashioned, timeless feel to them. So good! Here's the illustrator's website: https://www.christophniemann.com/ and if you like this quiet style, check out Lucy as well (with illustrations and text by Randy Cecil).
Opening a book like this is like striking out into a new world. There are uncluttered (unicolor but colorful) illustrations that leave plenty to the imagination; and a variety of topics and writing styles, from goofy to sweet and from feisty to ponderous. There's something for everyone, and you'll be sure to discover a few new favorites. Mine include Meeting a Cow by Sharon Creech, Night Flight by Ted Scheu, Moon Mice by Neal Levin, Gesundheit by David L. Harrison, All at Once by Jon Scieszka, and Wind by Jon Foster. But there are soooo many little gems in this book that pretty much every other page I open has a favorite! (And yes, a few of the poems fall flat for me, but that can't be avoided in an anthology.)
Special mention to illustrator Chris Niemann: one of those rare artists who turns everything to magic with a few sparse strokes of his ink brush (or a few mouse clicks, I suppose: the book tells me that the illustrations were rendered using handmade and digital media). These pictures aren't just an aside, they are a main character. They have a distinct old-fashioned, timeless feel to them. So good! Here's the illustrator's website: https://www.christophniemann.com/ and if you like this quiet style, check out Lucy as well (with illustrations and text by Randy Cecil).
Read
November 14, 2021If it gets more folks reading poems, great. But it's not for me. A sing-song verse is not a poem. There has to be some extra resonance, or at least a line or a verse that provokes one to want to (and be able to) memorize it. And I'm finding few that do just a little bit of that for me.
Now, I admit, I'm not a little kid or a tired caregiver. If you are, you might get more out of this. And I do appreciate that the poems are new - even the ones that are by authors whom I know are new to me.
I do wish though, for all our sakes, it had the traditional 3 indices: First line, Author, and Title.
---
Wild Flowers
Bob Raczka
Our dandelions
are tame, but their color is
a loud yellow roar.
---
Wiggle Wiggle
Robert Pottle
(a good way to channel wiggles into a sort of a meditation that might help restless littles get to sleep, but it would take longer than 60-seconds to work through it)
---
Shelter
Joyce Sidman
Such a slim space you're tucked into,
Butterfly:
feet
stuck to
the underside
of this dripping leaf,
wings shut tight like a
flat gray purse holding
ribbons of color.
(Note that the lines are formatted center-justified, so the poem's shape is part of the art.)
---
September
Liz Rosenberg
...
And the first frost, sharp
As the scratch of a kitten.
---
Years
Mary Ann Hoberman
...
Seasons come and seasons go.
What a lovely thing to know.
Now, I admit, I'm not a little kid or a tired caregiver. If you are, you might get more out of this. And I do appreciate that the poems are new - even the ones that are by authors whom I know are new to me.
I do wish though, for all our sakes, it had the traditional 3 indices: First line, Author, and Title.
---
Wild Flowers
Bob Raczka
Our dandelions
are tame, but their color is
a loud yellow roar.
---
Wiggle Wiggle
Robert Pottle
(a good way to channel wiggles into a sort of a meditation that might help restless littles get to sleep, but it would take longer than 60-seconds to work through it)
---
Shelter
Joyce Sidman
Such a slim space you're tucked into,
Butterfly:
feet
stuck to
the underside
of this dripping leaf,
wings shut tight like a
flat gray purse holding
ribbons of color.
(Note that the lines are formatted center-justified, so the poem's shape is part of the art.)
---
September
Liz Rosenberg
...
And the first frost, sharp
As the scratch of a kitten.
---
Years
Mary Ann Hoberman
...
Seasons come and seasons go.
What a lovely thing to know.
November 26, 2022
I love this book of children's poetry! This is a collection of poems about lots of different topics, with illustrations accompanying some poems. The illustrations are simple and to me, that leaves plenty of space for you and kids to focus on the poetry. I am a Pre-K teacher and I work with kids ages 3-5. They love reading these poems before nap time or before we transition from one activity to another. One thing that I really like about this collection of poems is that the lengths are varied. Young children often have varying degrees of attention and sometimes my students are able to take in a longer poem and sometimes they just want to hear a quick, short one. There are silly poems, more imaginative poems, more serious poems. As a teacher, it's a great book to have on hand, not just to pull out when you need to gather the class for a transition, but for a rhyming activity or to connect a poem to a particular unit or theme your class is talking about. My class loves the poem, "Backyard Circus.” I've even started using the shorter apple one as a callback for my class. There is something for every kid in this book! Highly recommend it!
February 11, 2025
Meh. Maybe I would have enjoyed the poems more if I were closer to the target audience (?). The poems overall were enjoyable but a few seemed like they were trying to hard to be clever or funny (and trying hard results in neither).
Two well-crafted poems in this book really stood out for me:
>River Song by Sherryl Clark and
>This Is the Hour by Liz Brownlee
After that, I'm unsure if I would notice if I came across any of the other poems in a different context.
I appreciated that Nesbitt included many women among the poets, though I don't know enough about any of them to know how diverse the selections were in other ways. I also appreciated that the poets included many female characters, including several non-human animals. I wish that the illustrator had such a perspective, because very few of the characters with 'gender signals' were female.
This book was a good way to pass a bit of time, but I'm happy to return it to the library for someone else to have a turn.
Two well-crafted poems in this book really stood out for me:
>River Song by Sherryl Clark and
>This Is the Hour by Liz Brownlee
After that, I'm unsure if I would notice if I came across any of the other poems in a different context.
I appreciated that Nesbitt included many women among the poets, though I don't know enough about any of them to know how diverse the selections were in other ways. I also appreciated that the poets included many female characters, including several non-human animals. I wish that the illustrator had such a perspective, because very few of the characters with 'gender signals' were female.
This book was a good way to pass a bit of time, but I'm happy to return it to the library for someone else to have a turn.
June 7, 2020
I suppose with the title, one is supposed to only read a single poem per night, but I couldn't put this down!
I read about 20 pages a night. The poems are SO much fun! A few years ago, one of the boys had a poetry unit in school. He was showing me all the different types of poems, and thought I can't remember all the names, I'm pretty sure this book hit them all. One that is mostly sounds. One that is in the shape of what the poem is about (a whale), one that starts each line with a letter of the alphabet, even a haiku!
I'd read several pages of this, then switch to the grown-up book on my nightstand. Each night, it would take me a few pages to stop reading the thriller's paragraph in some sort of poetry cadence.
This is definitely one I'd known about when the boys were wee.
I read about 20 pages a night. The poems are SO much fun! A few years ago, one of the boys had a poetry unit in school. He was showing me all the different types of poems, and thought I can't remember all the names, I'm pretty sure this book hit them all. One that is mostly sounds. One that is in the shape of what the poem is about (a whale), one that starts each line with a letter of the alphabet, even a haiku!
I'd read several pages of this, then switch to the grown-up book on my nightstand. Each night, it would take me a few pages to stop reading the thriller's paragraph in some sort of poetry cadence.
This is definitely one I'd known about when the boys were wee.
January 23, 2021
I loved this! My kids loved this! I might have to buy this.
I have learned I am picky about kids' poetry anthologies. Too many of them are all serious/all rhyming/too many illustration styles/all over the place. This one was lovely. The poetry variety was excellent but the complier gave us a nice through line with his own writing, and the graphic design was just awesome and not distracting or jarring. So many writers I knew but not so many poems I had heard before and a fantastic blend between funny/serious/rhyming/unrhymed. There were concrete poems, haiku...a really really nice collection. Not all bedtime themed but many were, but it didn't hit you over the head. If you buy your kids one poetry anthology to introduce them to poetry, have it be this one.
I have learned I am picky about kids' poetry anthologies. Too many of them are all serious/all rhyming/too many illustration styles/all over the place. This one was lovely. The poetry variety was excellent but the complier gave us a nice through line with his own writing, and the graphic design was just awesome and not distracting or jarring. So many writers I knew but not so many poems I had heard before and a fantastic blend between funny/serious/rhyming/unrhymed. There were concrete poems, haiku...a really really nice collection. Not all bedtime themed but many were, but it didn't hit you over the head. If you buy your kids one poetry anthology to introduce them to poetry, have it be this one.
January 28, 2022
This book wasn't at all what I expected. It was heavy and thick (weight-wise) and I expected something small. The poems were mixed; some are dumb, some are really cute, some are clever, like the ones that formed a shape relating to whatever the poem was about. The best thing about this book is that the poems are short and I was able to read the whole thing in a day. the poems themselves aren't really about relaxing and falling asleep. It's more of a poetry book for kids. The strangest thing is that I found this book in the "self-help" area of the library and not in the children's section. The illustrations were cute, but overall this was just an okay read.
April 17, 2023
After reading a few of the selections in this book, I felt like I wanted to go buy a copy for every family I know that has kids. I grew up on Shel Silverstein with all the wacky silliness of his Poetry, and this book is in the same wheelhouse, but maybe a little less chaotic. (It is, after all, a book of bedtime poems.)
I haven't read any of these to my groups of littles yet, but this is Poetry Month, and I've chosen several to share with them in the two storytimes I have left in the month. The problem is narrowing down which ones I'm going to share--there are so many good ones in this collection!
I haven't read any of these to my groups of littles yet, but this is Poetry Month, and I've chosen several to share with them in the two storytimes I have left in the month. The problem is narrowing down which ones I'm going to share--there are so many good ones in this collection!
April 11, 2018
I am not really a poetry person, but I am a dedicated reader of Beehive Award nominees. I'm always hoping for Shel Silverstein type poems and feel disappointed when they are serious or just cute instead of funny.
There were 5 or 6 poems that I really enjoyed though. My favorite was probably Our Grandma Kissed a Pumpkin by Darren Sardelli.
Our grandma kissed a pumpkin
on a Friday afternoon.
She also kissed a crayon
and a giant red balloon.
I saw her kiss a chipmunk
eating cookies with a queen.
She kissed us in these costumes
at our house on Halloween!
Charming.
There were 5 or 6 poems that I really enjoyed though. My favorite was probably Our Grandma Kissed a Pumpkin by Darren Sardelli.
Our grandma kissed a pumpkin
on a Friday afternoon.
She also kissed a crayon
and a giant red balloon.
I saw her kiss a chipmunk
eating cookies with a queen.
She kissed us in these costumes
at our house on Halloween!
Charming.
September 18, 2023
This neat collection of poems for children, or for those like myself who think it's sometimes very appropriate to think like a child and remember how to appreciate and delight in simple lines and rhymes, is subtitled "60 second poems to send you off to sleep." There are more than 100 poems in this valuable collection. Some are by well known writers like Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Creech, Ron Koertge, Judith Viorst, and Lemony Smicket, but most are by poets you probably haven't read before. Either way, it's worth reading, and quite delightful.
November 5, 2020
I read this book with my kids, snuggled in bed, early in the morning before we got up. Each poem takes less than a minute to read, some mere seconds. I’m told that the children’s’ poets collected in this volume is pretty extensive. I’m no poetry buff, but this was a great collection. The poems have good rhythm, which kept reading them fun. My three year old really enjoyed the minimalist illustrations too! I want more volumes in this collection!!
February 15, 2017
Loved this one. I read this with my boys (ages 8 and 9) before bed for several weeks. We loved the quick poems and the great illustrations that went with them. A lot of the poems were silly and the boys really enjoyed the humor. Some poems also got great conversations started between the three of us.
July 21, 2017
In this poetry book, Kenn Nesbitt has collected short poems from many great authors. The short poems are often paired with others that have a similar subject. The pictures in the book are simple, but they perfectly enhance the simple poems.
July 30, 2018
This is a fun collection of many 60 second poems, perfect to read right before bedtime. There are silly ones and serious one, short short short ones, and some longer ones. Written by many famous poets and writers.
September 25, 2018
This is a fun collection of many 60 second poems, perfect to read right before bedtime. There are silly ones and serious one, short short short ones, and some longer ones. Written by many famous poets and writers.
May 16, 2021
Mostly hits, with a few misses, of short, kid friendly poems about sleep time written by dozens of poets. Really clever illustrations for each poem which were the true stars - simple line drawings which captured the essence of each page.
July 9, 2021
This wonderful collection of short poems could be used at bedtime, but could also be used for other times of day. Many child-friendly topics are included, in a variety of poetry styles. The whimsical illustrations enhance the poems.
Recommended as accessible and fun!
Recommended as accessible and fun!
July 31, 2023
The illustrations in this are mostly simple with lots of lines and almost monochromatic colors. The poems are great for the most part. However there are a few I don’t think are suitable for getting little ones ready for sleep. Still, it’s a great poetry book for kids.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews