Parents' Guide to Good Night, Reindeer

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Common Sense Media Review

Regan McMahon By Regan McMahon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Rudolph can't turn off his light in cute bedtime tale.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

In GOOD NIGHT, REINDEER, it's Christmas Eve, and Santa wants everybody at the North Pole to get a good night's sleep. One by one, he says goodnight to each reindeer, the elves, even the dolls near the Christmas tree and the bells on it. But after he says goodnight to Rudolph, there's still a glow under Rudolph's covers.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This cute holiday tale mixes humor with the kind of soothing repetition found in other bedtime books. The rhythm in parts of Good Night, Reindeer is reminiscent of that in Goodnight Moon. "Goodnight, Comet. Good night, stars. Good night, planets. Good night, cars."

The fun is in seeing the personalities and activities of the individual reindeer in their rooms: Blitzen glued to his computer tablet, Prancer dancing in her ballet shoes, Cupid playing on his drum kit. A fine choice for kids who find it hard to settle down and wait for Christmas.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why it's hard for Rudolph to get to sleep in Good Night, Reindeer. Is it extra hard when you know you'll be doing something fun the next day?

  • Do you sometimes have a hard time relaxing at bedtime? What do you do to calm yourself down?

  • The artist for this book has imagined each reindeer having his or her own bedroom, with a bed, books, toys, even musical instruments. Try drawing a picture of the room where you sleep, and draw anything you'd like to have in that room.

Book Details

  • Author : Denise Brennan-Nelson
  • Illustrator : Marco Bucci
  • Genre : Holiday
  • Topics : Holidays
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publication date : September 15, 2017
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
  • Number of pages : 32
  • Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
  • Last updated : September 30, 2025

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