A Bump in the Night, by Matt Hazel (illustrated by Danny MacDonald), tells the illustrated story of Danny, a young boy (with his cat) who must get ready for and finally go to bed. After getting ready and being tucked being in by mom, Danny and his cat close their eyes to go to sleep.

Only to be awoken by a frightening sound. Danny quickly grabs his flashlight and shines it around his room, seeing monster after monster, his fear building, until he cries out for mom.

With the light on and Danny’s mother in the room, we see the items Danny’s flashlight caught in the dark – posters, stuffed animals, and other toys he’d imagined were monsters in the beam of his flashlight.

Turns out, those growling noises Danny heard were his stomach, his mom explains, and she takes him to get a snack.

It’s been a few years since I read my son stories before bed, but A Bump in the Night is one I would have enjoyed reading to him. The pages are filled with illustrations to talk about, and the story maintains its tension, and the reader’s interest, until finally resolving everything to begin a good night’s sleep.