8 Bedtime Stories To Build Confidence

We all want our Little Hotdogs to be bursting with confidence, comfortable in who they are and ready for the adventures of life. These 8 bedtime stories are a brilliant tool to boost self-esteem while snuggled up.

Featuring top picks from the fabulous Little Folk Tales a mum-run small biz stocking beautiful picture books. Thanks for the tips Claire!

We love reading at home, in the park, on the beach, anywhere! In our blog for Love Month, where we challenged you to Love Your Friends, we suggested building a den and reading outside to a friend. We love getting out in the fresh air, and our cool kids hats are perfect to enjoy the fresh air in!

Our kids winter hats keep our little ones nice and snuggly with comfortable Thinsulate material, and our kids summer hats are UPF 50+ rated to keep little ones safe in the sun. See our full range of cool childrens hats here!

Petra by Marianna Coppo

Meet Petra! The rock who can adapt to any circumstance with positivity and humour. This book celebrates the importance of believing in yourself and the power of a different perspective.

Written and illustrated by Marianna Coppo, an Italian illustrator who describes herself as a lover of tiny things, children’s books, mayonnaise and unexpected travel.

Little Red by Bethan Woollvin

A fresh take on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale. Little Red has a dark and funny twist, showcasing a little girl who won’t take any nonsense. Big bad wolf, beware! A great story for encouraging bravery and wit.

Written and illustrated by Bethan Woollvin, this book won the 2014 Macmillan Prize for Illustration and is one you’ll want to keep displayed as a piece of visual art.

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Gerald the giraffe wants to join the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but tall giraffes can’t dance! Or can they? This empowering picture book follows a giraffe who finds his own tune and confidence. Funny and joyful.

Written by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker Rees, Giraffes Can’t Dance is a Number One bestseller and a classic to add to their book basket.

The Little People Big Dreams Series

All amazing women in history started as amazing little girls with big dreams. This super stylish and quirky illustrated series is an empowering read for girls, boys, and parents alike. A great way to share historic role models with even the youngest book lover and inspire a generation.

The series includes: Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Emmeline Pankurst, Coco Chanel, Marie Curie, Audrey Hepburn, Frida Kahlo, Maya Angelou, and Agatha Christie.

The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss

Every child needs some Dr. Seuss in their life and this timeless picture-book is a great example of why. The Sneetches is a delicious mix of silliness and moral and a great book for helping kids deal with differences and learning to be confident in who they are.

Beautiful Oops! By Barney Saltzberg

This colourful book provides a great lesson for kids and parents alike: it’s OK to make mistakes. Beautiful Oops! reminds us that a mistake is an adventure in creativity. Watch as a spillage and becomes the outline for a goofy animal or a smudge becomes a bunny face. A must read to boost creative confidence.

Written and illustrated by Barney Saltzberg who has created over 50 children’s book including the Touch and Feel Kisses series which has sold over one million copies.

Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival

We’re all different in someway or another… and sometimes it easy to what to hide our differences rather than embrace them. Norman does just that but finds hiding his uniqueness is hard work and means he can’t enjoy the adventures that having a pair of wings can provide! Imaginative and full of character building purpose, with stunning artwork too.

Illustrated by Tom Percival known for his minimal palette and poignant storytelling.

Looking for easy World Book Day costumes for your little ones? Check out our blog here! 

The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

A clever and visual play on words. In this book ‘OK’ is turned sideways and becomes an adventurer who’s not scared to try new things and be OK at them. A lovely way to bring new perspective to ‘not being the best’ at something but still be confident enough to give it a go.

Illustrated by Amy Krouse Rosenthal who has produced thirty picture books, including the New York Times bestsellers I Wish You More, Uni the Unicorn, Plant a Kiss, and Exclamation Mark.

Do you recommend any other beautiful picture books to help build confidence? Let me know over on social media.

Want more ideas for fun activities for kids, news and updates on our latest products? Why not sign up for our newsletter!

After growing up in the North-west of England, Emma’s love of travel and style saw her career move to London with a fashion + business degree,  first working as a trend researcher then menswear buyer for some of the most famous stores in the UK. 

In 2015, having had her first baby she moved to Norwich to explore a family life closer to beaches and the countryside. Becoming a parent she found herself in a world of kidswear that didn’t look good or perform for the type of fresh air fun as a family so she set about creating her own brand. Little Hotdog Watson was born in 2016. The summer and winter hats for kids and adults, jam-packed with innovative protective technology have gone on to win awards, grace the pages of magazines, like Vogue, Grazia, Independent, Mother and Baby and celebrities alike. 

Emma had another daughter in 2019 and became a lecturer in Fashion and Business at Norwich University of the Arts.  She continues to design hats at her dining room table and share her passion to help families get outside more and explore the world. Here is one of her favourite outside blogs; 15 games adults will love playing with kids 

Email her anytime at; support@littlehotdogwatson.com or find her on Instagram.