Goodnight Moon. Perfect for bedtime. Fanciful, calming, adorable.
The Runaway Bunny. Ideal for 3 year olds who are working out closeness vs. independence, also imaginative and peaceful.
Anything by Eric Carle. (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear Brown Bear, etc.) Wonderful art, rhyming patterns perfect for a pre-reader to hear and repeat, will help her practice colors, counting, animals, etc. without even realizing it.
Where the Wild Things Are. Fantastic illustrations, will help her feel powerful in the face of her feelings and fears, just like Max in the story who becomes king of the “wild things” and then willingly returns home to supper and to bed.
Harold and the Purple Crayon. A little boy creates the world of his imagination with nothing but his purple crayon, then in the end draws himself into bed and to sleep. Very simple and charming.
The Little Fur Family. A baby furry thing has adventures and in the end is tucked into bed.
Bedtime for Frances (or any of the Frances books). Hilarious for adults while serious for kids, sweet drawings. In this one Frances finds reasons and more reasons not to fall asleep, from the moon is too bright to her bathrobe looks like a monster to the crack in the ceiling is a rabbit that will come alive. In the end of course, she works it all out and goes to sleep.