They are usually simple. For example, they often have a single main animal character like a little mouse. The plot is not too complicated, just enough to engage a child's imagination before sleep, such as the mouse looking for a warm place to sleep.
Sure. One short animal bedtime story is about a little rabbit. The rabbit was lost in the forest. It was scared but then it saw a friendly deer. The deer led the rabbit back home. It teaches kids about kindness.
There is a story about a little cat. The cat wanted to catch the moon. It thought the moon was a big fish in the pond. It reached out its paw but only got wet. After that, it curled up and fell asleep, dreaming of fishy moons.
A great animal bedtime story could be this. There was a family of raccoons. At bedtime, the mother raccoon told her kits a story. She said that there is a secret pond in the forest. The beavers build their dams there during the day. At night, the frogs croak a soft song. The fish in the pond swim slowly, getting ready for a night of rest. The raccoon kits were so intrigued that they quickly fell asleep imagining the pond.
One characteristic is that they are calming. They don't have a lot of action or excitement that would keep a child awake. For example, a story about a tired little bird might just talk about how the bird flew around a bit, found a nice branch, and then closed its eyes. They also focus on the natural behaviors of animals. So, if it's a story about a sleepy deer, it might mention how the deer found a quiet spot in the forest after grazing all day. And they are often repetitive in a soothing way, like repeating how the animal is sleepy several times to help the child relax.
Simple plots make good animal bedtime stories. Kids can easily follow what's going on, like in 'The Three Little Pigs'. Also, characters with distinct personalities are important. For example, the slow but determined tortoise in 'The Tortoise and the Hare'. Moral lessons are another factor. Stories like 'The Ant and the Grasshopper' teach about hard work and planning.
They can also teach about different animal characteristics. In 'The Ugly Duckling', the story not only tells about the poor duckling's journey of being ostracized because he looks different, but also gives some knowledge about ducks and swans. Kids can learn about the transformation and growth process of these animals while getting inspired by the duckling's perseverance.
There's a story of a clever fox. The fox once outsmarted a group of hunters. It used its wits to create false trails and hide in a secret den until the hunters gave up. This shows how intelligent animals can be in bedtime animal stories.