As if you didn’t already look forward to bedtime, five new books you’ll want to read — with or without your kids.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, by Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp
Marcel the Shell (a YouTube phenom with more than 12 million views) tries out life as a children’s picture book protagonist. The dreamlike illustrations and his quirky personality (his dog is a piece of lint) make him one of our favorite kid lit newcomers.

The Listeners/These Train Tracks, by Breathe Owl Breathe
From the band Breathe Owl Breathe comes a children’s book that time forgot. A canvas-covered volume features two stories illustrated by reproductions of woodcut prints that start at each end of the book and meet in the middle, where you’ll find a seven-inch record of both narratives recorded as indie-folk songs.

Birdie’s Big-Girl Dress, by Sujean Rim
DailyCandy’s illustrator emeritus publishes her second children’s book about a precocious little girl who likes to dress up. It’s the perfect bedtime tale for moms and daughters who know their way around a dressing room.

Stuck, by Oliver Jeffers
Little Floyd’s kite gets stuck in a tree, so naturally he throws his shoe up after it. When his shoe gets lodged in the branches too, an unexpected cast of projectiles (a cat, a ladder, a fire engine) follows. Read-out-loud fun at its best.

Eli, No, by Katie Kirk
Try to resist the bold graphic illustrations in Kirk’s debut children’s book. But it’s the toddler tough-love lesson — “No!” doesn’t mean we love you any less — that has us stealing one last snuggle before lights out.

READ
The Mommy Stylist
What: Local blogger Kristin Hull sorts out affordable outfits to keep you looking your best amidst playdates, soccer games, and field trips.
Why: Don’t know what to wear to next week’s PTA meeting? She’s happy to weigh in with advice.
When: You’re a closet case.
Where: Online at mommystylist.com.

TWIRL
Brunch of the Sugar Plum Fairy
What: Catch a short performance by the Texas Ballet Theater, decorate cookies, and munch on ladylike food.
Why: She’s dying to wear her fanciest frock.
When: Book now for Dec. 4.
Where: The Ritz-Carlton, 2121 McKinney Ave. (214-922-0200). Register (by Sat.) online at a3.acteva.com. Adults and children, $69.

CELEBRATE
MetroPCS Fair Park Holiday
What: See the tree lighting, sip hot cocoa, and stay for the fireworks finale.
Why: Watch how fast your elf makes a beeline for Santa’s workshop.
When: Sat., 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Santa’s workshop, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: Fair Park, 1300 Robert B. Cullum Blvd. Info at 214-421-9600. Free.

Photos: Courtesy of Penguin Young Readers; Courtesy of Little, Brown Books; Courtesy of Abrams Books