10 best bedtime stories for kids of all ages
Drifting off to sleep as someone reads you a bedtime story has to be one of the best things about being a child.
Once you become a parent yourself though, you soon realise that bedtime isn't that idyllic dream you remember it as. Almost every single child goes through a phase where sleep doesn't come easily and bedtimes can often become a battleground. Finding a story to help soothe them to sleep can really help.
We asked parents to recommend their children's favourite bedtime stories - and bonus points if they help them nod off!
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
"The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton is the only book that sends my six-year-old into a soporific daze! It’s so surreal and I think it helps her zone out because the language is very old fashioned and she doesn’t understand every word so it just sort of washes over her. We sometimes listen to Kate Winslet read the audiobook and I must admit her soothing voice has sent me off to sleep a fair few times too!"
Lotte Jeffs, journalist and author of My Magic Family
Snow Bear by Tony Mitten and Alison Brown
"There's no cosier story than this gorgeous tale about a little bear looking for a place to shelter on a snowy night. The rhyme pattern is very soothing and a pleasure to read as a parent. And my little boy's eyes are almost always starting to close by the last line!"
Joanne Finney, GH Books Editor
Bedtime Stories For Hard Days by Scott Stuart
"It’s poetry and lovely to read to your child if they (or you!) have had a tough day. We love it because it feels like a nice way to finish the day, with kind positive lines of gentle soothing poetry. I let my kids choose whichever one they feel they need most and then read them snuggled up in their bed. It makes us all feel calmer and happier at bedtime, even if earlier in the day things weren’t calm at all."
Daisy Upton (aka @fiveminutemum) is the author of four books, including Starting School
The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson
"A much-loved bedtime read for my daughter is The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson. It is soothing and rhythmic but touches on important life themes. It’s a story of a string of paper dolls embarking upon adventures and sadly getting snipped by scissors. However, sadness transforms to hope as the little girl holds the paper dolls in her imagination, along with other things she has lost along the way. It’s poignant and hopeful, teaching about love and loss, but also hopeful and empowering with encouragement to conjure positive memories and internalise good experiences along the way."
Anna Mathur, author of The Uncomfortable Truth
The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
"It’s such a magical book and one I had read to me when I was a child, so it will always have a special place in my heart. The gentle story follows the route of a postman as he delivers letters to a neighbourhood of fairytale characters, from Little Red Riding Hood, to Goldilocks and The Three Bears. With every turn of the page, there is a beautifully illustrated letter addressed to a different fairytale character, which the reader can take out of its envelope and read.
My girls and I have spent many a bedtime snuggled together, reading each of the letters and giggling at the clever twists on the original tale. It’s the perfect bedtime story that is that wonderful combination of both calming and entertaining, aiding peaceful sleep and very sweet dreams."
Kelly Taylor, aka @kids_and_the_commute
Dogger by Shirley Williams
"I can never guaranteee that children will sleep from reading (!) but we love reading most things Shirley Hughes at our home. Dogger is a brilliant story about a boy who loses his best cuddly and his journey to get it back (with help from his sister). It teaches kids about losing something precious, sibling kindness and I adore the illustrations - Shirley Hughes just gets it spot on."
Alex Stedman, author of The R.U.E newsletter
The Baddies by Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler
"My kids (two and four) love all the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books, their favourites being Stick Man and The Baddies. The stories, rhymes and characters are brilliant, we’ve read them so many times now that my daughter ‘reads’ her little brother the stories just by looking at the pictures!"
Abby Laing, GH Art Editor
There's a Tiger in the Garden by Lizzy Stewart
"When Grandma says she's seen a tiger in the garden, Nora doesn't believe her. Because why would there be a tiger in the garden? This sweet tale with lovely painterly illustrations is a firm favourite for my daughter. It’s fun and energetic, teaching us to find ways to overcome boredom, and most importantly the story captures the power of imagination and that if you believe hard enough, anything is possible."
Jodie Anderson, GH Picture Researcher
Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl
"My daughters who are eight and five absolutely adore Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl, which Red magazine editor Sarah Tomczak recommended to me. It’s simply the most exquisite bedtime book. A beautifully whimsical, imaginative story with the most gorgeous illustrations. A wonderful longer read that parents will thoroughly enjoy just as much as the children – without doubt a future classic."
Amanda Marcantonio, GH Fashion Director
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
"I can still recite whole passages of The Snail and the Whale (with voices) by heart to this day. Give me a few glasses of rosé and I’ll give you a recital! For slightly older kids, my boys LOVED the Adventures on Trains series and Twitchers Club books."
Emilie Martin, GH Consumer Affairs Director & Sustainability Editor
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