12 Short Bedtime Stories for Kids You’ll Both Love

Bedtime stories, love ‘em or hate ‘em, reading them is an essential job for almost any parent. A great way to calm your children down and ready them for sleep, story time is also proven to be great for bonding ( 1). In addition, reading to your child may help to develop their listening skills and studies show that children who are read to and talked to from a very young age will develop better language skills and score higher in cognitive development too (2) with benefits seen right up to the age of 14 (3).

But we understand that as parents it can be hard to find the time and energy for story time after the stress of making dinner, running baths and wrestling them into their pyjamas. Especially when they’re demanding the same boring old book you’ve read for the last ten nights running.

One way to make reading a bedtime story more enjoyable for you both is to have an array of great books that you’ll both love listening to at the ready. And so, from classic tales that your parents probably read to you to new and unusual books that might just change your view of sleep stories, here’s our definitive rundown of the best bedtime stories for kids (and for grown ups) of all ages.

Classic Bedtime Stories for Kids (That Adults Love Too)

Newer isn’t always better. Grab one of these timeless classics off the bookshelf to remind yourself of the good old days while making all new memories with your little one.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

He eats cake! He eats grapes! He crunches and munches his way through savoury sausages, green gherkins and sweet, sweet cherry pie before becoming – spoiler alert – a beautiful, bright butterfly!We grew up loving the simple tale of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Eric Carle’s colourful illustrations (and those finger holes) make this iconic book all the more appealing to young children aged from birth right up to five. In addition to being an always fun read, The Very Hungry Caterpillar can help your child to develop counting skills and provides an opportunity to practice the days of the week too. Taking just a few short minutes to read, Carle’s children’s classic is a must for busy parents looking for a bedtime story to rely on.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

An epic tale on a small, small scale, Michael Rosen’s wonderful story of family adventure, recommended for two to four year olds and beyond, invites you and your children to create your very own soundscape as you read. With a repetitive rhythm and plenty of onomatopoeic fun within its pages, you’ll all have this short, poetic story memorised in no time at all. The modern day king of children’s poetry, Rosen has created the perfect bedtime book that’s just made to be enjoyed together. Encourage your child to follow along as you read to help build word recognition or simply have them jump in with those brilliant noises. Swishy swashy, swishy swashy! Hoo woo! Hoo woo!

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Old they may be (dating back to 1902 no less), but Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories have timeless appeal. Short enough to read one a night, these bedtime stories are available to read online free via The Kipling Society’s website. From How the Leopard Got His Spots to The Crab That Played With the Sea, these magical and mystical short children’s stories are a captivating choice for older children aged eight to twelve years old, although they could easily be enjoyed by younger kids who can listen along too. A great choice for curious children, despite some old fashioned language, Kipling’s stories have maintained their popularity throughout the ages and for very good reason too.

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

If your child shows no signing of letting their love of Anna and Elsa go, why not introduce them to the fairytale that inspired Disney’s blockbuster 2013 hit, Frozen? Though one of Hans Christian Andersen’s longest stories, The Snow Queen is helpfully split up into short chapters, meaning that spreading it out over a few nights is easy. Suitable for children aged five and up, this gloriously rich story of love, friendship and magic might not have singalong moments inbuilt but there’s no reason you can’t insert your own quick rendition of Do You Want to Build a Snowman if you find you have the energy.

Modern Short Bedtime Stories for Kids of All Ages

With so many kids books on the bookshop shelves, it can be hard to know which to choose. These are just some of our very favourite modern classics.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

A simple story of a bear searching for his lost hat, Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back is a firm favourite of parents and children alike. Containing just a few words per page, it’s suitable for very young children and suits perfectly those nights when you just can’t face a long, drawn out story time. Yet with its irresistible illustrations of the baffled forgetful bear and his characterful friends, each of whom demands the reader create a special voice, there are plenty of opportunities to string this book out if you’re not quite ready to set it back on the shelf. Follow ups This Is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat continue the adventure with more of Klassen’s funny animal characters.

Of Lions and Unicorns by Michael Morpurgo

Quite possibly the UK’s best loved modern children’s writer, Michael Morpurgo creates gentle tales that kids and adults can’t resist, with the award-winning War Horse being probably his most well-known. This collection of short stories is ideal for bedtime reads, featuring twenty-five small tales and twenty-five extracts from his most loved long-form novels, covering some of Morpurgo’s most popular subjects, including animals, folk tales and war. Recommended for kids of ages nine and up, this illustrated collection will inspire independent reading as well as reading aloud, the shorter stories encouraging readers who might be reluctant to delve into longer chapter books.

Begin Again by Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers has an uncanny knack for writing short, easy to read illustrated children’s stories that are wistful, meaningful and perfect to share, with favourites like Lost and Found and How to Catch a Star found on most modern family bookshelves. Begin Again is a brightly coloured book full of important words and unique pictures and has been subtitled ‘A Map of Our Past and Guide for Our Future’, which tells you in advance that it’s got a bit more of a message than the average book aimed at young children aged two and up. And if you have a bit more time this evening? This book can kickstart many an important conversation with your little one about humans and their place in the world.

Tiddler by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

We all know and love The Gruffalo, Stickman and Room on the Broom, but you might have overlooked Tiddler, Donaldson and Scheffler’s cautionary tale about a young fish and his outlandish stories. Centred around a plain and uninteresting grey fish named Tiddler who just can’t help but fib – he’s met a mermaid and was kidnapped by a squid – Donaldson’s underwater tale for ages two to six is as lyrical and funny as her work always is. Her words are accompanied, of course, by the fun, detailed illustrations of Axel Scheffler, as it should be. Look out for the Gruffalo fish, the only invented sea creature in the whole book.

Quick Bedtime Stories For Kids, With a Bit of a Difference

Sometimes it can be hard to find a bedtime story that will amuse you both. These books are a bit different to your usual sleep stories and will please both kids that are easily bored by everyday books and grown ups who are tired of reading the same old stories.

Would You Rather by John Burningham

Would you rather…drink snail squash or eat mashed worms? It’s kind of a big question for any small child. Burningham’s picture-driven book for children aged three and up asks the questions that really count (at least if you’re at primary school) and will almost certainly provoke some fun discussions between you and your small people once it’s done. And in fact, Would You Rather is one of only a few books that older siblings might be tempted to join in with. Be ready with some of your own ‘would you rathers’ for post-reading conversations. Would you rather drink from the loo or have to pee in a corner? Would you rather have to run to school every day or walk backwards? Hold a slug or stroke a tarantula?

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

A collection of 100 stories designed to fulfil the need for a quick bedtime read, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls contains the true tales of some of the most inspirational women you can think of. From Maya Angelou to Michelle Obama and from Frida Kahlo to Malala Yousafzai via Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, this beautifully illustrated book gives bite size accounts of the lives of women who have made a real difference. Not just for girls, Favilli and Cavallo’s book for ages six and up is a timely reminder that we can all do something important, whoever we might be. If your little one is inspired by these tales, the Rebel Girls brand has expanded to include a wide range of easy to read and just as informative books, including Animal Allies, containing stories of women working with animals, and 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World.

Tales From India by Bali Rai

Containing colourful and exotic stories of princesses and priests, tigers and jackals, Bali Rai’s collection of twenty Indian tales will charm anyone who loves a good old fashioned fairy tale type read. Based on the folklore works of Joseph Jacob and set in India’s Mughal period, Bali Rai tells stories are full of magic and myth with an Asian twist. Full of important life lessons, this book is suitable for readers aged nine to eleven but can be read aloud to younger kids who will love its vivid cast of characters and settings they likely won’t yet recognise. Containing a glossary and additional information in its back pages, as well as suggested extension activities, Tales From India can help to educate as well as entertain.

Letters to Anyone and Everyone by Toon Tellegen

Suitable for readers aged five and up, Toon Tellegen’s wonderful Letters to Anyone and Everyone is also a great choice for reading aloud at bedtime. Told as a series of letters sent on the wind between animals, this clever book has the feel of a modern day Aesop’s fables and will undoubtedly lead to a few lovely dreams for your little one. Illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg (daughter of Allan and Janet of Each Peach Pear Plum fame), Letters to Anyone and Everyone is one of those timeless keepsake books that your kids will always remember and will, most likely, reach for when they grow up and have their own children too.

Get Ready to Read Bedtime Stories with Bensons for Beds

Setting your kids up with a good nighttime routine, including relaxing sleep stories with a loved one, is a must to make bedtime less stressful for you all. A comfortable bed that’s suitable for their age is important too, which is where we come in. Offering a wide range of beds made for small people, including fun bunk beds and clever high sleepers, as well as beds with built-in book storage, like this Saturn wooden midsleeper set, Bensons for Beds is the place to go for beds that will make story time all the more comfortable.

For help choosing a bed and furniture for your child drop into your nearest showroom or give us a call on 0808 144 6160.

Sources:

• https://literacytrust.org.uk/blog/reading-children...
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02656...
• https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-ab...