20 brilliant bedtime stories for toddlers

Establishing a good bedtime routine for your child is one of the best ways to ensure fuss-free evenings all round; young children love repetition and thrive on knowing what’s going to happen next so that sequence of events – supper, bath, pyjamas, bed – gives them vital sleep cues and helps them transition from daytime ‘play mode’ to nighttime ’sleep mode’, preparing them for a good night’s rest.

Of course, no bedtime routine is complete without a story – shared storytime before bed helps your child to relax and wind down, and makes time in your busy day for one-to-one interaction with no interruptions.  Studies have also shown that introducing regular bedtime stories, read aloud to your child from a young age, help to develop language, memory and even motor skills, giving your child a head start when they reach school age.  And of course, story time before bed should be enjoyable for parents too! It’s lovely to cuddle up with your little ones and get lost in a fairytale world for a while, so choose books that are enjoyable for both of you.  Here are our top 20 bedtime stories for under fours, guaranteed to enchant kids and big kids alike!

Click the books to buy any of these titles from Amazon!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar / Eric Carle

This book needs no introduction – having sold more than 30 million copies worldwide the tale of a hungry caterpillar who gorges himself on too much food before transforming into a beautiful butterfly is a true classic and one your children will ask to read again and again.  If you don’t have at least one copy of this book at home, you’re missing out!

No Matter What / Debi Gliori

A simple, relatable story of Small, a young fox who seeks reassurance that Large will always love him, no matter what, this book is hugely appealing to young children whilst bearing a profound message about the nature of unconditional love.  The notion that “love, like starlight, never dies” is a beautiful one and in fact we found this particularly helpful in explaining the death of a close family member.  A really lovely book.

Monkey Puzzle / Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

A fabulous story about a young monkey who loses his mum and the seemingly madcap efforts of a butterfly who tries to help him find her, leading him to a whole host of other jungle creatures in the process!  The monkey can’t understand why the butterfly wouldn’t know that his mum looks just like him, until the butterfly explains that her own babies don’t look like her at all!  With gorgeous, bright illustration and written in Donaldson’s trademark rhyming style, this book is sweet and funny and sure to be loved by kids and parents alike.

Time for Bed, Little Tiger / Julie Sykes

If your little ones frequently come up with a string of excuses to delay going to bed, then this is the book for you!  Little Tiger resists all his mum’s efforts to get him into bed – running off to play, asking for a drink and requesting a story – before he finally falls asleep.  With chunky flaps to lift and a short, simple story, this is a perfect bedtime book for younger toddlers.

Peace at Last / Jill Murphy

Children will love this tale of poor Mr Bear who tries in vain to find a quiet spot to get some sleep – the repetitive language and fab sound effects make it a wonderful read, while parents will have plenty of empathy with his plight!

The Gruffalo / Julia Donaldson

A modern day classic, The Gruffalo has become a firm favourite with an entire generation of children and it’s easy to see why – a romping rhyme and a classic approach to playing on a child’s fears before proving that even the scariest of monsters aren’t as awful as they seem make a winning combination.  Kids can’t get enough of this story of a quick-witted mouse who invents a terrifying creature in order to scare off predators – only to discover that the creature is very real indeed!

Hairy MacLary and Zachary Quack / Lynley Dodd

I am a complete sucker for a rhyming book and the Hairy MacLary series has it all – a romping rhyme, humour even adults will love and gorgeous illustrations!  This story tells the tale of Zachary Quack, a young duckling for whom Hairy MacLary has little time – until he falls in the river and can’t get out!  After Zachary comes to the rescue, the pair end up firm friends.  A feelgood tale you’ll want to read again and again.

Guess How Much I Love You / Sam McBratney

Another best-selling classic, this story of the Nutbrown Hares and their efforts to describe just how much they love each other is a sweet and fitting way to end the day with your child.  Kids will love to copy Little Nutbrown Hare as he stretches out his arms as wide as they can go and as high as they can reach, and the story meanders to a sleepy close as Big Nutbrown Hare settles him into bed.  Bedtime reading at its best.

Dear Zoo / Rod Campbell

Inquisitive little fingers never can resist a lift-the-flap book and Dear Zoo is one of the best; a child’s written request to the zoo for a pet results in a series of highly unsuitable animals arriving in crates, and each one os promptly sent back, except for the last one!  A sweet story that invites discussion and interaction, making it ideal for toddlers of all ages and stages.

Owl Babies / Martin Waddell

All children worry about Mummy leaving them alone, and the three baby owls in this charming story are no different.  As darkness gathers the two older babies think a lot about where their mum might be, where little Bill simply proclaims ‘I want my mummy!’.  All’s well that ends well, though, and Mummy Owl returns to her three babies excitedly bouncing and flapping on their branch.  The gentle sing-song flow of this book makes it absolutely perfect for bedtime.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt / Michael Rosen

Full of rhyme, repetition and glorious onomatopoeic sounds (squelch squelch, swishy swashy), We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is the kind of book your kids will memorise by heart and love to read along with you.  The chorus ‘We’re going on a bear hunt/We’re going to catch a big one/What a beautiful day/We’re not scared’ gives the story a real sense of impetus when read aloud and the glorious climax when the whole family runs home to safety after finding a bear will delight time and again.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea / Judith Kerr

Small children love a good dose of the preposterous and it doesn’t get much crazier than a tiger who shows up unexpectedly for tea!  This tiger eats everything in the house – even drinks the taps dry so that Sophie can’t have her bath – and then disappears.  The following day Sophie and her mum are determined to be more prepared for their visitor’s huge appetite, but he never returns.  This is another classic kids’ book and one your children will ask for over and over – with the upside that you won’t mind reading it time and again.

Goodnight Moon / Margaret Wise Brown

A perfect part of the going-to-bed ritual, Goodnight Moon is a rhyming book that tells the story of a young rabbit preparing for bed.  Parents will recognise the bunny’s efforts to delay bedtime as he insists on saying goodnight to every object within sight and earshot – but as he gradually runs out of objects, the book draws to a whispered and sleepy close that’s almost guaranteed to draw yawns from even the most stubborn of bedtime procrastinators!

5 Minutes’ Peace / Jill Murphy

What busy mum couldn’t identify for poor Mrs Large, who surveys the wreckage in her home and decides it’s long past time for a bath, some breakfast and the elusive five minutes’ peace.  After repeated interruptions from her three children, Mrs Large eventually abandons the tub and the children in it, and escapes to the messy kitchen for a brief respite!  Kids will love all the chaos in this book and will undoubtedly have a giggle at the exasperated Mrs Large – but underneath there’s a little lesson in allowing mum to have some ‘me’ time…

Where’s My Teddy? / Jez Alborough

“Eddy’s off to find his teddy – Eddy’s teddy’s name is Freddy” – this book had me at the opening line and the rest doesn’t disappoint.  Eddy ventures into the dark, horrible wood in search of his lost teddy, and is puzzled when he finds that Freddy has grown to be enormous, and much to big to fit in his bed.  Things become clear when he meets a gigantic bear who is in possession of a tiddly teddy – and neither party is brave enough to stick around after they swap back!

A Squash and a Squeeze / Julia Donaldson

Another superb offering from the author of The Gruffalo, A Squash and a Squeeze is the story of a little old woman who complains that her house is too small.  With the help of a wise old man and a host of farmyard animals, she soon realises that she’s got more space than she thought!  With a wonderful rhyme, a generous helping of humour and an important lesson in appreciating what you have, this is another absolute winner.

The Baby Who Wouldn’t go to Bed / Helen Cooper

We’ve all come up against a baby who doesn’t want to go to bed at one time or another – and this particular baby is determined that he won’t go to sleep!  He heads off in his toy car on an imaginary adventure, meeting various characters along the way and trying to persuade them to play with him – but they are all too sleepy.  Eventually the baby finds himself alone in a dreamlike world – but someone is still awake and it’s not long before the baby is convinced to go to bed after all.

Meg & Mog / Helen Nicholl & Jan Pienkowski

With charming illustrations you might even remember from your own childhood, Meg and Mog is another timeless childrens’ classic – join this pair of pals as they head off on an adventure to a Hallowe’en – where the spell they cast goes off with an unexpected bang! Plenty to discuss and just enough humour to make it appealing for parents as well as little ones.

Wobble Bear says Yellow / Ian Whybrow

Perfect for toddlers just exploring their grasp of language, parents will be able to relate to the antics of Wobble Bear as his mum tries to teach him colours.  He says ‘yellow’ to everything he sees, from the pink soap to his green pyjamas – until he finally gets it right!  The gentle rhyming text makes this a wonderful book to read together.

The Going to Bed Book / Sandra Boynton

There’s no end to the antics toddlers will try to avoid going to bed – and they’re all present in this humorous book by Sandra Boynton!  Follow a motley crew of animals aboard a boat as they go through the various stages of getting ready for bed, ending as the sea rocks them all to sleep.  Perfect for winding down at the end of a busy day.