*NOW CLOSED* What's your favourite bedtime story of all time? Do tell (and you could win a bundle of children's books worth £100) *NOW CLOSED*

[JaneMumsnet]

Hello,

This October, we'll be publishing The Book of Bedtime Stories by Mumsnet and Gransnet - a collection of ten brilliant original bedtime stories written by the winners of our bedtime stories competition with Walker Books. Watch this space - from over 400 entries, former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen selected the ten winners, and the stories are beautifully illustrated by up-and-coming artists.

To launch the book, we'll be taking a nostalgic look at bedtime stories, and we'd love to know: what's your favourite bedtime story of all time?

Maybe it's one that you read were read as a child, and now read to your children? A magical picture book for babies and toddlers or a page turner under the covers, for older kids? Take a look at our children's book reviews if you need your memory jogged.

We'd love to hear what you think, so if you have a second, please tell us your:

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds)
• favourite book for 5-8 year olds
• favourite book for 8-11 year olds
• overall favourite bedtime story of all time?

All posters who tell us about their favourite books on this thread will be entered into a prize draw - one MNer will win a bundle of children's books worth £100.

Many thanks,

MNHQ

I loved reading to my DDs and our favourites are:

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds): The Hungry Caterpillar

• favourite book for 5-8 year olds: A Necklace of Raindrops (& other stories) by Joan Aiken. The illustrations are by Jan Pienkowski and are wonderful.

• favourite book for 8-11 year olds: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

• overall favourite bedtime story of all time? Desert Station Oasis from A Necklace of Raindrops. I love this, the illustrations and the simple presents that they bring each other.

Mine is guess how much I love you, my DC are 7 & 9 now and we still.have to.read this book every night and have done for years, it still never fails to make.me teary eyed either.

Though the Naughty Little Sister series have also been very much read and loved.

I think the best pre school books my dc enjoyed were Dear Zoo, 3 little Pigs and Goldilocks.

The best 5-8 were definitely The Little Red Hen, The Gingerbread Man and Billy Goats Gruff. They enjoyed anything they could join in with.

8-11 there were a huge variety of books they enjoyed including much of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, and of course Narnia series, Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit.

My favourite book of all time has to be Pippy Long Stocking. I read as a child and read it to dd now.

The Brambly Hedge Stories by Jill Barklem. Loved them as a child, introduced my dh to them a few years ago and he loved them too. Am looking forward to reading them to my soon to be baby boy. They are exciting and adventurous, tell tales of everyday kindness in a small community, and always end with little mice being tucked up in bed sleeping soundly. I still read them when I'm having a bad day, and they have been invaluable for clearing my head during pregnancy nightmares!

Our two year old DD loves Monkey Puzzle (Julia Donaldson) too. It works well as a last bedtime story as she loves the ending and goes to sleep all happy. That and Peepo would be our favourites for under fives, although with two stories read every night there is a lot of rotation.

For 5 - 8s I remember loving the Faraway Tree books as a child so would be keen to re-read these tony children.

For over eights I remember loving the Swallows and Amazon books.

Forgot the overall book which would have to be Peepo

We love Stick Man, Peepo and Can't you Sleep Little Bear? For our two year old. As a child I loved being read the Narnia books and The Secret Garden at bedtime.

The gruffalo to all the questions.
My 8 year old still loves a bit of the gruffalo @ bedtime.

Best preschool books
Hairy McClary
Just like you

We seem to have been doing bedtime stories with the DCs for years and years...well at least 10 years. And contrary to perceived theory that surrounding your children with books and reading to/with them makes them love reading, ours don't.....;-(.

But anyway DD still has a book at bedtime. DW and I love reading the bedtime stories because it enables us to have a bit of a childhood book nostalgia-fest and read some good books from the late 20th/21st Centuries..

favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds)

For us it's got to be We're Going On A Bear Hunt....

• favourite book for 5-8 year olds

Any of the Roald Dahl stories but most favourite in our house is Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

• favourite book for 8-11 year olds

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pierce which is a nod to DW's and my childhood. The children love it too though - it's been read as a bedtime story to DS and DD and they both still love it as do we.

• overall favourite bedtime story of all time?

If it's not cheating the entire series of Harry Potter novels which we read to DS when he was younger.

Under 5 and over all: The Gruffalo.

My 18month old and I love Peepo. He loves looking through the holes in the page, and when the baby goes to bed at the end, DS always whispers "night night" to me.

The foggy foggy forest, Stick Man, The Gruffalo, Tales from Acorn Wood
By Julia Donaldson
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Walking through the Jungle by Debbie Harter
I love you, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chicester Clark
The Enormous Turnip
Rusty's Bone by Usbourne
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (abridged version from Usbourne)

We love books!

Under 5: the elves and the shoemaker
5-8: Cette nuit la, it is a French book, a house in the forest has become the shelter for birds, rabbits, mice after its owner died, whenever a potential buyer comes fir a visit, these animals make noises and humans think there is a ghost, one night, Christmas to be exact, a homeless man uses the house for shelter against Snow and wind, he is so tired that he falls asleep/faints and the noises don't make him flee, the animals are so curious that they come closer, realizing he is frozen cold, they put on a fire, prepare food and stay close to him to warm him up, he eventually wakes up and gives the kindest smile that the animals are not scared, this is a beautiful xmas story, talking about generosity and care with no father xmas, for once !
8-11: les fables de La Fontaine, French literacy but so contemporary
Overall: Lords of the Rings

There are so many books that we have enjoyed over the years it's hard to choose but here goes:
Under 5 - Owl Babies, Guess How Much I Love You and Smiley Shark.

5-8 - Magic Faraway Tree Books, The Jolly Postman and Secret Seven Books

8+ - DS is 9 and so far we have loved The Railway Children, The 5 Children and It and Jacqueline Wilson's The 4 Children and It. Currently enjoying the Malory Towers Series.

Favourite book ever for both of us is - The Night Before Christmas!

My overall favourite is 'Oh The Places You'll Go' by Dr Seuss My dd loves reading it when she has had a tough day at school and the first lines are brilliant.
'You have brains in your head,
You have feet in your shoes,
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.'

We also love 'No bot. The Robot With No Bottom' just because it always makes us laugh.

I don't know how many times we had to do the 'baby yoga' book at bedtime...

Under 5s - What the ladybird heard by Julia Donaldson (especially if you do silly animal noises).
5-8s - probably something by Roald Dahl, picking one it would have to be Matilda (obviously not strictly speaking a bed time story).
8-11 - probably can't beat Harry Potter for this age group (also not a bed time story).

And overall... That's just too much to ask, I couldn't possibly pick a favourite!

Am going to look into the Dr Seuss one a precious poster mentioned, sounds right up our street!

Definitely 'Alfie lends a hand' both from my own childhood and now reading to dd. it's probably in the preschool category but I think older child still like the tale.

It's by Shirley Hughes

Too many to choose really, I love all the julia donaldson, mick inkpen, shirley hughes ones at the minute (ds is nearly 3). Also really love the Snorgh and the Sailor.

If I have to pick a favourite:
Under 5's -where the wild things are (maurice sendak)
5-8 - something by roald dahl, probably matilda
8-11 - I loved Heidi at this age I think

Overall favourite : where the wild things are

For littlies, i love Bear Hunt, Click Clack Moo, Hairy Maclary, Stick Man, Gruffalo and Room On The Broom.

For slightly older, the Happy Families stories are fab. Also Charlie and Lola, and Dr Seuss. These are all brilliant stories once they are reading.

For independent readers, Harry Potter is a favourite here. Also loving the Moomins at the moment.

No all time favourite here, I'm afraid. Lots of favourites instead!

Under 5's- a collection of Mick Inkpen stories. DS(now 10.5) always like Lullabyhullaballoo, whilst DD1 (7 on Friday) liked Billy's Beetle. DD2 still likes The Very Hungry Caterpillar, she's nearly 3.

5-8's DD1's favourite Hairy Maclary stories, and currently 'The Magic Finger' by Roal Dahl (end of term pressie from school Ds (not so keen on stories at bedtime at that age), used to like Horrid Henry, and anything Roald Dahl, especially the Twits. He usually reads to himself now- especially Mr Gum books and anything by Michael Morpurgo(not really bedtime books, though).

8-11-For me, Noel Streatfield's 'Ballet Shoes' which I read til it fell to bits. At that age I used to read 'Charlotte's Web' every night to my younger sister.

And thank you for the 'necklace of Raindrops' reminder above. Beautiful book, used to get it from the school library a lot when I was 7/8. Agree the silhouette drawings are gorgeous.

My favourite bedtime story as a child was Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree.
It was full of bizarre characters, different worlds and adventures!!

My favourite to read with toddler dd is Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo in Scots. It rolls off the tongue and we both think its very funny.