*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

[HazelDormouse]

Under 5 - Cuddlebear by Claire Freedman
The Little Engine that could by Watty Piper

5 - 8 Years - My naughty little sister by Dorothy Edwards
The Adventures of Mrs Pepperpot by Alf Proysen

8-11 Years - The Borrowers - Mary Norton
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell

[wheretoyougonow]

5-8 year old has to be George's Marvellous Medicine. I think it might be because my husband does the most fantastic voice for Grandma!
8-11 year old is Harry Potter, especially the earlier books.

[babsmam]

Older kids and my favourite as a chil are Enid blyton

The very hungry caterpillar for the little one

[Simbolic]

Under Fives
"Go To Sleep Sheep" by Julie Sykes & Melanie Wilkinson.
After reading it nearly every night for a couple of years (now on second copy as it has been loved so much)
You've got kisses goodnight, counting down from 5, pop ups, sighing, yawning, whispering & shouting all in a story that takes less than 5 minutes to read.
Both my son & I are now unable to read this book without yawning on the appropriate page, even if we read it in the middle of the day.
You even get a little cardboard sheep to tuck into bed on the last page!

[KMG1971]

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds) - Bringing Down the Moon by Jonathan Emmett
  
• favourite book for 5-8 year olds - Clockwork by Philip Pullman
  
• favourite book for 8-11 year olds - The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
  
• overall favourite bedtime story of all time - Kiss Goodnight Sam by Amy Hest

[choccyp1g]

[Tuppenyrice]

Peepo!!

[stripeysock]

Mmm
Under 5s - to the beach- Thomas Docherty. Magical illustration .
5-8 my naughty little sister was a hit with me and my daughter but
I can't wait to introduce her to "the Bullerby Children" by Astrid Lindgren-8-11 I read it so much I word the words out!

[NumTumDeDum]

For under 5's I loved reading Each Peach Pear Plum to my daughter.
5-8 my favourite would be The Magic Faraway Tree, by Enid Blyton.
8-11 is a very little known one called The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater. Amazing story. I remember reading it as child.

My all time favourite book though is the 101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith.

[Nerfmother]

Asked the dcs;
8 year old - dinosaur roar
5 year old - burglar bill and monster and frog
10 year old - monster and frog mind the baby
14 year old - bills bucket

I love the monster and frog books, and burglar bill is fantastic for doing silly accents etc.

[stickortwist]

Under 5's i vote owl babies. My boys say snail and the whale.
5-8's any roald dahl... The witches possibly but a bit scary for 5 yr olds
Older ones ds1 says percy jackson.

[grew]

Under 5
Bears big bottom - always good fun and guaranteed giggles before bed.

[MummyBeerest]

Under 5s-On the Night You Were Born
5-8-Love You Forever
8-11-The Little Prince

Overall-Go the Fuck to Sleep
*though I doubt I'll read it to DD post infancy

[scoobydooagain]

My 4 yr old loves Cautionary Tale Jim - got to say like it myself, he tends to enjoy the more gory tales!

[Pascha]

My favourite childhood book was The Flying Postman which you can now buy for approx £80 on Amazon . Bet my dad wouldn't have been so quick to get rid of it when I grew out of it if he could see the future.

Anyway.

My favourite bedtime book to read my 2.11 yr old and 7 month old is Goodnight Moon. DS1 is very fickle. Today its Stick Man, yesterday it was Postman Pat. Tomorrow - who knows?

DS2 likes an extortionately expensive cloth book called Are You My Mummy? which is a searing tale of how Puppy asks all the farmyard animals the immortal question in the title, and gets told No, my kittens/chicks/piglets are furry/fluffy/muddy until finally he meets his mother, who is a dog, obviously. The last line - "Mummy! says Puppy" "Puppy! says Mummy" is tearjerkingly emotional. DH paid the princely sum of £11.99 for this rollercoaster of a book when DS2 was days old, which only goes to prove that new fathers brains turn to mush as well as new mothers

As for books for older kids, dunno. I liked The Faraway Tree and Kidnapped when I was young.

[GCD]

Ditto to all!
Personally I love the Suzy Sue books, Atchoo, Where's my Potty and A bed of my own all by Mij Kelly...they read so well, make me smile and teach manners and what's what perfectly

[Noseynoonoo]

Under 5's - If Big Can, I Can

This is -my-- my son's favourite book. Initially I read it, then my son started to join in. The message is great, it has a great rhythm and we can say the ending 'together'. Love.It.

[elah11]

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds) Guess How Much I Love You
  
• favourite book for 5-8 year olds The Enchanted Wood/Faraway Tree
  
• favourite book for 8-11 year olds The Secret Garden
  
• overall favourite bedtime story of all time? Has to be Guess How Much I Love you, it brings a tear to my eye every time sob

[Oblomov]

Under 5: I like it when.

[goodjambadjar]

I like "Where's My Cow" by Terry Pratchett. I found DD in bed looking through it this morning. She's 2 next month, my heart swelled with pride!

[Patchouli]

under 5s: Bringing Down the Moon
5-8 year olds: Faraway Tree
8-11 year olds: Narnia

• overall favourite bedtime story of all time Oscar Wilde's Happy Prince

[MakeTeaNotWar]

Our favourite is I Took The Moon For a Walk by Carolyn Curtis. DD recites it off by heart and the illustrations are gorgeous

[mercibucket]

under 5: where the wild things are
5-8: chronicles of narnia, fave one is probably the silver chair
overall fave: the hobbit

[IceNoSlice]

Under 5 - favourites are:
That's not my dragon/monster/dinosaur/pirate
Stick Man - Julia Donaldson
Postman Bear - Julia Donaldson
Each Peach Pear Plum
Beatrix potter
Velveteen rabbit

5-8
Brambly hedge (I loved these as a child, the illustrations are so beautiful)
Roald Dahl, especially the BFG or Matilda

8+
Charlotte's web
Colin Dann series of animal stories
Harry Potter
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy

Overall
Brambly Hedge series