Feminist fairytales, dystopian thrillers, and classics like Winne-the-Pooh… If you’re on the hunt for children’s audiobooks, look no further. From Roald Dahl to Harry Potter, and Beatrix Potter to David Walliams, there’s a story for every child.
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The Restless Girls
By: Jessie Burton
Narrated by: Thandie Newton
Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
Read by actress Thandie Newton, this feminist retelling of a well-known fairytale follows twelve princesses, whose mother’s death in a car accident has far reaching consequences when their father, King Alberto, attempts to ensure his daughters’ safety at all costs — costing them their freedom…
George’s Marvellous Medicine
By: Roald Dahl
Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
Narrated by the acclaimed actor Derek Jacobi, Roald Dahl’s hilarious and grizzly tale follows eight-year-old George, who decides to teach his grouchy grandmother a lesson by brewing up a very special potion just for her, using everyday ingredients from around the house — with explosive and unexpected results… Dahl’s Matilda is also available on Audible, and is voiced by Oscar-winner Kate Winslet.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Stephen Fry
Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
No one reads Harry Potter aloud better than the beloved Stephen Fry. Kick things off where it all began, at Number 4 Privet Drive, where the odious Dursleys have a sneaking suspicion that their rather unusual (or, more accurately, magical) connections are about to catch up with them — but nothing can prepare them for the small bundle left on their doorstep one night…
The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories
By: Rudyard Kipling
Narrated by: Bill Bailey, Richard E. Grant, Colin Salmon, Tim McInnerny, Bernard Cribbins, Celia Imrie, Martin Shaw
Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
This award-winning adaptation features an all-star cast that kids and adults alike will appreciate, with voices lent by Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant, Celia Imrie and Doctor Who’s Bernard Cribbins, among others. The beloved tale follows Mowgli, a young human boy raised by wolves in the depths of the jungle.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2
By: Francesca Cavallo, Elena Favilli
Narrated by: Alicia Keys, Ashley Judd, Danai Gurira, Janeane Garofalo, Phillipa Soo, Esperanza Spalding, Samira Wiley, Mozhan Marnò, Rowan Blanchard
Length: 3 hrs and 47 mins
With the all-star slate of narrators including the Alicia Keys and Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo, this brilliant compilation is the sequel to the New York Times bestseller, and takes kids through 100 empowering stories.
Noughts and Crosses
By: Malorie Blackman
Narrated by: Syan Blake, Paul Chequer
Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
Ahead of BBC1’s TV adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s bestselling dystopian young adult novel, listen here to the original, which follows Sephy, a member of the ruling black class, the ‘Crosses’, and her childhood friend Callum, a ‘Nought’ and member of the white underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
By: J.K. Rowling, Newt Scamander
Narrated by: Eddie Redmayne
Length: 1 hr and 54 mins
Narrated by none other than Newt Scamander (aka Eddie Redmayne) himself, discover the inspiration behind the hit Harry Potter spinoff film series, starring Redmayne. JK Rowling presents a complete guide to magical beasts, from manticores to phoenixes and unicorns.
If you know a child who enjoyed this year’s BBC1 animated adaptation of Zog, why not introduce them to Julia Donaldson’s original? Harry Potter’s Imelda Staunton (she played the sickly-sweet and secretly evil Dolores Umbridge in the franchise) narrates. Donaldson’s best-known work, The Gruffalo, is also available on Audible, and is narrated again by Staunton.
By: Beatrix Potter
Narrated by: Gary Bond, Michael Hordern, Rosemary Leach, Janet Maw
Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, The Flopsy Bunnies, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Squirrel Nutkin, Tom Kitten, Jeremy Fisher… Beatrix Potter’s iconic animal characters are brought to life in this complete collection of her beloved children’s tales, narrated by a range of talented readers, including Gary Bond.
Winnie-the-Pooh: The Complete BBC collection
By: A. A. Milne
Narrated by: Alan Bennett
Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
Alan Bennett narrates this compiled collection of A.A. Milne’s iconic children’s stories, following a bear with a taste for honey and who frequently gets himself into scrapes, along with his friends Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and Owl — and not to mention their human friend, a boy called Christopher Robin.
Northern Lights: His Dark Materials Trilogy, Book 1
By: Philip Pullman
Narrated by: Philip Pullman
Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
Philip Pullman narrates the first instalment of his His Dark Materials trilogy, which is currently being adapted for the small screen by the BBC/Netflix and is set to star James McAvoy and Ruth Wilson. Lyra is a young girl living in a parallel universe, where everyone’s soul takes the shape of an animal. When a friend of Lyra’s goes missing, she will stop at nothing to find him…
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
By: C. S. Lewis
Narrated by: Maurice Denham, Full Cast
Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
Radio 4’s classic full-cast dramatisations are preserved here, as well-known actors including Fiona Shaw and Timothy Spall lend their voices to bring C.S. Lewis’ classic books to life. From The Magician’s Nephew to Prince Caspian and, of course, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the collection is perfectly rendered for kids of all ages.
How to Train Your Dragon
By: Cressida Cowell
Narrated by: David Tennant
Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
Broadchurch and Doctor Who star David Tennant tells the story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (otherwise known as Hiccup), the scrawny young Viking who defies all odds to become a feared dragon-trainer, ‘The Dragon Whisperer’ — with just a little help from his secret pet dragon…
The Ice Monster
By: David Walliams
Narrated by: Jane Horrocks, Miriam Margolyes, Peter Serafinowicz, Nitin Ganatra, James Goode, David Walliams
Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
Victorian London, and news arrives of a woolly mammoth found at the North Pole. Orphan Elsie is determined to see the ‘ice monster’ for herself, no matter what, and her journey takes her across London and all the way to the Arctic. Author David Walliams is joined by an ensemble cast.
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from Radio Times http://bit.ly/2VWM36X
