We’ve put together a list of our favorite audiobooks for kids that you’ll find on audible. many of these have even been narrated by the authors themselves – who better to tell a story than the person who wrote it? others have been read by actors and other high-profile figures. Read on for our pick of the best audiobooks for kids on Audible, from Roald Dahl to Rudyard Kipling.
For adult titles, you can also check out our articles on the best Audible audiobooks and the best free Audible podcasts.
You are reading: Best kids audio books
30 of the best audiobooks for children
From Roald Dahl to Philip Pullman and Beatrix Potter to David Walliams, there’s a story for every child or young adult. This is our selection of the best audio books for children.
1. restless girls
by: jessie burton
narrated by: thandie newton
duration: 2 hours and 33 minutes
Read by actress Thandie Newton, this feminist retelling of a well-known fairy tale follows twelve princesses, whose mother is killed in a car accident and has far-reaching consequences when their father, King Albert, attempts to ensure the safety of his daughters. at all costs. — costing them their freedom…
- buy the audiobook for £5.24 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
2. george’s wonderful medicine
by: roald dahl
narrated by: derek jacobi
duration: 1 hour and 35 min
narrated by acclaimed actor derek jacobi, roald dahl’s hilarious and grotesque story follows eight-year-old george who decides to teach his cranky grandmother a lesson by preparing a very special potion just for her, using everyday ingredients. of all the world. The House, with explosive and unexpected results… Dahl’s Matilda is also available on Audible, voiced by Oscar winner Kate Winslet.
- buy the audiobook for £15.25 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
3. harry potter and the philosopher’s stone
by: j.k. rowling
narrated by: stephen fry
duration: 8 hours and 44 minutes
no one reads harry potter aloud better than the beloved stephen fry. Things pick up where it all began, at 4 Privet Drive, where the obnoxious 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 little bump. left on his doorstep one night…
- buy the audiobook for £17.99 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
also available in the harry potter series:
- Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- book 5: harry potter and the order of the phoenix
- book 6: harry potter and the half blood prince
- book 7: harry potter and the deathly hallows
4. the jungle book: mowgli stories
by: rudyard kipling
Narrated by: Bill Bailey, Richard E. grant, colin salmon, tim mcinnerny, bernard cribbins, celia imrie, martin shaw
duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
This award-winning adaptation features an all-star cast that kids and adults alike will appreciate, with voices provided by Oscar nominee Richard E. grant, celia imrie and doctor who’s bernard cribbins, among others. The beloved story follows Mowgli, a young human raised by wolves deep in the jungle.
- buy the audiobook for £5.94 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
5. goodnight stories for rebellious girls 2
by: francesca cavallo, elena favilli
Narrated By: Alicia Key, Ashley Judd, Danai Gurira, Janeane Garofalo, Phillipa Soo, Esperanza Spalding, Samira Wiley, Mozhan Marnò, Rowan Blanchard
duration: 3 hours and 47 minutes
Featuring a roster of stellar storytellers including Alicia Keys and Phillipa Soo of Hamilton, this brilliant compilation is the sequel to the New York Times bestseller and takes kids through 100 inspiring stories.
- buy the audiobook for £9.62 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
6. three in a row
by: malorie blackman
narrated by: syan blake, paul checker
duration: 10 hours and 39 minutes
Malorie Blackman’s best-selling dystopian young adult novel follows Sephy, a member of the black ruling class, the ‘Crosses’, and his childhood friend Callum, a ‘zero’ and member of the white underclass who was once a slave to the crosses.
- buy the audiobook for £19.33 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
7. fantastic animals and where to find them
by: j.k. rowling, newt scamander
narrated by: eddie redmayne
duration: 1h 54min
Narrated by none other than Newt Scamander (aka Eddie Redmayne), discover the inspiration behind the hit series of Harry Potter spin-off films starring Redmayne. jk rowling presents a complete guide to magical beasts, from manticores to phoenixes to unicorns.
- buy the audiobook for £12 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
8. zog
by: julia donaldson
narrated by: imelda staunton
length: 28 minutes
If you know a child who enjoyed BBC One’s animated adaptation of Zog, why not introduce them to Julia Donaldson’s original? Harry Potter’s Imelda Staunton (played the sickly sweet and secretly evil Dolores Umbridge in the franchise) narrates. Donaldson’s best-known work, Gruffalo, is also available on Audible and is narrated again by Staunton.
- buy the audiobook for £4.37 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
9. beatrix potter: the complete tales
by: beatrix potter
narrated by: gary bond, michael hordern, rosemary leach, janet maw
duration: 5 hours and 51 minutes
peter rabbit, jemima puddle-duck, the flopsy bunnies, mrs tiggy-winkle, squirrel nutkin, tom kitt, jeremy fisher… beatrix potter’s iconic animal characters come to life in this complete collection of her beloved children’s stories, Narrated by a variety of talented readers, including Gary Bond.
- buy the audiobook for £15.75 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
10. winnie-the-pooh: the complete bbc collection
by: a. a. milne
narrated by: alan bennett
duration: 3 hours and 42 minutes
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alan bennett narrates this compiled collection of a.a. Milne’s iconic children’s stories, which follow a honey-loving bear who frequently gets into trouble, along with his friends Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and Owl, not to mention his human friend, a boy named christopher robin.
- buy the audiobook for £15.74 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
11. the complete chronicles of narnia
by: c. yes louis
narrated by: maurice denham, full cast
duration: 15 hours and 7 minutes
The classic dramatizations of the entire Radio 4 cast are preserved here, as well-known actors such as Fiona Shaw and Timothy Spall lend their voices to bring C.S. classic lewis 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 designed for children of all ages.
- buy the audiobook for £28 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
12. how to train your dragon
by: cressida cowell
narrated by: david tennant
duration: 3 hours and 29 minutes
broadchurch and doctor, starring david tennant, who also voiced a character in the how to train your dragon movies, tells the story of hiccup horrendous haddock iii (also known as hiccup), the scrawny young viking who defy all odds to become a feared dragon trainer, ‘the dragon whisperer’, with just a little help from your secret pet dragon…
- buy the audiobook from £12.24 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
13. the ice monster
by: david walliams
Narrated By: Jane Horrocks, Miriam Margolyes, Peter Serafinowicz, Nitin Ganatra, James Goode, David Walliams
duration: 5 hours and 40 minutes
Victorian London, and news breaks of a woolly mammoth found at the North Pole. Orphaned Elsie is determined to see the ‘ice monster’ for herself, no matter what, and her journey takes her across London and into the arctic. author david walliams joins an ensemble cast.
- buy the audiobook for £7.43 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
14. the tales of beedle the bard
by: j.k. rowling
narrated by: warwick davis, noma dumezweni, jason isaacs, jude law, evanna lynch, sally mortemore, bonnie wright
duration: 1 hour and 35 minutes
This spin-off book from the Harry Potter universe consists of fairy tales for wizard children, including the story of the Deathly Hallows. The stories are narrated by stars of the films, including Evanna Lynch who played Luna Lovegood, Bonnie Wright (Ginnie Weasley), and Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy). At least 90% of the profits from this book go to the Lumos Foundation, which helps children get out of institutions around the world.
- buy the audiobook for £10.50 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
15. the worst teachers in the world
by: david walliams
narrated by: david walliams
duration: 2 hours and 51 minutes
This collection of 10 stories tells of a host of terrible teachers, from the half monster to the one scared of children. The book follows the popular World’s Worst Kids collection by beloved children’s author David Walliams and is sure to make kids laugh.
- buy the audiobook for £6.99 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
read the best david walliams books here.
16. the boy who raised dragons
by: andy pastor
narrated by: ewan goddard
duration: 3 hours and 8 minutes
Tomas finds a common tree at the bottom of his grandfather’s garden and can’t believe it when one of its fruits turns into a real-life dragon, which he names blink. Tomas is just trying to figure out how to take care of her new friend when a lot more dragons start coming out of the tree too.
- buy the audiobook for £13.12 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
17. matilda
by: roald dahl
narrated by: kate winslet
duration: 4 hours and 18 minutes
If kids haven’t read the book yet, they’re probably familiar with Matilda from the movie or even the stage play. A very smart girl with not-so-smart parents in a school run by an evil headmistress, Matilda has a lot to deal with. Fortunately, she has a friend in Miss Honey and some very special talents of her own.
- buy the audiobook for £15.75 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
18. the gruffalo
by: julia donaldson and axel scheffler
narrated by: imelda staunton
duration: 25 minutes
The beloved story of the gruffalo has become a modern classic. follows him like a mouse on a walk in the woods when he comes face to face with a large hungry gruffalo. This audio edition is read by Imelda Staunton, who children will know best as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies. At 25 minutes long, it’s not as long as most other stories, which might work better for younger children with a slightly shorter attention span.
- buy the audiobook for £3.49 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
19. northern lights: his dark materials trilogy
by: philip pullman
narrated by: philip pullman
duration: 10 hours and 45 minutes
Philip Pullman’s trilogy won the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award and his Dark Materials have since been made into a television series on BBC One. In the first book, 12-year-old Lyra goes on a rescue adventure with the help of a bear, a demon, and a witch queen. this edition is read by the author and the next two books in the series are also available as audio versions.
- buy the audiobook for £17.23
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
also available in his dark materials trilogy:
- book 2: the subtle knife
- book 3: the amber spyglass
20. the boy at the back of the class
by: onjali q. rauf
narrated by: imogen wilde
duration: 5 hours and 4 minutes
This heartwarming story follows a 9-year-old boy and his friends who discover that a new boy named Ahmet has joined their class. ahmet doesn’t speak and doesn’t like lemon sherbet, which seems very unusual. Later, learning that Ahmet is a refugee, the friends decide to hatch a plan.
- buy the audiobook for £10.49 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
21. the tiger that came to tea
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by: judith kerr
narrated by: geraldine mcewan
duration: 9 minutes
Judith Kerr’s much-loved children’s classic is available as an audiobook for bedtime listening or daytime fun. it’s another short at just nine minutes, so it’s great for younger kids. In the story, a hungry tiger arrives at the door of Sophie and her mother, just as they are about to have tea.
- buy the audiobook for £1.74 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
22. the boy in the striped pajamas
by: john boyne
narrated by: michael maloney
duration: 4 hours and 55 minutes
one of the slightly older kids and one of the best choices for lessons at school, the boy in the striped pajamas tells the story of a little german boy named bruno during the holocaust. They have moved to a strange house in the middle of nowhere, where Bruno befriends a little boy who lives on the other side of the chain link fence. Shmuel is a little boy like Bruno, except he always wears blue striped pajamas.
- buy the audiobook for £15.74 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
23. percy jackson and the lightning thief
by: rick riordan
narrated by: jesse bernstein
duration: 10 hours
percy jackson thought he was a normal kid, but it turns out he’s the son of a greek god, making him a “half-breed” with special powers. Now someone has stolen a lightning bolt from the mighty god Zeus and Percy needs to try and find it before it’s too late. This is the first in a series of Percy Jackson books that you can also listen to.
- buy the audiobook for £22.74 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
also available in the percy jackson series:
- book 2: percy jackson and the sea of monsters
- book 3: percy jackson and the titan’s curse
- book 4: percy jackson and the battle of the labyrinth
- book 5: percy jackson and the last olympic
- percy jackson and the greek heroes
24. charlie and the chocolate factory
by: roald dahl
narrated by: douglas hodge
duration: 3 hours and 17 minutes
One of the most beloved stories of Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is known around the world and has been turned and remade into Hollywood movies. Charlie Bucket and her parents don’t have a lot of money, so she imagines her luck when she finds a coveted golden ticket in one of her scarcely affordable chocolate bars. The ticket means she can visit the curious chocolate maker, Mr. willy wonka, and his fantastic factory.
- buy the audiobook for £15.75 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
25. room in the broom
by: julia donaldson and axel scheffler
narrated by: josie lorenzo
duration: 24 minutes
As a witch flies on her broomstick, she offers rides to helpful forest friends who retrieve lost items she drops along the way. then the broom breaks and the friends fall to where a hungry dragon wanders.
- buy the audiobook for £3.49 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
26. the hunger games
by: suzanne collins
narrated by: tatiana maslany
duration: 10 hours and 35 minutes
The first of the now famous trilogy, The Hunger Games is set in a world where an elite capitol is surrounded by 12 impoverished districts, each of which must offer a teenage boy as tribute. The tributes fight to the death on the live TV show, so when Katniss Everdeen hears the name of her younger sister announced for her district, she volunteers to fight in her place.
- buy the audiobook for £15.74 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
book 2: on fire
book 3: mockingjay
- For the latest news and insider tips on how to get the best deals this year, check out our black friday 2021 and cyber monday 2021 guides.
27. funny bones: the collection
by: janet ahlberg and allan ahlberg
narrated by: stephen mangan
duration: 35 minutes
This audiobook is a collection of enchanting tales of the cute skeleton friends as they go on their nocturnal adventures. the edition includes the pet store, bumps in the night and dreams of dinosaurs among other stories.
- buy the audiobook for £10.49 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
28. treasure island
by: robert louis stevenson
narrated by: sam taylor
duration: 6 hours and 44 minutes
Originally written in the 19th century, this classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson is set in a world of buccaneers and buried treasure. The adventure novel is a coming-of-age story that set the precedent for the fictional world of pirates as we know them today. above all, watch out for the infamous long john silver.
- buy the audiobook for £0.78 on amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
29. disney: 365 bedtime stories
by: Disney Press
narrated by: greg tremblay
duration: 14 hours and 35 minutes
One for every night of the year, this audio collection of 365 children’s bedtime stories should have them falling asleep in no time. Stories feature all of his favorite Disney characters, like Woody from Toy Story as he and his friends go camping, plus Elsa, Anna, and Olaf from Frozen who stay over.
- buy the audiobook for £29.92 from amazon
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
If your kids still can’t get enough of their favorite friends, the new Disney+ streaming service has all the classics available to stream instantly on any device.
30. the road rat
by: julia donaldson and axel scheffler
narrated by: imelda staunton
length: 29 minutes
Another gripping story from kids’ favorite duo Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, this story follows a mischievous rat who rides a horse and travels down the road stealing food. That is until she meets a sneaky duck.
- buy the audiobook for £4.37
- free with a 30-day trial of audible
Get rid of your headphones! Take a look at our selection of the best smart speakers to listen to these classics with your children.
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