Britain’s favourite bedtime stories revealed – with The Gruffalo crown | Books | Entertainment

Britain’s favourite bedtime stories have been revealed – and The Gruffalo has come out top. 

The much-loved monster with terrible tusks and teeth bounded ahead of The Tiger Who Came To Tea, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Paddington Bear to take first place. 

Alice in Wonderland, The Three Little Pigs and Peter Pan also featured in the top ten, proving that the classics never go out of fashion. 

Commissioned by the charity Guide Dogs, the poll also revealed how storytime is still at the heart of British homes with a quarter of parents saying they read to their children every night. 

Almost all parents and grandparents (97%) believed the ritual was a cherished moment for bonding, with 88% naming it the best part of their day. 

But the study also showed that nearly half of adults with vision impairments (43%) have felt excluded from sharing storytime with their children or grandchildren. Many have had to rely on audiobooks (68%), magnifiers (40%) and other people reading on their behalf (33%).

Guide Dog’s CustomEyes Books service is now expanding to produce large print editions for adults with vision impairments, so they can experience the joy of reading aloud to children. 

The range features more than 6,000 titles and allows readers to personalise each book – adjusting font type, size, spacing and colour to suit their individual needs – for the same recommended retail price as the standard edition

Becky, 42, from Preston, said the service has transformed her family’s evenings. Living with sight loss connected with albinism, she used to struggle to read to her two children.

“Storytime has always been a very special part of our day, it’s when we laugh, cuddle, and escape into another world together,” she said. 

“But before CustomEyes, reading to my boys was always a struggle. I used to take photos of book pages just so I could zoom in, which tainted the experience and took the joy out of it. 

“Audiobooks are great for quiet time, but there’s something so bonding about reading side by side.

“Having books we can all enjoy together has made such a difference. It means we never have to miss out on those precious moments and I can enjoy story time with my children even more.”

Kerry Bevan, head of support services at Guide Dogs said: “Bedtime stories are about more than words on a page – they’re about connection, imagination and family tradition.

“Eighty one per cent of those surveyed agreed that bedtime reading is one of the closest moments they feel to their child or grandchild throughout the day. 

“With CustomEyes now available for adults, no one with a vision impairment will have to miss out on these special moments.”

CustomEyes is accessible via a Guide Dogs membership, which is free. For more information visit https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/getting-support/help-for-children-and-families/living-independently/customeyes-books/

The UK’s Top 10 Bedtime Stories

1. ​​The Gruffalo

2. The Tiger Who Came to Tea

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

4. Paddington Bear

5. Winnie-the-Pooh

6. The Three Little Pigs

7. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

8. The Cat in the Hat

9. Alice in Wonderland

10. Peter Pan