*This post may have affiliate links to audiobooks, which have been recommended by families.*
Are you going on holiday and need a funny audiobook for kids for a road trip? Or, maybe your kids need a little help winding down at bedtime. Audiobooks are a fantastic tool in any family’s entertaiment “toolbox.” Children’s books are actually the fastest growing segment of the audiobook industry.
To that end, I asked families over on our Instagram page for the best family audiobooks they’ve listened to, plus scoured some of the Facebook groups I’m in for the oft-recommended listens. I rounded up some that we’ve loved, as well. There are many, many thousands of audiobooks for kids, so this is, of course, just the tip of the listening iceberg, but I hope it will give you a place to start!
As to where to access kids audiobooks, both free and paid, there are a number of options. You will mostly likely need an app for each service.
Where to Find Audiobooks for Kids
- Start with your library’s digital collection. Find out if they have services including Borrow Box, and Libby, which allow you to borrow audiobooks with your library membership. You can narrow your search to Children’s audiobooks.
- The ABC Listen app gives users access to some audiobooks for both children and adults. There are also a number of good podcasts.
- There are many services that allow you to buy audiobooks, either by subsription or pay per download. The market leader is Audible by Amazon, followed by Spotify, Apple, and Google Books. To support an Australian company, I suggest Booktopia, which uses the RatukenKobo app for e and audiobooks.
Family Recommended Audiobooks
Classics
Paddington Bear – The marmalade sandwich loving bear is an easy one for the whole family, evoking cheeky joy for new young listeners and comfortable nostalgia for adults. Stephen Fry’s narration of Michael Bond’s tales is completely engaging, and there are many episodes if your kids fall in love with these.
Winnie the Pooh – Another beloved bear that will evoke the warm fuzzies is A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. The loveable bear and his friends in the 100 Acre Wood are brought to life in a BBC collection by Alan Bennett.
Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales: Narrating 23 stories of Beatrix Potter’s cheeky animals is a cast of actors, introducing a new generation to Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Jemimah Puddle Duck and many more.
Aussie Gems
Storm Boy: A beautifully understated performance by Roger Cardwell does full justice to Colin Thiele’s modern Australian classic novella, Storm Boy. (If you don’t know the story, you may want to check online reviews for a content warning for sensitive younger children.)
Blueback: Tim Winton’s eco-fable about a boy and the grouper he befriends is narrated by Stig Wemyss, who is the voice of hundreds of children’s books and embues this story with an engaging storytelling quality.
Are We There Yet?: Though it may be only 20 or so minutes, Alison Lester’s picture book is the perfect one to launch off on any Aussie road trip. Genevieve Moody’s narration is gentle and accented by a soundscape that takes you all over the country.
Runt: Craig Silvey’s middle grades book may have only come out last year, but anyone who has read it will tell you it is on its way to being a new Australian classic. Narrated by Genevieve Hegney, this story about a girl and her very special dog is a perect whole family listen.
Fantastical Worlds
Harry Potter: I have been told by a sound engineer that Stephen Fry’s take on the boy wizard series is the gold standard of audiobooks. If you have a long car trip, these will definitely pass the time!
Nevermoor: Controversial, I know, but I tell everyone that I think Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor series is on its way to being even more remarkable than Harry Potter. If you haven’t discovered the magical adventures of Morrigan Crow, yet, Gemma Whelan’s performance is first-rate and the perfect way to “step boldly” into this world.
The Wizards of Once: Could there be anyone better than former Doctor Who David Tennant to introduce us to a new world? Cressida Cowell’s The Wizards of Once series is “full of Wizards, Warriors, Giants and Sprites” and has garnered scores of fans.
The Kingdoms and Empires series: Jaclyn Moriarty’s series about a group of kids in the “Kingdoms and Empires” is a firm favorite here, for its quirky situations, clever kid characters and light doses of magic. The books in the series are The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlstone (narrated by Charlie Sanderson), The Slightly Alarming Tales of the Whispering Wars (narrated by Edward Killingback, Imogen Wilde, and Sarah Ovens), The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst (narrated by Sarah Oven, Imogen Wilde, and Richard Trinder), and The Astonishing Tales of Oscar From Elsewhere (narrated by Dorje Swallow and Rebecca Norfolk). These books don’t need to be read (or listened to) in order.
Chapter (Audio)Books Everyone Can Enjoy
The Watterson series: Nat Amoore knows kids, and her books are about regular kids who do more than we adults tend to expect of them. She does this with a huge amount of humour and a diverse cast of characters. No one in the family will complain if you put these lively books on in the car. The Watterson series are about kids in the same town, but they don’t need to be read as a series. They are Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire (narrated by Shari Sebbens), The Power of Positive Pranking (narrated by Roslyn Oades), and The Right Way to Rock (narrated by Seamus Evans)
What Zola Did On…: This is a charming series of short books about Zola, a girl who lives on the multi-cultural and community oriented Boomerang Street. Zola can’t quite keep herself out of trouble, despite her best efforts, but her family and friends are always there for her. Each story is another day of the week on Boomerang Street, delightfully narrated by Pia Miranda.
The Travelling Bookshop: Travel around the world in this darling series by Katrina Nannestad, narrated by Emmanuelle Mattana. Mim, her family, and some animals magically travel from location to location in a bookshop on wheels. So far, they’ve had adventures in a Dutch village, a Greek island, Paris, and an English country town. These books are written for middle grades, but there is no worrisome content for younger listeners. They are engaging enough for adults to listen along to, as well.
The Song of Lewis Carmichael: I feel like this sensitive novel by Sofie Laguna has really been overlooked, and it’s the sort of story that translates brilliantly to audiobook. Lewis is a lonely and trepidatious boy. His obsession is learning about the North Pole. When a magical crow summons him onto a hot air balloon to the Artic, he finds himself on an adventure that will teach him how capable he really is. John Voce narrates.
Non-Fiction
Ladybird Audio Adventures: Do you have kids who can’t get enough of facts? Ladybird Audio Adventures are a series of audiobooks featuring “fearless adventurers Cassandra, Otto and Missy AKA the smartest raven in the universe” who take kids along as they learn about all manner of things, one subject per book – Ancient Egypt, dinosaurs, volcanoes, musical instruments, and a lot more.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls was a phenom that has spawned countless similar series in the seven years since its publication. Books 1 and 2 were brilliant car trip companions for us on a long trip. The stories are only one page each, so it’s a steady stream of new women to get to know. The vesion linked here features an amazing cast of famous women reading the 200 stories.
What If? Seriously Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions: This one is not specifically for children, but I saw it highly recommended in a parenting group. Parents and teachers online seem to agree that many kids love this one and that the content is suitable for kids, especially those about 8+, even if some of the science goes over their heads. It’s narrated by Wil Wheaton, so you know it’s going to be nerdy brilliance.
Funny Stuff
Nanny Piggins: R.A. Spratt comes up over and over in threads about audiobooks for families. It’s no wonder. Her books are clever as can be. Her Nanny Piggins series is about a glamourous flying pig who runs away from the circus and becomes a nanny. It goes rather as you might expect … or not! R.A. Spratt is also the author of the Friday Barnes detective series. And, Hamlet is Not OK is aimed at slightly older readers. She is one of the few authors on this list with the double whammy of talent to be able to narrate her own audiobooks, and she does so brilliantly!
Mr Bambuckles Remarkables: Tim Harris is another top name in Aussie authors that kids consistently find funny, which makes his books perfect for audiobook. His Mr Bambuckles Remarkables (narrated by Kris Dyer) series is about the adventures of Classroom 12B and their extraordinary teacher. Equally loved is his Toffle Towers series (narrated by Rupert Degas), and the extraordinary silly Exploding Endings (self-narrated) books.
The Listies Tele-Porta-Loo: Don’t leave home without The Listies! The comedy duo of Richard Higgins and Matt Kelly are the kings of making every member of the family laugh (to get a sense, read our review of their show Make Some Noise here if you don’t know them, yet). The story is ridiculous, in the best way, and they bring their performance expertise to the audiobook . There’s also a sequel, which you can have at the ready to turn on immediately after this one finishes.
I hope this helps you find your next best audiobook for your family’s road trip or a great new way for your kids to engage with books!