Our favourite children's books to read aloud

The first Swiss Read Aloud Day will take place on 22 May. The Swiss Institute for Child and Youth Media SIKJM wants to use the day to emphasise the importance of reading aloud. It has been proven that children benefit enormously from being read to. They learn to read faster and have a better understanding of language. Reading (aloud) together brings people together and is fun.

From the editorial team, we present our favourite children's books for reading aloud and are also happy to receive suggestions from your bookshelf.

Nik Niethammer (son, 8, and daughter, 6, years old)

«The great story of the little captain» by Paul Biegel
The little captain and his friends Martinka, Tonne and Heini Hasenfuss sail the oceans, defy the greatest dangers and have the most daring adventures. They encounter a mysterious city on stilts, pay a visit to King Blue Crab's daughters on the seabed and capture a ghost ship with seven treasure chests on board. Along the way, they rescue six shipwrecked people and a troupe of trained circus animals, fix up a king and pass many tests of courage. In the tradition of Swift and Münchhausen, Paul Biegel, the Dutch Michael Ende, spins his sailor's yarn so masterfully in this world-famous children's book that you can't help but get excited.

Our children love it when we read aloud, they love to snuggle up in blankets and listen spellbound. Our daughter's ears always turn red with excitement.
«Hörbe with the big hat» by Ottfried Preussler
A Hutzelmann on a journey. Hörbe enjoys life and when the sun shines through the pile of brushwood into his parlour, he thinks to himself: How nice it is to be in the world!
«We children of Bullerbü» by Astrid Lindgren
When we talk about a happy childhood, we think of a Swedish village with just three farms: Bullerbü!
«Hotzenplotz the Robber» by Ottfried Preussler
The robber Hotzenplotz has stolen Grandmother's coffee grinder! Kasperl and Seppel know what to do. They have to catch him. But it's not that easy. Because when Kasperl and Seppel set a trap for him, they themselves fall into the clutches of the robber Hotzenplotz and the evil magician Petrosilius Zwackelmann.

The children know whole chapters by heart. If we ever read a sentence differently, they immediately protest. It's unbelievable how children of this age can memorise things down to the smallest detail.
«Pippi Longstocking» by Astrid Lindgren
Pippilotta Viktualia Rollgardina Pfefferminz Efraimstochter Langstrumpf, known as Pippi Longstocking for short, lives with her horse and the little monkey Mr Nilsson in Villa Kunterbunt and does what she wants. She is the strongest girl in the world and is afraid of nothing and nobody.

Pippi is the absolute favourite of our little rascals and we have read the three volumes aloud half a dozen times in total. Scenes are often acted out, we take cloths and cushions out of the cupboard, build a replica of Villa Kunterbunt around the sofa and try to walk backwards like Pipi. The younger one always insists on falling asleep upside down - with her feet on the pillow (she likes to keep her shoes on).
«The Little Ghost» by Ottfried Preussler
Due to a church tower repair, the clock stops for 12 hours and strikes midnight at noon. Time for the little ghost to get up. The sunlight turns the white night ghost into a black day ghost ...
«Always that Michel» by Astrid Lindgren
Michel, five years old and as strong as a little ox, lives on the farm Katthult in Lönneberga, a village in Smaland in southern Sweden. With his round blue eyes and light-coloured woolly hair, you could almost mistake him for an angel - when he's asleep. But when he's not asleep, he has more nonsense on his mind than any other boy in the whole of Lönneberga or the whole of Smaland or the whole of Sweden or maybe even the whole world!

Our children like stories about real people; they are less interested in talking animals and mythical creatures. Michel fits perfectly into their «real» children's world.

More information on Swiss Read Aloud Day

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Claudia Landolt (four boys aged between 6 and 14)

"Little Nick and his Pranks by René Goscinny/Sempé
My favourite children's book is a real boys' book. It's been around for a few years but hasn't lost any of its topicality. It's perfect for reading aloud - and for having another good laugh in bed at night. The stories about little Nick and his gang of boys, who find it hard to concentrate at school because real life is happening outside, are wonderfully funny and oh so true. Outside: That's the playground with the supervisor Hünerbrüh, er, Hühnerfeld, and the playground where they play football or get into fights with a «gang» from the neighbourhood. Although I've probably read the books 200 times, I still laugh my head off at the wonderfully finely described characters: there's Nick's Uncle Eugen, who tells dirty jokes that Nick isn't allowed to hear. Or the class nerd Adalbert, who can't be punched as often as you'd like because he wears glasses, and Nick's friends Georg (son of a rich family), Roland (son of a policeman, likes to be the boss) and Franz (good at punching, constantly arguing with Roland about who gets to be the boss). My favourite story is the one in which they all play cowboys in Nick's garden and at the end Nick's dad volunteers to be tied to the stake. Unfortunately, the children forget to untie him ...
«The big Urmel book» by Max Kruse
Two of my children couldn't pronounce «r» or «sch» for ages and three days. Then one day I came across the «Big Urmel Book», which is a thousand times funnier than the film «Urmel from the Ice», which you may know. So Urmel, a cross between a dragon and a dinosaur, washes ashore in an egg on the island of Titiwu. Professor Tibatong, an animal researcher, lives on the island with his foster son Tintin. Tibatong has made it his goal to teach all his animals to speak: Wawa the monitor lizard, Ping the penguin, Wutz the pig and the elephant seal can all speak - but not perfectly. They all have a very charming speech impediment - which leads to all kinds of misunderstandings in the dialogues. A small example: «Sleeping in?» asks Ping Penguin, who can't pronounce the «sh» despite practising hard, his friend Wawa. Wawa, the monitor lizard, pronounces the «z» like the «tsch» of a steam locomotive. So he replies to Ping: «I've moved, and I always sleep particularly well after a move.» When Wawa explains that he now lives in a giant clam, Ping says: «Oh, that's great, I want a giant clam too!». And so it goes on and on. A wonderful book that takes the edge off minor linguistic gripes and is also a wonderfully funny language exercise for parents. I myself found it great to spend weeks communicating with my sons like Ping Penguin: «Pfnell, we have to go!». Isn't that something, don't you think?
Jan Paul Schutten: «Evolution or the mystery of everything that lives» by Jan Paul Schutten
Charles Darwin, DNA and paramecia: No one explains the secrets of life as humorously, excitingly and simply as the Dutchman Schutten. The illustrations by Floor Rieder are also marvellous. The book is recommended for children aged eight and over, which I consider to be at the upper limit, as the theory of evolution is more for older children (or for the whole family in general, as the book can be taken out again and again over the years and it loses none of its topicality). «Evolution» was on the bestseller list in the Netherlands for 22 weeks and has been nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize 2018.
Wonderful questions with answers - because parents can't know everything, especially not to questions like: How old is the universe? And why, Mum, do I actually get goosebumps? It's good that you can look them up. After all, the important children's questions are usually asked before the first coffee.

Florian Blumer (one daughter, almost 2 years old)

«Howling Owl» by Paul Friester and Philippe Goossens
Yes, why does the little owl hoot so miserably that all the animals in the forest shudder and the mole folds its arms over its head (which our daughter did as her first ever gestural reaction to a booklet)? I won't give it away here, just this much: the story is touching and dramaturgically great (and drawn anyway).

«Nik and the whale» by Benji Davies
A wonderful father-son story and one of our favourite books (yes, ours: mine and my daughter's). See also «Reading aloud what parents and children like»): So beautifully drawn! So subtly told! So touching! So many cats!

And two classics from my childhood for older children:

«Mio mein Mio» by Astrid Lindgren
Because Astrid Lindgren is the greatest author of children's books. And, in particular, because the story is so exciting and I have never forgotten the moment when Mr Jöhri read it to us at primary school in the last lesson before the summer holidays (the villain wears an iron claw, Mio slips down a slope and can just about hold on to something) and sent us off on our big holidays with the sentence: «... it was an iron claw». I've known what a cliffhanger is ever since.

«Emil and the Detectives» by Erich Kästner
Because Erich Kästner is the greatest author of children's books (... and a great satirist too). And he coined the phrase: «Only those who grow up and remain children are human».) And, in particular, because the story is so exciting. There is also a passage here that has stayed with me to this day - because it taught me something for life. Namely, when Emil is travelling alone on the train and is a little too open-hearted and - am I remembering correctly? - a little too proudly about how much money he has with him. Whereupon it is taken from him by the neighbour in his compartment as he sleeps.

Evelin Hartmann (two daughters, 5 and 2 years old)

«Henriette's Home for Shy and Fearful Cats» by Alicia Potter and Birgitta Sif
Henriette has a big heart for cats and opens a very special animal shelter: «Henriette's Home for Shy and Fearful Cats». The demand is great; many large and small cats are handed in to Henriette. One cat flees from mice, another is afraid of birds, others cannot climb trees, refuse to purr or are simply afraid of almost everything, for example brooms. Henriette also graciously takes in stray cats. A very, very timid cat sneaks into the house. As he always hides and is the smallest of them all, Henriette calls him Crumbs.
Henriette gives the cats lessons and trains them - how to hold their tails upright, hunch over, jump and climb up and down trees. She also teaches them how to make friends and advises them to always think of something nice in order to overcome or at least endure their fears. One afternoon, Henriette sets off with two buckets to fetch more milk. But on the way back she stumbles, sprains her ankle and falls into a ditch. It gets dark ... Henriette tries to think of something nice and is terrified. Then, of all people, it is the little crumb who plucks up great courage, stands in the moonlight, holds his tail up, humps his back and asks the other cats to follow him and look for Henriette ... An enchanting book for children aged 4 and over about fears and how to deal with them constructively.
«The little king. Good night, friends» by Hedwig Munck
We all know it from the Sandman, the lively little fellow with a big crown on his head who lives in an even bigger castle - with all his animal friends. And just as funny as the short animated films are the stories that have been brought together in an anthology published by Ellermann Verlag. Anyone who manages to recite them in the voice and at the pace of the little king is the greatest. I've never managed it before.
«The little bear wants to sleep» by Caroline Nastro
Parents who love New York and haven't been there for a while - because of - or want to go again soon - with - small children should read this book about the little bear who just can't sleep. But as all the other animals are asleep in the forest, he sets off through a beautiful winter landscape to the city that never sleeps. Which one is that? Exactly: New York. Here he seeks peace and quiet on a bench on Broadway, between the many parked taxis in Times Square and in the Natural History Museum. But he doesn't find peace anywhere, of course. Nevertheless, the little bear loves the city that never sleeps, just like my older daughter loves this picture book.

Patrik Luther (two daughters, 6 and 1 year old)

«The Merry Adventures of Rösslein Hü» by Ursula M. Williams
With fond memories of my childhood, I recently read this timeless work to my daughter. I would not have been able to reproduce the content exactly beforehand, but when I saw the book cover I had a strong feeling of being thrown back to wonderful childhood moments full of security. Without claiming to transfer feelings, I naturally hope to give my daughters unforgettable memories by reading this classic to them too.
and I am very happy to immerse myself in these story worlds again.

«Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver» by Michael Ende
I also have fond memories of the adventures of little Jim. I can still feel exactly how I looked forward to immersing myself in the adventures on Lummerland every day. This story is currently on the library's to-buy list and I can hardly wait to start reading it aloud.
«My friend Conni»
Conni is a normal girl and her normal everyday life offers many exciting stories from life. Our older daughter is particularly fond of Conni. The Pixi books and picture books were already very popular with her when she was just under 3. As the child grows, Conni is available right through to her teenage years. Beautiful stories that I love to read over and over again.

«Papa Moll»
My older daughter always reads at least one or two Papa Moll books in the library. The rhymed texts to the picture sequences are horrible to read aloud and if you try to translate the whole thing live into Swiss German, the rhymes fall victim to the different languages. Olivia doesn't care much about this. She is fascinated by Papa Moll's «Fettnäpfli-Leben» and regularly laughs her head off. Reason enough for me to read books to her that are not always my personal favourites.

Bianca Fritz (nephew, 4 years old)

«Adelaide the flying kangaroo» by Tomi Ungerer
My favourite children's book is «Adelaide the Flying Kangaroo» by Tomi Ungerer - because I love kangaroos and this one is particularly adorable: because it has wings, it feels different and goes on a journey where it becomes a hero and then eventually a star in Paris. Until he longs for other kangaroos. The story is drawn with just a few strokes and yet is incredibly affectionate and when I read it to my 4-year-old nephew, he was still talking about the kangaroo that can fly days later. So I gave him the book as a present.
«Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt» and «Das kleine Ich bin Ich»
And from my childhood, I like to think back to the classics «Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt», which must have been read to me 250 times, and then to the little «Das kleine Ich bin Ich». When I look at them today, they both convey the moral of the story with a sledgehammer. Nevertheless, I liked them and it warmed my heart when I met «Das kleine Ich bin ich» again a few years ago at the Marionetten-Theater in Basel. It even looked a bit like the one I had to make in kindergarten with the instructions from the children's book. Only much prettier.

Florina Schwander (one daughter, 4, and twin boys, 2 years old)

«My Lieselotte clock book» by Alexander Steffensmaier
Lieselotte is cool, my daughter and I both think so. I love the many drawn details, and I'm always discovering new ones. The imaginative chickens make me smile every time. My daughter finds the clock exciting and the fact that Lieselotte doesn't want to have another bath in the evening. Even though she sits in the bath with brown spots on her fur.
«Alles was fährt» by Richard Scarry
I really like Richard Scarry's style and his books remind me of my childhood. My boys don't talk that much yet, but they do go «wham wham» and «toot toot». And that's how they read their books to look at: The main thing is that it creeps and flies.
"Where's Karl?"
I love books that cater for different age groups. The hidden object book «Where's Karl» does just that: my daughter is looking for Choupette, Karl's cat. I look for Karl, try to match the rest of his entourage to well-known people and amuse my husband with anecdotes from the fashion circus.
«Good night, Bern» by Dorothee Hesse
I find the constant simultaneous translation from High German into Bernese German while reading aloud tedious at times. At such times, I appreciate the «Good Night, Bern» book, which is written in two languages, dialect and written language. The little night watchman drives through Bern and says good night to the city. Incidentally, there is also a Zurich edition, which is written in Zurich German and High German.

«The Chicken Thief» by Béatrice Rodriguez
«The Chicken Thief» has no text at all and yet it still brings tears to my eyes every time I read it aloud. The story is very touching and my children are already looking forward to the follow-up stories.
«The Crows of Pearblossom» by Aldous Huxley
My daughter thinks the book is «uuu funny». She likes the mixture of brutal robbery and happy ending. The story doesn't blow me away, but this children's book is also illustrated with so much love that I enjoy the details when I'm telling the story. Incidentally, this is the only children's book by the famous «Brave New World» author Aldous Huxley.

Read more:

Reading aloud what parents and children like
Strictly speaking, there are three types of children's books. Those that children like, those that parents like and those that both like.
Reading and being read to
Listening to music, watching TV and reading books. These are the favourite media activities of children of primary school age. In fact, books have by no means lost their importance. At least for children whose parents also read.