Let Me Tell You a Story

December 02, 2025

As anyone who has shared one of their own favourite books with a child knows, reading out loud – and being read to – are some of life’s great pleasures. So why is bringing a book to life so magical?

It starts with a snigger. Then, a few pages on, an almighty snort. By the time Paddington begins his perilous descent down the escalator, a suitcase full of bacon and the neighbourhood dogs in pursuit, uncontrollable uproarious laughter is emanating… from under the bedclothes.

Writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare is clear: being read to is a near-magical experience. ‘Nearly all of my memories of my parents revolve around books,’ he says. ‘Me reading with my mum while my dad read to my brother, then my dad reading to me... they were the best moments of the day.’ After his parents separated, Horatio’s father would take his sons on regular boating holidays, reading to them each night after they’d cleaned their teeth – a job he took seriously and seemed to delight in as much as his children. ‘When he was reading E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web there were peals of laughter,’ says Horatio. ‘Or Russell Hoban’s The Mouse and His Child – that was probably a life-changing book for my brother and me, thanks to my father’s rendition.’

Illustrator Sara Ogilvie has equally vivid memories of being read to – and reading becoming a shared family activity. ‘Choosing a book and then the anticipation waiting for the cover to be opened sticks with me,’ she says. ‘I remember one particular family holiday where I devoured The Folk of the Faraway Tree. I loved it so much I made my dad read it and then created an elaborate Q&A test for him to complete afterwards. Luckily, he passed!’

Of course, reading with children isn’t just about the kids – it’s a joyous activity for adults, too. ‘It’s a great way to suspend concerns and distractions,’ says Sara. ‘It’s a pocket of time where you can step outside of yourself and focus on discovering another world, together.’

Jonathan Burton, who illustrated the Folio books of Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree and The Folk of the Faraway Tree, has few memories of being read to as a child (‘we were a family of four tearaway boys and I don’t think my parents found the time’) – but discovered how profound the experience could be when he became a father himself. ‘I have such sweet memories of reading to my children when they were young,’ he says. ‘It’s the warmth and closeness I remember, with a tiny head on my shoulder and us both looking and pointing to things in the illustrations as I read the story.’

In fact, introducing children to stories that you loved as a child is one of life’s great pleasures. Jonathan remembers the joy of sharing his favourite picture books, including Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. ‘We have the version where the tiger stripes are printed in a velvet texture, which the kids loved,’ he says. ‘I also love the illustrations of Angela Barrett and as my children grew a little older, I read them her versions of Beauty and the Beast and Snow White.’

Sara says she likes to share books where text and illustrations are perfectly matched. ‘For reading out loud to very young children the best books tend to trip off your tongue,’ she says. ‘Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg is a perfect example. The illustrations and text work seamlessly together. I loved Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown as a child. And anything by Raymond Briggs is a winner.’

Reading to children offers the chance to rediscover classic stories – something Sophia Schoepfer, Folio’s Fiction Editor, has now had the chance to do in her day job. Publishing a new illustrated edition of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren and illustrated by – naturally – Sara Ogilvie, has given her a chance to be charmed all over again. ‘Approaching it again as an adult, it’s still such a brilliant read – I admire this girl who shirks authority, is true to herself and with a quirky personality that she’s incredibly proud of. It has these brilliant messages concentrated down into the purest form. It is a joy to encounter storytelling like that again, that is so straightforward and earnest.’

Horatio agrees. ‘Children’s books are the purest form of literature,’ he says. ‘All the nonsense is cut away. It’s not about excess words. It’s about excess emotion.’ Indeed, Folio’s selection of beautifully illustrated children’s classics are all about sparking ‘excess emotion’ in young readers – and older ones too. ‘Oftentimes we’re creating books with the idea of adults reading aloud to children in mind,’ says Sophia. That starts with the design – for example, making A Bear Called Paddington a large format edition. ‘We wanted it to be large enough so that when you sit down to read this book to a child, you can both enjoy it. It’s genuinely big enough to share.’

Imaginative touches make the books tactile and a joy for both adults and children to pore over. ‘Many of our children’s books have wonderful interactive elements,’ says Sophia. Pippi Longstocking has a die-cut slipcase that creates the illusion of Pippi peeking out through the window of her house. We have an edition of The Night Before Christmas with a glow-in-the-dark slipcase. As a kid, I loved all those playful details. It makes everything more immersive.’

Then, of course, there are the beautiful pictures – perhaps the most vital element as far as children themselves are concerned. Alongside Pippi Longstocking, Sara has also illustrated Folio editions of The Hundred and One Dalmatians and Mary Poppins. ‘Her illustrations are just so endearing, colourful and lovely,’ says Sophia.

Sara says she sometimes reads a story aloud when illustrating, particularly for stories for younger children. ‘I need to fully digest a story to effectively bring it to life,’ she says. For longer texts, she thinks carefully about visually pulling out the right scenes and moments of action to work alongside the words.

‘The covers and slipcases play a big part in setting the scene and tone of the title and give an opportunity to really play with the design and excite the reader.’ Jonathan says he keeps the experience of sharing a story in mind. ‘I’m always trying to take into account how our eyes travel across an image and what we pay attention to – all the tiny details a child will notice whilst also listening to the story.’

Does he have any advice for reading out loud? ‘Choose a book you love too. We adults need to be engaged in the story so that the child will feel it in the telling.’ For readers with a touch of stage fright, Sara suggests treating it as a performance. ‘Jump into that grizzled old pirate voice or high-pitched tiny mouse voice,’ she says. ‘Add your own flavour.’

As Horatio says, this is no time for self-consciousness. ‘Lean into it. That’s what your children are waiting for. At least for the first 20 minutes, then you can go monotone and quieter as they fall asleep.’ Though even when they are in the land of nod, you may be too engrossed to stop.

Illustrations:
Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking by Sara Ogilvie
Michael Bond's A Bear Called Paddington by Peggy Fortnum
Enid Blyton's The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Jonathan Burton

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