Check out our picks for best audiobooks for 5-year olds!
Aside from the pure fun of hearing your favorite stories read aloud, audiobooks offer another way to engage your child at their reading level and help them build critical skills like vocab, comprehension and more.
Take a look at our list of the best audiobooks for 5-year-olds below. Whether listening to a book at bedtime or on your next road trip, these picks will spark curiosity and imagination in your child and keep the whole family entertained.
Best Audiobooks for 5-Year-Olds
1. Magic Treehouse Book 1: Dinosaurs Before Dark
By Mary Pope Osborne
In this first installment of one of the best-selling chapter book series of all time, we meet siblings Jack and Annie, who discover a magical treehouse that lets them travel to different periods in history.
In Dinosaurs Before Dark, they are transported to the Cretacious period, where they encounter talking dinosaurs and all sorts of creatures from our prehistoric past while trying to make their way back home before dark.
This book kicks off the series and introduces how the magic treehouse works. As your child follows Jack and Annie’s fantastical journey, they’ll learn about dinosaurs and life themes like courage and teamwork.
Price: $4.99 on iOS and $6.00 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
2. Stuart Little
By E.B. White
This timeless classic is a shoe-in for our list of best audiobooks for 5-year-olds.
Meet Stuart Little, a shy young mouse with a big heart and a taste for adventure.
Kids will love the audio version of this classic book following Stuart as he says goodbye to his human family in New York City and treks across the country in search of his lost friend.
This is a timeless tale of a small mouse on a grand adventure, and a great reminder that heroes can come in the most unlikely forms.
While Stuart’s adventures are full of challenges and setbacks, the story is uplifting and heartwarming.
Stuart Little is a great first chapter book for kids. Bonus tip: if your child has the picture book version, they can follow the illustrations and read along with the narrator.
Price: $7.99 on iOS and $9.95 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
3. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
By Doreen Cronin
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type is a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek story about a scrappy crew of literate cows that go on strike.
When the cows at Farmer Brown’s farm discover a typewriter one day, they put it to good use and type a letter asking the farmer for electric blankets to keep them warm in the chilly barn. Farmer Brown isn’t impressed by their demands (or newfound typing skills) and responds with a firm “no.”
This Caldecott Honor Book is a hit with kids and adults, and has inspired several sequels, including Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Duck for President.
The story is funny, whimsical and perfect for a short car trip or a bedtime story.
And guess what?
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type is available on Epic!
Price: Free on Epic! with a subscription. $7.99 on iOS and $9.95 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
4. The Day You Begin
By Jacqueline Woodson
This New York TImes #1 Bestseller brings together several poignant stories about what it’s like to be different, feel left out and how to connect with others.
In one story a child is uncomfortable because teachers mispronounce his name. Another child is left out of team sports.
This book is for every child who has felt marginalized and not quite understood. It’s written in the second person, so kids listening feel like they’re being personally addressed.
The prose is lyrical yet direct, and the stories offer a way for you to broach the subject of otherness with your child. You can listen along and use the book as a springboard to talk about ways they might feel like an outsider—and if there are any kids they know who might feel the same way.
Price: $5.00
Available on Android
5. Winnie the Pooh: Volume 1
By A.A. Milne
This is the audiobook version of the original unabridged Winnie the Pooh classic.
The recording alone has won several awards, including the Audie Award, Corporation for Public Broadcasting Silver Award, Ohio State Award of Merit and Parents’ Choice Gold Award.
In these now immortalized tales by A.A. Milne, a new generation of kids can get in and out of trouble with Christopher Robin, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Eyore, Roo and Winnie the Pooh, having fun and learning important lessons about friendship along the way.
The narrator Peter Dennis offers impressive variation in character voices, and fun fact: his recording received the “official” stamp of approval from the original Christopher Robin, A.A. Milne’s son.
The audiobook includes 10 stories for you and your little one to enjoy.
Price: $9.99 on iOS and $9.95 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
6. Anna Hibiscus: Volume 1
By Atinuke
The Anna Hibiscus series is all about young Anna who lives with her extended family in Africa. In each book, Anna takes away something new about the value of family and the importance of compassion.
In the first tale of the series, Anna discovers that she has relatives who are less fortunate living outside of her immediate family’s compound and wants to share her resources, even those as essential as water.
While the book tackles tough subjects, it stresses the importance of family and extending kindness to others outside of your intimate circle.
Several of the Anna Hibiscus books take our protagonist outside of Africa to visit her grandmother in Canada. Though the location changes, the themes remain the same.
Price: $8.99
Available on Android
7. You Are My Happy
Written by journalist and morning show host Hoda Kotb, You Are My Happy is a bedtime story inspired by the author’s nightly ritual with her own child. In this tale, Mama Bear and her cub cuddle up before bed and recount the daily wonders that make them happy. While both the mama and baby bear have much to be thankful for, they are most thankful for each other.
With sweet, soothing prose, this book is written to be enjoyed by children and parents alike, as they cultivate gratitude before little ones drift off to sleep.
Price: $1.99
Available on Android
8. Dragons Love Tacos
From the creators of the hilarious hit Secret Pizza Party, comes Dragons Love Tacos, a cautionary tale about what can go wrong when you don’t listen to good advice.
When a young boy ignores a warning against feeding dragons spicy food and serves hot salsa at his party, serious mayhem ensues.
After the boy realizes his mistake (and his house is destroyed), he must work together with the dragons to rebuild. The boy shows kindness, empathy and humility when calling on his dragon friends to help him.
The narration is cheeky and direct, and guaranteed to get laughs from parents and kids of all ages. And if you love this audiobook, check out the Secret Pizza Party video on Epic! for some guilt-free screen time.
Price: $3.99 on iOS and $5.00 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
9. Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
While kids don’t get treated to the dreamlike illustrations of this classic tale from Maurice Sendak, the narration is enough to inspire their imaginations.
Adult fans of Where the Wild Things Are will remember Max, whose imagination transports him far away to a magical forest filled with wild things after he threatens to eat his mother (eek!) and she sends him to bed without supper.
Fortunately, the wild things don’t eat Max, and instead make him their king. In the end Max realizes that king or not, he still needs the love of his parents. The story teaches kids about love, family and that it’s okay to have strong feelings and still treat others with love and respect.
And as luck would have it …
Where the Wild Things Are is available on Epic!
Price: $7.99 on iOS and $9.99 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
10. Llama Llama Loves to Read
By Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan
Llama Llama Loves to Read is one of the latest in this best-selling series of audiobooks about adorable and relatable Llama Llama as he learns essential skills. It’s focus on reading makes this story an ideal choice for 5-year-olds, as well as others in the series that help kids learn other reading fundamentals like the ABCs and sounding out letters.
This audiobook breaks down the steps of reading into digestible pieces early readers can understand and gets them excited about discovering the basics.
Price: $3.99 on iOS and $5.00 in the Google Play Store
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
11. Crictor
By Tomi Ungerer
When Madame Bodot gets a boa constrictor in the mail, she names him Crictor and invites him to join her household. Soon the family embraces Crictor as one of their own.
Between shaping his body into letters and numbers to teach the kids to read and count and chasing away burglars, he quickly becomes a welcome addition to the family and a town hero.
Told with charm and dry humor, this heartwarming tale teaches kids that while newcomers can be scary, they can surprise you in delightful ways if you take the time to get to know them.
You can read Crictor on Epic!
Age Range: 4+
Price: Free on Epic! with a subscription. $9.95 in the Google Play Store.
Available on Android
12. Clifford the Big Red Dog
By Norman Bridwell
Emily Elizabeth has a very unusual pet. Her dog, Clifford, is not only the biggest dog on the block—he’s a giant. Parents in their 30s and 40s will likely recognize Clifford and the silly humor, and delight in sharing the familiar stories with their own kids.
The lessons still ring true since this first installment was written in the 1960s, and your child will laugh out loud at Clifford’s bumbling antics
You can read Clifford the Big Red Dog on Epic!
Age Range: 4+
Price: Free on Epic! with a subscription. $5.99 in the Google Play Store. Available on Android
13. The Cat in the Hat
By Dr. Seuss
The Cat in the Hat is a timeless classic that appeals to both kids and adults. Kids will love the zany rhymes and nonsensical word play while adults will feel nostalgic over the familiar characters.
If you aren’t familiar with the story, The Cat in the Hat is about a life-sized cat that can’t seem to help waltzing into seemingly mundane situations and turning them upside down.
The cat wildly misbehaves as main characters Dick and Sally try to keep things under control. Through the cat’s erratic behavior, parents can use the book as a tool to help illustrate to their kids the importance of order and rules.
The narrator of this audiobook version does a fantastic job of bringing Dr. Seuss’s beloved lyrics to life.
To learn more about Dr. Seuss, check out this edition of the Amazing Authors series on Epic!.
Age Range: 4+
Price: $1.99
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
14. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
By Mo Willems
This hilarious audiobook starts off giving kids one job: don’t, under any circumstance let the pigeon drive the bus! The pigeon then does everything in his power to try to get the listener to allow him to drive.
Brilliant in its simplicity, this book teaches kids the importance of following rules and not letting others sway them from doing what they know is right.
The prose will inspire more than a few giggles and kids can learn a valuable lesson from the pigeon and the driver.
When they’re finished with the audiobook, be sure to check out picture book versions of this and the pigeon’s other adventures, including Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! and The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!.
Age Range: 2+
Price: $7.99
Available on iPhone or iPad
15. Frog and Toad Are Friends
By Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad Are Friends is a book of five short heartwarming stories about a frog and toad who navigate the ups and downs of friendship.
The first story begins with Frog explaining to Toad that winter has ended before the two hop outside to start their adventures. Young readers will enjoy the tender friendship between the two amphibians and quickly become immersed in the endearing stories, each of which stresses the importance of friendship and caring.
Frog and Toad Are Friends is a great way to instill the values of friendship in your child. Bonus: because of the short story format, it’s the perfect way to keep kids occupied on car rides both long and short.
You can get “Frog and Toad Are Friends” on Epic!
Age Range: 4+
Price: Free on Epic! with a subscription. $2.99 on iOS and Android.
Available on iPhone or iPad or Android
16. Pinkalicious
By Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann
Pinkalicious Pinkerton loves the color pink. So much so that she dresses all in pink and eats too many pink cupcakes, until one morning she wakes up pink herself!
After this debacle, her mother takes her to the doctor who recommends a diet of green veggies to counteract the color-changing effects of the pink sweets.
Instead of following the doctor’s orders, Pinkalicious keeps eating cupcakes. After turning a deep shade of red, she can no longer avoid a strict diet of green vegetables to restore her color.
This New York Times bestseller is a fun way to teach kids the meaning of consequences and overindulgence and that it’s just fine to be yourself.
If your child loves this book, they might also love the sequels it’s inspired: Purplicious, Goldilicious, Silverlicious, Emeraldalicious and Aqualicious!
Age Range: 4+
Price: $1.99
Available on iPhone or iPad
17. Interrupting Chicken
By David Ezra Stein
Last on our list of audiobooks for 5-year-olds is the hilarious yet instructive “Interrupting Chicken.” This Caldecott Medal Honor book winner is about a young chicken who continually interrupts her father as he’s trying to read a bedtime story.
Hilarity ensues as the interrupting chicken jumps (uninvited) into the stories of Chicken Little, Little Red Riding Hood and other fairy tales that her father is trying to read to her.
This story is a fun, non-preachy way for parents to teach their kids about etiquette. A great conversation starter would be asking your child why it’s so important to allow others to speak without interrupting.
Age Range: 4+
Price: $7.99
Available on Android
We hope you and your child enjoyed our list of audiobooks for 5-year-olds! When you’re ready for more, check out our selection of high-quality, popular fun and learning audiobooks for 5-year olds in our digital library.
If you like these audiobook recommendations, check out our list of best educational apps for 5-year-olds!
