Christmas is that time of the year, when you gift small presents to friends and family. Books they say are man’s best friend. So, why not gift your child a hobby he will love and nourish for years to come. Introduce your kids to book through these short stories that are easy to read and fabulous to read aloud.
Entertaining children with stories could never be more fulfilling–whether you see them wide-eyed, smiling from ear to ear, or have their eyes shut with fear. Reading to story to young kids, not only helps them improve their language skills by increasing their vocabulary of words, but also boosts their creativity and is an uber cool way to spend some quality time with them. Given the hectic schedules we live, story time can be a great way to unwind and relax with your child after a long day at work. However, it is also important to pick the right books for kids that are appropriate to their age. And, what better time to gift your child his first set of books thank Christmas?
Here are 31 stories of different genres that are sure to delight your little ones:
31 Short Stories for Kids
Classics
1. Rip Van Winkle
A village boy, Rip Van Winkle, went to sleep and woke up only after 21 years when he grew old and bearded and his friends had died. However, his mother recognizes him and all’s well with him.
2. Pied Piper of Hamelin
The Pied Piper was a rat-catcher in the town of Hamelin, Germany. Dressed in multi-coloured clothing, he lured rats away from the town with his musical notes on the pipe. He leads the procession of rats into the sea in which they drown, thereby ridding the town of rats.
3. The Little Mermaid
A fairy tale written by the legendary author Hans Christian Andersen tells the story of a mermaid who wants to give up her life in the waters and her mermaid identity to become a human being.
4. Cinderella
This tale is of justice being given out to Cinderella, the step-daughter of a wicked woman who is chosen by the Prince as his wife.
5. Red Riding Hood
This is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf.
6. Rapunzel
Rapunzel is an old folk tale about a young lady with 70 feet of strong blond hair. She is imprisoned in a tower where the most-wanted bandit of the area is also captured. She desperately wants to get out of the tower, so makes a deal with the bandit and they begin an exciting adventure together.
Ghost stories
7. The Bay Window
The Bay Window is a frightening story of a little girl who sees something that scares her one snowy evening when she’s all alone at home.
8. First Day Of School
This is the story of a boy who goes to a new school in a new town but finds it extremely difficult to find his classroom.
9. The Wishing Well
This is the spooky story of a group of boy scouts who go camping near a haunted field.
Stories with morals
10. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a story about a boy who wrongly accuses a wolf of getting at his flock of sheep. One day, the wolf really comes for his sheep, but no one in his village believes him, so they don’t help him either. The moral of this story is that one must always be honest.
11. The Lion and the Rabbit
Just right for older kids, this story is about a lion who eats all the forest animals mercilessly. The ones that remain are all in dread of him. So, when it’s the rabbit’s turn to be eaten, he decides to make a fool of the lion and despite his small size, he succeeds. The moral: It’s more important to be smart rather than strong.
12. The Man and the Little Cat
In this charming story, a man tries desperately to rescue a cat. However, the cat, not knowing his good intentions, scratches him several times. From this story, children learn the value of being kind to animals, patient and to persevere with their efforts until they get the results they seek.
13. The Selfish Horse
Here’s a selfish horse that doesn’t want to help anyone, not even a donkey. If he did, he could have palmed off some of his work on to the donkey. So, at the end of the story, we find the horse slogging hard all by himself. Moral of the story: Help others without seeking any rewards.
14. Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
This story teaches kids an important lesson: not to judge a book by its cover. The story here is of an apparent poor couple who travel up to Harvard to present a memorial to the school.
15. Hard Work Always Pays
In Hard Work Always Pays, kids learn the place of hard work in life. Here, a man draws water from a well using a basket. But what he gets is mind-boggling–a bunch of gold coins!!
16. The Honest Wood Cutter
The Honest Wood Cutter is the story of a woodcutter who loses his axe, but refuses to steal another’s axe. From this, kids learn that it’s better to be honest as this often brings a reward with it.
Halloween stories
17. The Hairy Toe
This Halloween story has an old woman as its central character. For a strange reason, she eats a hairy toe that she finds in the forest behind her cottage. But who’s the owner of that toe? This story is so full of fantasy that kids will love it.
18. In a Dark, Dark House
This is a very easy story to read aloud. It makes used of repetition. The frightening part of the story comes at the end of the story.
19. White Dog
If you’re a dog-loving family, your kids are going to love this story. Even with a Halloween backdrop, this story about a loyal dog and an adventurous boy is a sure runaway hit.
20. Old Jack
How can a lonely pumpkin help a lonely old man bring to his house trick-or-treaters on Halloween day?
21. Moonlight: The Halloween Cat
This book is just the warm and gentle kind of book to read to your kid around Halloween. Moonlight the cat has a favourite night and that’s Halloween night. Read how he enjoys taking a walk around his neighborhood, watching the kids in costume and seeing the glowing jack-o-lanterns.
Animal stories
22. The Cat’s Elopement
This Japanese story is all about two cats, Gon and Koma. They fall in love and elope. During their period of separation, they meet a ferocious dog. Gon defends and pets the princess. But he still wants to meet his true love all over again?
23. The Elephant’s Child:This is a story from the Just So Stories collection, written by Rudyard Kipling.It tells kids a story of how the elephant in Africa got its trunk.
24. Kissa the Cat
A princess is rescued by a magical Danish cat. But “kissa” in Russian means pussycat. There’s also a scary giant that adds the thrills to this story.
25. Puss in Boots
This cat is one of the most cunning ever, particularly among all fairy tales. So, he’s much more than just a fluffy coat. He uses his claws to enrich his master.
26. Astropup Part Two
Kids move out of planet Earth and read a story of the planet of the cats. Three animals explore a faraway spot that they have come to in a spaceship. Who rules this new place?
27. The Girl Who Missed Christmas
There’s a little girl Natalie to whom Christmas means a lot. It’s something she just can’t miss. But she does, all because something terrible happens. What exactly happens? Read this book to find out.
28. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This story by Eric Carle is about a caterpillar that comes out of its egg and eats whatever he can see. He then begins to grow and he’s no longer small. By showing kids the life cycle of the caterpillar, they learn the interplay of science and gastronomy and through this, the beauty of Nature.
29. Caps For Sale
Esphyr Slobodkina’s enchanting story is about an irresponsible peddler and some monkeys who steal his caps. His ruses and schemes to outdo the peddler are what make up the stuff of the story.
30. The Story of Babar
Jean de Brunhoff’s story of the elephant Babar that centers around his coming of age. Babar has been endowed with the gift of seeing a silver lining among the darkest clouds. There’s a particular sadness to Babar’s life–his mother’s death. Despite this, he managed to be crowned the King of the Elephants.
31. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
This is the story authored by Beatrix Potter, a British writer and illustrator. It tells of the young Peter Rabbit who is chased all over Mr. McGregor’s garden. He manages to escape and returns home where his mother puts him to bed after giving him chamomile tea. Potter wrote this story for Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of his former governess.
Now, those were 31 stories that we believe you and your child will simply love reading. So, what are you waiting for? Download them on kindle, buy them from amazon, or get them from your local library today!
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