Music
Features
The 11 best CBeebies bedtime stories by musicians
In honour of World Book Day, here’s a round-up of the times artists put us to sleep
CBeebies Bedtime Stories has, against the odds, become the hot feature for celebrities, pulling in everyone from Ryan Reynolds to Kate Middleton. The show has had some unexpected and downright random hosts over the years, and it’s become clear that whilst the stories might be for the kids, the cameos are for their parents. It’s fun to able to point at the screen whilst your kids are listening to Farmer Joe and the Music Show and go, “Hey, that’s Guy Garvey!”
In celebration of World Book Day, here are 11 times musicians read bedtime stories to the children of the nation.
Christine & The Queens
The French singer songwriter read The Moon Keeper by Zoseinka, a story about a polar bear assigned to watch over the moon.
Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA’s Björn took to the show to read Goats Coat by Tom Percival, in which Alfonso the goat learns some lessons about kindness and generosity.
Dave Grohl
Grohl, of Foo Fighters fame, chose a bedtime story written by a fellow musician – Ringo Starr’s Octopus’s Garden.
Harry Styles
Tying his hosting stint in with the release of Harry’s House, Styles read Jess Hitcham’s appropriately titled book In Every House, On Every Street.
Dolly Parton
Parton’s love of dogs is well-documented, so it’s unsurprising that she chose to read Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates, the story of a pup who runs a bookstore.
Ed Sheeran
Sheeran delivered a reading of Sydney Smith’s I Talk Like A River, the story of a young boy with a stutter learning the art of self-acceptance.
Idina Menzel
The powerhouse vocalist read Robin’s Winter Song by Suzanne Barton, a tender story of a little bird’s first winter.
Gregory Porter
The jazz singer delivered a bedtime story in musical form when he sang Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s classic composition, ‘Moon River’.
Mark Ronson
The songwriter and producer read Jon Burgerman’s Rhyme Crime, about the activities of an unorthodox thief.
Sam Ryder
Ryder also opted to sing his bedtime story, treating families to a rendition of Cindy Lauper’s ‘True Colours’.
George Ezra
The ‘Shotgun’ singer opted to read Kitchen Disco by Clare Foges and Al Murphy, about a late-night all-utensils party.
