Our 15 favourite children’s bookshops in London (2024)

“If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.”

– Roald Dahl

There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book. Actually, there is one thing better and that’s getting lost in a good bookshop. Fortunately, London is home to some incredible bookstores just for children.

Spending an afternoon browsing for books is a great way to spend the day in London with kids. 

Many of these are independent children’s bookshops with carefully curated collections of children’s literature designed to inspire, engage, entertain, inform and occasionally challenge young minds.

Some of the best places even have reading nooks where kids can curl up with a new book while others host weekly events including author visits  and storytelling sessions.

If you have a book lover in the family then this list of the best children’s bookshops in London is for you!

The best children's bookshops in London

The best children’s bookshops in London

Most of the bookstores listed below are a specialist children’s bookshop. However there are a handful that are not but I have included them because they have a very good children’s section. Foyles, for example, on Charing Cross Road, is a hit with all three of my kids and they will happily spend hours here. 

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The best children's bookshops in London
The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London

The Children’s Bookshop

Located in Muswell Hill in North London, the independent bookshop, the Children’s Bookshop is family-owned and a fabulous bookstore for kids. The shop has been going since 1974 so they’re obviously doing something right!

It’s not terribly big but its shelves are packed with a huge range of fiction for all ages (including a good range for teens). The staff are very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, and always on hand to suggest new books. 

The Children’s Bookshop also holds regular author events. We’ve met Cressida Cowell here, author of the How to Train Your Dragon series, as well as the author and illustrator, Oliver Jeffers. Past authors have included Liz Pichon. 

The Children’s Bookshop offer a subscription service for kids whereby an annual fee ensures that children receive a book through the post every month.

Round Table Books

Award-winning local bookstore Round Table Books opened its door in 2019 with a mission to ensure that children see everyone represented in literature. 

The inclusive, independent, Black-owned bookshop is located in Brixton village, south London. It originally started life as a pop up but was so successful that it quickly transformed into a permanent space. Today, the shop showcases the work of underrepresented writers, illustrators and children with a selection of great books to suit all ages. 

Hatchards

First founded in 1797, Hatchards is not only the oldest bookstore in London but the oldest in all of the UK. It has been located in the same building on Piccadilly, next to the iconic department store Fortnum & Mason, since 1801.

Today the bookstore is owned by Waterstones (it sits very close by to the Piccadilly branch) but still owns three Royal Warrants, meaning the the bookstores sells to members of the Royal Family. Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III was one of the bookshop’s first customers.

Hatchards does stock children’s books but really you’re coming here for the history!

Best children's bookshops in London
There are lots of great children’s bookshops in London. Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com

Waterstones Gower Street

If you have young readers who likes Japanese Manga and Anime books then you should head for this huge Waterstones branch on Gower Street. The shop is home to the largest collection of Manga in the UK, located on the first floor. 

They also have a very good children’s section stocking classics by authors including Lewis Carroll as well as works by the perennially popular duo, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

Downstairs is a section selling vinyl and there’s also a small branch of Ryman’s, the stationery shop, on site alongside a cafe that is usually filled with students working. 

South Kensington Books 

Again, this is not a dedicated children’s bookshop but book lovers of all ages will love this space. 

Located not far from the Natural History Museum (and near some very good restaurants), the independent South Kensington Books has been sourcing great books since the 1940s, including a wide selection for children. 

The Alligator’s Mouth

Families rave about the Alligator’s Mouth, an independent children’s bookshop located in Richmond.

The bookstore stocks all kinds of kid’s books from baby books to young adult novels. The shop itself is inspired by a Lemony Snicket quote: ‘A book is like an alligator’s mouth: if you see one open, you will probably disappear inside.’  

The Alligator’s Mouth hosts events with children’s authors and illustrators and holds regular sessions including story time for 2- to 6-year-olds, a book club for 9- to 11-year-olds, a monthly comic club and a book club for teens.

The best children's bookshop in London
Our favourite bookstores in London for kids

Dulwich Books

This independent bookstore in West Dulwich is not a dedicated kids’ bookstore but it has an excellent children’s section and their inviting book nook is the perfect place for kids to flip through the latest titles. Dulwich Books runs Story Time sessions every Thursday and Saturday plus regular evening events with guest authors. 

Discover Children’s Story Centre

Located in Stratford, East London, is the Discover Children’s Story Centre where children are invited to enter a wonderful world of children’s books.

With a focus on story building and imagination, there are two floors of ‘Story World’ where children can let their imaginations run wild in an immersive world of play. There is also a Story Garden.

Regular exhibits take place at the centre dedicated to authors and illustrators. We visited an exhibit dedicated to the works of Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson where interactive exhibitions included the magical broom to sit on from Room on the Broom. We could also step into the house from A Squash and A Squeeze and meet the Gruffalo himself!

Regular storytelling sessions take place and, on the ground floor, is a very good book store with a wide range of books aimed at children aged 0 – 11 years old.

Words and Pictures Children’s Bookshop 

The award-winning Tales on Moon Lane bookshop moved permanently from Herne Hill to Whitstable last year and a new bookstore is scheduled to open in its place this spring. 

Words and Pictures Children’s Bookshop will be run by Children’s author and illustrator Frann Preston Gannon, known for I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree (Nosy Crow), and writer Anja Stobbart will run the bookshop together. 

More details once we get to visit! 

Best children's bookshops in London
Instil a love of reading with a visit to a great bookshops. Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com

Waterstones Piccadilly

My preference is always to support independent local bookstores but Waterstones Piccadilly definitely deserves a mention on this list. 

This is Europe’s largest bookshop offering a vast selection of tiles for adults and children of all ages.

The children’s section is located on the second floor (there are five floors in total) and offers everything from bestsellers and new releases to Mangafantasy, horror, science fiction and more. The staff on hand are very helpful too.

Waterstones Piccadilly is located opposite The Dilly hotel, home to one of London’s best afternoon teas.

Pickled Pepper Books

Another one of our favourite independent bookstores for kids in London is Pickled Pepper Books. Located in Crouch End, North London, this lovely bookshop has a carefully curated selection of books for kids of all ages but particularly younger children. 

What is particularly special about this place, however, is their theatre space

Hidden away at the back of the bookshop, this cosy space is delightful and the setting for weekly storytime sessions as well as weekend shows. Enjoy puppetry, poetry, storytelling and much more.

Pickled Pepper also hosts regular events including author and illustrator visits, writing and drawing workshops and half-term activities.

Kirkdale Bookshop

Kirkdale Bookshop in south east London is an independent bookstore that’s been selling new and second-hand books since 1966.

Their children’s section sits at the back of the shop where author talks and book signings take place. For kids, their second hand book collection includes first editions of The Famous Five by Enid Blyton and Rupert Annual from 1946 among many others. 

The best children's bookshops in London
Our favourite bookstores for kids in London

Daunt Books

Daunt Books is not a dedicated kids’ bookstore but it really is one of our favourites (and one of the best bookshops in London) so I had to include it here. 

Daunt Books have various stores across London but it’s the original location in Marylebone, central London, that we all love.

The beautiful bookshop is housed within a stunning building originally been built for antiquarian booksellers Francis Edwards in 1910. At the heart of the shop is a long, galleried main room with a beautiful arched window partly glazed with stained glass. 

The building alone is enough to install a love a reading.

Daunt Books is primarily a shop for travel books and travel guides and the books are arranged by country – no matter whether they are fiction or nonfiction, biography, history, guide or novel. 

The store also has a good children’s section with everything from beautifully illustrated books, picture books for babies, novels and more. The only downside is that the staff don’t always know the children’s books very well (we’ve had some great experiences and some not so helpful) but if the whole family wants to browse books then Daunt’s is a great place to come.

Daunt Books also run an annual subscription service for kids which is a great present idea. For an annual fee, children receive one book every month all packaged up. Kids can chat to staff in store to ensure that they receive books that they like.

The Owl Bookshop

Located in Kentish Town is the independent bookstore The Owl, which is a firm favourite with locals. There’s a very good children’s section at the front of the shop with helpful staff on hand to offer advice and recommendation.

Foyles

There are seven Foyles bookshops across the UK but the most famous is its flagship store on Charing Cross Road.

This branch of the popular book store is home to over 200,000 different titles displayed along four miles of shelves. They stock books on every subject imaginable and have a brilliant children’s section on the ground floor with a very good selection of books for teens too.

There are benches for sitting and reviewing potential purchases and there’s a good cafe on the top floor.

The best children's bookshop in London
Daunts Books in Marylebone, London
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