Our Favourite Children's Book Characters

We all have our favourite children's book characters - ones we grew up with and ones we have discovered reading to our own children or grandchildren. 

The best book characters inspire us, challenge us, make us laugh and feel happy and are often associated with great childhood memories too.

It is impossible to choose just one favourite, but we've put together a list of the book characters we love - from classic children’s picture books like Paddington or the Gruffalo, memorable story book characters like the Worst Witch or Willy Wonka through to characters from popular new children’s book characters like Dog Man or Supertato. 

The mouse from The Gruffalo/ The Gruffalo's Child
Small and mighty, Mouse can outsmart even the scariest creature in the deep, dark wood

Winnie-the-Pooh
A bear of very little brain, but a very big heart

Hairy Maclary
He's "bumptious and bustle, bossy and bouncy and frisky and hustly" need we say more?

The Highway Rat
A baddie, a beast and a whole lot of fun

The Cat in the Hat 
Wreaking havoc wherever he goes "it is fun to have fun. But you have to know how"

The Evil Pea from Supertato
The scourge of the vegetables, this naughty pea is on a mission to destroy the supermarket

Elmer
The patchwork elephant who teaches us that it's good to be different

Paddington
This adorable, trusting bear has a talent for getting into the most almighty scrapes

Mrs Large from Five Minutes Peace
A character that parents everywhere relate to. She just wants five minutes...

Princess Smartypants
Smartypants is a feminist icon - she doesn't need to be a Mrs she is perfectly happy being a Ms.

Lola from Charlie & Lola
We can't help but love Charlie's difficult little sister

Mog the cat
Everyone's favourite family cat, forgetful Mog gets herself into all kinds of sticky situations

Winnie the Witch
The clumsiest, craziest and most lovable witch in town, with the best stripy tights.

Matilda
The world's most famous bookworm!

Raj from Gangsta Granny & others
The penny-pinching newsagent is also a lovable eccentric and secret softie.

Tracy Beaker
Feisty, funny, imaginative, Tracy would be a great friend to have by your side

Mildred Hubble from The Worst Witch
Constantly crashing her broomstick and messing up her spells, Mildred gets star prize for being the most fun

Mrs Twit from The Twits
Disgustingly brilliant with her glass eye and clever tricks.

Moonface from The Enchanted Wood
We'd love to be friends with this magical creature who lives in the Faraway Tree.

Dog Man 
With the head of a dog and the body of a man, Dog Man is the ultimate (comedy) cop.

Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie's benefactor is an eccentric, intriguing, and somewhat terrifying chocolate genius

The Psammead from Five Children and It
This ancient sand fairy who grants children wishes is grumpy but wise, and creates a whole load of adventures.

George from The Famous Five
The mystery-solving gang would be nothing without headstrong, brave George and her dog Timmy

Mr Toad from the The Wind in the Willows
Poop-poop! - the glorious Mr Toad is a lovable rogue with a passion for motors.

Pippi Longstocking
Everything a girl in a book should be - wild, adventurous, unconventional and brave.

Katy from What Katy Did
A girl who longs to be kind, good and patient but can't suppress her love for adventure and excitement.

Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter
The wisest and kindest of headmasters: “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!” 

Jupiter North from Nevermoor

With his shock of red hair, bold dress sense, ability to read minds, and his magical hotel, Jupiter is the dream guardian.

The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland

Unforgettable, mysterious and absurd, the Mad Hatter's tea party is one of our favourite scenes in this wonderful classic.

Hetty Feather
Feisty, fragile and an inspiration in overcoming hardship and adversity.

Artemis Fowl
Cold, cynical and ruthless, Artemis is a criminal mastermind with a biting sense of humour.

Auggie from Wonder
Auggie would love to be a normal 10 year old but people don't seem him that way. His courage and kindness are what make him really stand out.

Valkyrie Cain from Skulduggery Pleasant
Stephanie is not your average 12 year old. As her alter ego Valkyrie Cain she is a mystery-solving mastermind and best friends with a skeleton detective. 

Lyra Belacqua/ Silvertongue from His Dark Materials
An all-time favourite heroine - Lyra is outspoken, brave and fiercely loyal, to the point of danger.

Sephy from Noughts and Crosses
Beautiful, lonely and burning to fight injustice. A powerful Juliet for the modern day.

Percy Jackson
He may have anger issues but Percy is brave, loyal, sarcastic and can give the Greek Gods are run for their money.

Alex Rider
The teen spy is the best kind of risk-taker, hurling himself into adventure after adventure.

Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit
This peace-loving hobbit with no desire for adventure shows us that even the smallest among us have reserves of bravery we can't even imagine.

Jo from Little Women
Headstrong, independent and creative, Jo is determined to forge her own path and protect her family

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
Daring, resolute and loyal to her core, Katniss is a fighter, a survivor and a true heroine.

You might also like:

Simple World Book Day Costumes
Classic Children’s Books
Fairy Tale Characters