Whether they're a budding bookworm or you're just after a dedicated bookcase to store their favourite children's books, there are so many children's bookcases that'll look perfect in your little one's bedroom and encourage them to love reading.
Made smaller than your average bookcase, children's bookcases have low shelves so that your tot can easily reach to pick out their favourite classic children's stories themselves. Many are designed to store books sideways too, on sling shelves. This allows your child to pick up books and put them back with ease, so they can always have their favourites proudly on display.
The best children's bookcases at a glance:
Best wall-mounted bookcase: Greenaway Bookcase – Buy now from the Great Little Trading Co.
Best budget bookcase: LIVIVO Children's Colourful Sling Storage Bookshelf – Buy now at Amazon
Best for learning: Conkle Zoomi Kids Book Display – Buy now at Wayfair
We've picked out the best children's bookcases to store your child's books that feature stylish designs to suit most bedrooms and fun characters that your child is sure to love.
Best children's bookcases
Best personalised children's bookcase
www.my1styears.com
This adorable Personalised Peppa's Library Gift Set bookcase will not only be a favourite with Peppa Pig on the sides but also because you can personalise it with your little one's name. Featuring four tiers for your child to display their story books, it's a really accessible height so they can pick their book of choice from the top tier without issue. This gift set comes with two classic Peppa Pig stories included.
Customer review: N/A
Pros
- Option to personalise
- Easy to access the whole bookcase
- Comes with books included
Cons
- Children may outgrow it quite quickly
| Age suitability: | 2+ |
| Measures: | H60 x W5 x D23cm |
Best for fairytale fans
For tots who love all things magical or have bedrooms decorated in pink, this Fantasy Fields by Teamson Large Magic Garden Bookcase will coordinate nicely. With three large shelves, this bookcase can hold up to 150 books, or you could use it to also display games and soft toys. It also has two large pull-out drawers for storing toys and trinkets. Crafted from durable wood, it's decorated with cute garden-themed characters, including butterflies, bumblebees, and a royal frog.
Customer review: "This bookcase is simply lovely. It is sturdy, fairly easy to assemble (took me about 25/30 min with a little helper!) and has great shelf height. The colours and pictures are charming, and perfect for a toddler or young child (my little girl is two). She can see all her books with ease of access and loves making her selection off the bookcase for story time or bedtime reading! Highly recommended, wish I'd found it sooner!"
Pros
- Large storage space with drawers included
- Sturdy
- Cute design
Cons
- Not so easy to 'display' books
| Age suitability: | 3+ |
| Measures: | H96.5 x W29.2 x L55.9cm |
Best wall-mounted bookcase
www.gltc.co.uk
This is, in our opinion, the best wall-mounted Greenaway Bookcase you can buy. With four shelves for picture book storage and more colours available, this bookcase will go the distance. It'll keep their books tidy and on display, but as they get older, these can be swapped for reading books, magazines, or soft toys. However, we'd recommend mounting lower down their bedroom wall when they are younger so they can reach books themselves.
Customer review: "Really lovely bookcase. Very well made, sturdy and it looks great in my daughter's room. She absolutely loves getting all her books out to read now that she can see them all laid out so clearly."
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Wide shelf depth for versatile use
- Can store 5kg per shelf
Cons
- Fixings aren't provided
| Measures: | H118 x D12 x W80cm |
Best for safari-themed bedrooms
www.wayfair.co.uk
Safari-obsessed tots can 'blast off' on their reading journey with this Eakins safari-themed bookcase. Hand-painted and hand-crafted with animal details on the sides, this bookcase has three shelves for storing their books or belongings and a drawer at the bottom for toys and games. Each shelf can hold up to 50 books, whilst the friendly animals are sure to spark your little one's imagination.
Customer review: 'I love this bookshelf it looking amazing and holds a good amount of books and toys only con is putting it together was a bit difficult. The built in anchors where the screw were supposed to screw in kept coming loose. Other than that my kids love it I love the design and the amount of storage it gives!'
Pros
- Cupboards for added storage
- Ample shelf space
- Good height
Cons
- Some parents found it tricky to assemble
| Measures: | 100cm H X 30cm W X 60cm D |
Best budget bookcase
Perfect for a little one's nursery, this colourful LIVIVO Children's Colourful Sling Storage Bookshelf is just the right height to serve as their first-ever bookcase. And at such as affordable price too! Also available in blue, pink, and grey if this one is a little bright for your taste, each has four slung shelves, suitable for a range of book sizes and great for those thick picture books in the early years.
Customer review: "My 3yr old son loves books so they were always sprawled over the living room floor. I wanted storage that was tidy but with easy access to them and this is ideal. Fits more books than I thought, it's really sturdy, took two mins to put together and he can choose the ones he wants without hauling them all out to find his favourites! Winner!"
Pros
- Quick and easy to assemble
- Affordable
- Strong and sturdy
Cons
- Won't hold as many books as some other bookcases on the list
| Age suitability: | 3+ |
| Measures: | H58 x W58 x D28cm |
Best for flexible movement
www.gltc.co.uk
A book cart is a great option for little bookworms that want to channel their inner 'Matilda', trundling around with their favourite books. This Fox Book Cart is also fab if you don't have wall or floor space for a more permanent bookcase. In a bunch of adorable designs, including this fox, lion, and more, it's like a mini bookcase of wheels. It's sturdy with rubber-trimmed wheels and a pull-along cord and will make sure your little one tidies up as they go.
Customer review: 'Lovely little cart, perfect to contain all the books, easy to move around.'
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to move around
- Sturdy design
Cons
- Limited on storage space
| Age suitability: | 3yrs+ |
| Measures: | 22.5H x 28.5W x 34.5D (cm) |
Best for a neutral design
www.argos.co.uk
The Habitat Kids Book Tidy is a cheap and cheerful bookcase in neutral white. With four sling shelves, it's designed to store and display your kid's favourite books, including those that are oversized. Whilst it's been made to withstand rambunctious little ones and cope with everyday use, the fact fixings are included makes it great value for money and easier for parents too!
Customer review: "I brought this for my son's room, upgrading from his baby furniture (changing unit), it's a great look to his bedroom. Also frees up a lot of his bedroom floor space."
Pros
- Good for a range of book sizes
- Neutral design
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Not the best quality
| Measures: | H74 x W63 x D23.5cm |
Best for boho bedrooms
www.dunelm.com
How cute is this Elephant Shelf Water Hyacinth bookcase? Whilst it doesn't have the greatest storage space for a huge library of books, this bookshelf is adorable and will fit in perfectly with a boho or safari-themed bedroom. Beautifully woven from white-washed rattan, the floor-standing design is ideal for little ones to pick out cuddly toys and books. It's a statement piece that'll spark their imagination, and no doubt encourage them to read.
Customer review: "Extraordinary different way to display books and toys which looks beautiful in any type of room for a child or adult if you dare to be quirky!"
Pros
- Cute design
- Easy to access height
- Unique and engaging
Cons
- Doesn't clean easily
| Measures: | H76 x W127 x D20cm |
Best for storage space
www.dunelm.com
This sturdy and practical Dunelm kids bookcase reminds us of the ones you could expect to find in an actual library! In a neutral yet modern natural and white plywood, this bookcase has three shelves for displaying and storing colourful picture books, as well as a large shelf beneath. This could be used to stand up their favourite books, or instead, you could fill the space with baskets to store toys and puzzles. It also comes with a cute little wren coat hook on the side where can they hang a backpack.
One review said: 'A good sturdy book case. Much better than fabric ones that move when you put books in. This shelf can hold many books of different sides and is a must have for kids bedrooms!'
Pros
- Neutral design
- Sturdy
- Plenty of space
Cons
- Tricky to assemble
| Age suitability: | 3+ |
| Measures: | 81 x 29.5 x 77.2cm |
Best for learning
www.wayfair.co.uk
Available in a choice of colours, we really like this Conkle Zoomi Kids Book Display, which makes a great alternative to your standard bookcase. If space is an issue, it can be placed on top of an existing cupboard or shelving unit or be placed neatly on the floor with the carry handle. As well as being a storage unit for learning - housing up to 40 hard-to-stack picture books - it has a colourful toy clock on the side. This can be removed and is a fab learning tool to help teach your little one to tell the time.
Customer review: "Beautiful book box, really good size fits lots of books in whilst still be accessible to little fingers. Super easy to build, nice and sturdy. Would definitely buy again."
Pros
- Dual-learning purpose
- Choice of colours
- Sturdy
Cons
- Too heavy for little ones to carry
| Measures: | H34 x W55.12 x D30.99cm |
Best for Frozen fans
Calling all little Frozen fans! This magical Frozen Disney Kids Sling Bookcase from Disney features favourite characters Elsa, Anna, and Olaf and will keep them enchanted to keep reading. With four sling shelves to neatly store books of all shapes and sizes, it's a handy bookcase that can be placed on the floor or on a tabletop as they get older. It's the perfect size for toddlers, and customers found it to be great value for money for their little ones.
Customer review: "love this, looks and feels nice and sturdy and my kids have had it for 2 months and it's still perfect."
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Sturdy
- Great for Frozen fans
Cons
- Small in size
| Age suitability: | 18 months and up |
| Measures: | H39.5 x W39.5 x D35cm |
What to look for when shopping for children's bookcases
Size
The most important feature is the size; you'll need to factor in whether you want your child to be able to reach the shelves, as well as the number of books that need storing.
Smaller, low-slung bookcases measuring up to four feet are ideal for babies and toddlers. Taller bookcases with narrow shelves are best for future-proofing their growing library.
The size of the children's bookcase will also be dictated by the space available. A freestanding children's bookcase is better for easy access and for your child to explore, but if you're just looking for a neat way to store your tot's books and floor space is limited, a wall-mounted bookcase will do just the trick.
Design
Children's bookcase designs can vary. Choose one that suits your little one's room aesthetic or one that'll capture their imagination. For the latter, you can find bookcases in bright colours, fun shapes, and featuring adorable characters.
Also, consider if you'd like the bookcase to function as just that or have additional storage for toys and playthings. Some come with drawers for that purpose.
Strength
A children's bookcase also needs to be sturdy enough to hold a variety of books, especially at a young age when books tend to be bigger for larger pictures and words. However, it's likely that those slightly bulkier bookcases will require more assembly.
Is a children's bookcase necessary?
You could just store your little one's books with your own, but where's the fun in that? By having their own open-face bookcase, children can benefit from invaluable lessons:
• Having their books clearly on display, they'll be encouraged to read and use them more, boosting development.
• By having a greater opportunity to interact with books, they'll learn to respect them from an early age.
• They'll learn to tidy up after themselves with an easy-access bookcase, which in turn will protect their books from damage.
How we test and choose recommended products
Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.
Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe consistently provides great insights into which products mums like best and why, helping us highlight the products that will meet your needs.
For essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested. Full reviews from our mum testers can be found on our product pages. The winners and runners-up for each category will also appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.
Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor and has been a writer for titles such as Mother&Baby and Yours. In her role, she has researched and recommended the best products for parents, from breast pumps to toys, nursery décor to car seats. She's also kept a keen eye on celeb mums and influencers to share what they've been using to help make parenting that little bit easier.