What are America's favorite bedtime stories? [Reality checks]

The third episode of Reality checks with Brian Reitz features Nidhi Mehta from Samsung and Gen-Z Media, seeking to understand America's favorite bedtime stories.

"I love the nostalgia of thinking back to the stories that we were told when we were younger and the stories that we're telling now, and looking at it from a very different perspective from... when we first heard them," said Mehta on Reality checks.

The survey

Nidhi and the YouGov team collaborated on a five-question survey:

1. To the best of your knowledge, how often, if at all, did you have bedtime stories read to you in your early childhood?
2. How often, if at all, do or did you read bedtime stories to your children?
3. Which, if any, of these books or book franchises would you name as one of your favorite bedtime stories? Choose all that apply.
4. Which, if any of these books or book franchises do you think is an appropriate bedtime story? Please choose all that apply.
5. How likely would you be to try using an artificial intelligence tool (e.g. ChatGPT) to read a bedtime story?

How often do parents typically read bedtime stories?​

The data shows that 22% of parents say they read bedtime stories to their children every night, compared to only 13% who received nightly bedtime stories in their own childhood

This trend toward increased reading extends to overall frequency, with 63% of parents saying they read bedtime stories several times a week or more, a substantial increase from the 44% who experienced this frequency in their youth.

What are America's favorite bedtime stories?

Dr. Seuss books reign as Americans' favorite bedtime stories, captivating 47% of all Americans and an even larger share of parents (52%).

While Winnie-the-Pooh claims a distant second place at 28% overall, it's particularly beloved by mothers (33%) compared to fathers (26%), highlighting interesting gender differences in story preferences.

The Berenstain Bears and Goodnight Moon round out the top four, with both showing stronger appeal among Moms compared to Dads. Notably, 34% of mothers favor The Berenstain Bears versus 22% of fathers, while Goodnight Moon sees a similar split with 31% of Moms and 19% of Dads.

Delving deeper into the data, we see that Dads have a particular fondness for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, with 19% selecting it compared to 13% of Moms.

What do Americans think are appropriate bedtime stories?

In addition to being America's favorite set of bedtime stories, Dr. Seuss books also top the list as America's most appropriate bedtime stories, with 61% of the general population deeming them suitable.

Winnie-the-Pooh similarly follows closely as the second most appropriate, with 59% approval, showcasing a much tighter race in terms of appropriateness compared to overall favorability.

A notable gender divide emerges with books like "Goodnight Moon," approved by 57% of women but only 37% of men, a gap that widens further between mothers (61%) and fathers (34%).

Classic tales maintain strong appeal, with "The Berenstain Bears" and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" garnering 47% and 36% approval respectively, while newer entries like Harry Potter books are deemed appropriate by 19% of respondents.

"Bridge to Terabithia" (11%) was the least likely book or series asked about to be deemed as an appropriate bedtime story.

Would Americans use AI for bedtime stories?​

Despite the West being home to Silicon Valley, the survey reveals a surprising regional divide in Americans' willingness to use AI for bedtime stories.

Southerners are more open to the idea, with 24% saying they're somewhat or very likely to try AI-powered storytelling, compared to 18% in the West and just 12% in the Midwest.

US Dads show more technological enthusiasm than Moms, with 27% of fathers expressing likelihood to use AI for bedtime tales versus 19% of Moms.