The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis has been voted the best children’s book of all time.

The Harry Potter stories may top the bestsellers’ lists worldwide, but he and other modern fictional characters could not compete against Lewis’s classic. His story of four siblings who go through a magic wardrobe and enter the once-peaceful world of Narnia has bewitched generations of readers since it was written in 1950.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes sixth in the list. It is the only one of J. K. Rowling’s seven novels to make the top 50 all-time favourites.

The poll of 4,000 people aged 16 to 65 was conducted by the charity Booktrust to support its government-backed initiative Bookstart, which provides children with free books.

Rosemary Clarke, of Bookstart, said that people tended to recall their earliest, fondest reading experiences. “The 65-year-olds may not be as familiar with Harry Potter, but The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is also reaching a new generation of people through television and film.”

Colin Duriez, the author of several books on Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, said that as a medieval scholar Lewis was able to draw on the vast history of storytelling. Elizabeth Hammill, co-founder of the charity Seven Stories, was surprised that Jacqueline Wilson, who headed library lending lists for years, does not make the top 50 and that Rowling did not do better. She said: “Maybe [people] don’t go back and reread them in the same way.”

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle took second place in the poll. The picture book is said to have sold a copy a minute since it was first published in 1969. Among other enduring classics is Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. It may have been written as long ago as 1942, but its popularity has not waned.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne came fourth. The Bear of Very Little Brain was created in 1926 and become one of the world’s best-known characters after it was adapted by Walt Dis-ney.Six Roald Dahl works were in the top 50.

The survey found that four in five parents read their children bedtime stories every night and that 18 per cent of expectant parents read stories to their unborn child. Ireland has the best bedtime readers, with more than 60 per cent of parents reading their children a story.

Viv Bird, the director of Booktrust, said: “It’s wonderful to see the enduring popularity of these books which are loved by generation after generation.

“At Booktrust, we want everyone to enjoy reading, whether it be returning to old favourites or encouraging people to try something new. The final 50 are a fascinating mix of classic and contemporary titles which offers something for everyone.”

Top 20 children’s books

1. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe C. S. Lewis

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle

3. Famous Five series Enid Blyton

4. Winnie-the-Pooh A. A. Milne

5. The BFG Roald Dahl

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J. K. Rowling

7. The Faraway Tree Enid Blyton

8. The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame

9. Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll

10. The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson

11. The Tales of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter

12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl

13. Matilda Roald Dahl

14. The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett

15. The Cat in the Hat Dr Suess

16. The Twits Roald Dahl

17. Mr Men Roger Hargreaves

18. A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

19. Malory Towers series Enid Blyton

20. Peter Pan J. M. Barrie

Source: Booktrust

Read our list of the top books for boys

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