Open the HomeTime Cupboard

Are you worried that you've missed some of our delicious BookTrust HomeTime treats? Don't worry - we've saved them all here for you to enjoy whenever you like!

Below, you'll find brilliant authors reading their stories, illustrators teaching you how to draw some of their top characters, great activities to try, and lots of other stuff too. So dive in and have fun!

Please note: We sometimes link to third party sites, including YouTube, so children should not use HomeTime unsupervised.

An illustration of a ship on the ocean waves from The Search for Carmella activity sheets

Search for Carmella fun

Rashmi Sirdeshpande holding up her book Amazing Asia

Amazing Asia sneak peek

This Is The Ship That Jack Built

Illustrations of dogs from the Otto the Top Dog activity sheets

Otto the Top Dog activities

Jonny Duddle's dino doodle

An illustration from the front cover of Pearl and Her Bunch - a smiling waving pea surrounded by smiling grapes in bowls

Pearl and Her Bunch activities

Laura Baker holding up her book Monsters At School

Story: Monsters at School

Alison Brown holding up a copy of her book Billie's Buzz

Billie's Buzz drawalong

Liz Pichon holding up Tom Gates: Book of Everything

Tom Gates readalong

Steve Antony reading his book Cat Nap to us - and his cat

Story time: Cat Nap

Emma Carlisle holding up her book Time Runs Like a River

Draw with Emma Carlisle

An illustration of a snake from the front cover of Look Out Hungry Snake

Draw a Hungry Snake!

Rose Lihou shows us how to draw Sorrel from her Tiny Dogs series

How to draw... Tiny Dogs

Illustrations of a mouse from the AdventureMice activities you can download

Fun with AdventureMice

Story: A Drop of Golden Sun

George Webster holding up his book Why Not

George Webster: Why Not?

How to Find a Rainbow

An illustration of Huxley and Flapjack - a penguin in a woolly hat and glasses holding hands with a koala in a straw hat and Hawaiian shirt

Fun with Huxley & Flapjack

An illustration from the front cover of Dreamweavers: Night of the Scary Fairies by Annabelle Sami and Forrest Burdett - two children running forward, one looking nervous while the other looks determined

Fun with Dreamweavers

A colouring sheet featuring people flying kites in the shape of a dragon and other creatures

Lunar New Year activities

An illustration from the front cover of Pablo and Splash - two penguins in holiday clothes, one holding a map and a bucket and spade

Fun with Pablo and Splash

Eoin McLaughlin wearing a Santa hat and waving as he introduces his book Merry Whatmas

Story time: Merry Whatmas

An illustration from the front cover of The Myth Keeper - two children in a garden by a stone arch looking up in surprise at another young person floating in the air

Myth Keeper activities

An illustration of animals and birds in a jungle from the front cover of Picture Puzzler: A Natural History Hide-and-Seek

Fun seek-and-find activity

A photo of The Brothers McLeod and the front cover of Knight Sir Louis and the Sinister Snowball

Knight Sir Louis sneak peek

An illustration of Tabitha St Bernard-Jacobs making a heart shape with her hands from A Year of Black Joy

Explore A Year of Black Joy

An illustration of the Superquesters characters: one with rainbow hair, a unicorn horn and ears and cape, one with a cape and bumblebee outfit, and one in an astronaut's outfit

SuperQuesters activities

Simon Mole reads from A First Book of Dinosaurs

Dinosaur poems with Simon

Anna McGregor holding up her book Who's Afraid of the Light

How to draw an anglerfish

Jamie Littler holding up his book Arkspire

Try an Arkspire drawalong

Spyceratops shares some fun activities to try

Try Spyceratops activities

Alex Willmore holding up his book Spyceratops

Story time: Spyceratops

Illustrator Siân Roberts shows us how to draw the star of Don't Disturb the Dragon

How to draw a dragon

A Looshkin colouring sheet from Jamie Smart

Comic book colouring

Martha Maps It Out author Leigh Hodgkinson showing us how to create a town map

Make your own town map

How to draw Agent 9

The front cover of Wendington Jones and the Missing Tree and some of the activity sheets you can download

Wendington Jones fun

Sean Taylor reads his book When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth

Listen to a fun dino story

Simon Lamb holding up his book A Passing On of Shells

3 poems with Simon Lamb

My Dad is a Grizzly Bear

An illustration from the front cover of Michael the Amazing Mind-Reading Sausage Dog - a sausage dog wearing a waistcoat and bow tie holding a magic wand and performing for a group of other dogs

Make an outfit for Michael!

Illustrations of a bag of sugar, an apple and a bag of flour - all smiling and with arms and legs - from Chews Your Own Tasty Adventure

Try some yummy recipes

An illustration from Magic Faces - two children dressed as pirates, one of them clutching a scroll, as a dog pants nearby

Magic Faces activities

Matt Carr holding up his book Captain Looroll

Story: Captain Looroll

Olaf Falafel waves while holding his Trixie Pickle Art Avenger books, introducing us to his Picasso self-portrait art tutorial

Self-portraits with Olaf

A photograph of author Jack Meggitt Phillips and the front cover of his book The Beast and the Bethany

Jack reads us chapter one

Sophy Henn smiling and holding up her book Lifesize

Draw along with Sophy

An illustration of the Royal Family on a balcony smiling to a cheering crowd

Coronation activity sheets

Gareth Peter holds up his book My Mummies Built a Treehouse

Story time with Gareth

Paddy Donnelly shows us how to draw a dodo

Draw a dodo with Paddy

The Door of No Return

George Webster: This Is Me

I Say Oh You Say No fun

Kwame Alexander holding up his book The Door of No Return

Kwame Alexander interview

Zoom: Farm Adventure fun

The Horse That Jumped

Matty Long shows us how to draw a snail from Who Ate All The Bugs?

A super snail drawalong

Barry Timms holding up his book A Pinch of Love

Story: A Pinch of Love

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Kwame Alexander and the front cover of his book Unspoken

Unspoken with Kwame

Benjamin Zephaniah tells us about his book Nature Trail

Discover Nature Trail

Duck Who Didn't Like Water

Can You Tickle a Tiger?

An illustration of a child on a bank note and a Brazilian coin from Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers About Money

Fun activities about money

Alex Willmore reading his book I Did See a Mammoth

Story: I Did See a Mammoth

Story: My Rhinoceros

Go Go Pirate Boat

Big Book of Bad Things

Poem: Orange Juice

Michael Rosen shares his best jokes with us

Michael Rosen's best jokes

Michael Rosen shares nonsense poems with us

Michael Rosen's nonsense

Lou Kenzler reads us her book The Robber Raccoon

Story: The Robber Raccoon

Michael Rosen reads us nursery rhymes from his books

Rhymes with Michael Rosen

How to draw Looshkin

The front cover of The Robber Raccoon and a cardboard illustration of the star, Rosie

Make a Robber Raccoon

An illustration of a squirrel diving into a bowl of popcorn from the book I Am Hungry

Michael Rosen: I Am Hungry

Lydia Corry shows us how to paint a tree

Draw with Lydia Corry

Michael Rosen shares his story Clever Cakes

Storytime: Clever Cakes

How to draw Monkey

How to draw Bunny

Enjoy Chocolate Cake

Storytime: Cyril and Pat

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

How to draw Blobfish

Michael Rosen tells us the story of Gobble Guts

Storytime: Gobble Guts

Annemarie Anang reads us her book I Am Nefertiti

Storytime: I Am Nefertiti

Make Empathy Day comics

Joe shows us how to make a midsummer flower crown

Make a flower crown

How to draw Beanstalk

Marvyn Harrison reads us I Love Me with the help of his children Ocean and Blake

Storytime: I Love Me

Arielle Dance reads us her book Dearest One

Storytime: Dearest One

Maudie Smith reads us her book My Must-Have Mum

Story: My Must-Have Mum

Story: Bloom with Julia Seal

Storytime: Gloria's Porridge

John Agard reads us his book When Creature Met Creature

Storytime with John Agard

Suzy Senior reads Octopants: The Missing Pirate Pants

Octopants storytime

How to draw Mister Toots

Love Grows Everywhere

Table Manners for Tigers

Pippin Paints a Portrait

Marjoke Henrichs reads us Ready! Said Rabbit

Story: Ready! Said Rabbit

Samuel Langley-Swain reads us his book Storm in a Jar

Storytime: Storm in a Jar

Singalong: Dinos on the Bus

Jon Agee holding up his book Little Santa

Storytime: Little Santa

The After Christmas Tree

Caroline Crowe reads us her book Santa's New Sleigh

Story: Santa's New Sleigh

Storytime: I Am A Tiger

Ross Collins shows us how to draw the star of I Am A Tiger

I Am A Tiger drawalong

Catherine Rayner reads us My Pet Goldfish

Storytime: My Pet Goldfish

John Agard's Quipu Chant

Who'll Save Dying Man?

John Agard reads Bisector

Adam Stower shows us how to draw Howler from Little Monsters

Little Monsters drawalong

Storytime: Pick a Pumpkin

Michelle Robinson reads us her book Witch in Training

Story: Witch in Training

Ian Eagleton holding up his book Violet's Tempest

Storytime: Violet's Tempest

An illustration from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry song

Giselle Clarkson with her book The Tiny Woman's Coat

Tiny Woman drawalong

James Mayhew with his book Once Upon a Tune

Story with James Mayhew

How to draw Hoggins from The Midnight Hour books

Learn how to draw Hoggins

Loud with Rose Robbins

The front cover of Robin Robin by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, illustrated by Briony May Smith

Robin Robin drawalong

Marjoke Henrichs reading her book No Said Rabbit

Storytime: No! Said Rabbit

Karen Swann reads her book The Tale of the Whale

Story: The Tale of the Whale

Angela Woolfe reads us her book Agent Llama

Storytime: Agent Llama

Julia Groves reads us her book Milly Cow Gives Milk

Milly Cow story and craft

Download Andersen's summer holiday activity pack

Fun summer activity sheets

Ricky Trickartt shows us how to draw Asta from Alley Cat Rally

Alley Cat Rally drawalong

Sarah Noble reading As Strong as the River

As Strong as the River story

Make a wildflower painting

Sarah Horne shows us how to draw Pudding the Panda

How to draw a panda

Fun activities for Elmer Day

Piet Grobler shares his Coyote's Soundbite drawalong

Draw with Piet Grobler

John Agard reads his book Coyote's Soundbite

Storytime with John Agard

Charlie Chooses drawalong

How to draw a unicorn

Holly Ryan reading Never Mess with a Pirate Princess

Storytime with Holly Ryan

Rebecca Cobb drawing Aunt Amelia from Aunt Amelia's House

Draw with Rebecca Cobb

Sunday Rain drawalong

Stewart Henderson holding the book Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble

Poetry fun with Stewart

Stef Gemmill reads her book In My Dreams

Storytime: In My Dreams

David Harmer reading from the book Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble

A poem with David Harmer

Story: A Home for Luna

Story: Little Puggle's Song

The Caveman Next Door

Valerie Bloom holding the book Fire, Burn, Cauldron, Bubble

Poem: 'We Don't Believe'

Kitty Black reads Who's Afraid of the Quite Nice Wolf

Storytime with Kitty Black

Make lanterns with All About Eid author Sarah Shaffi

Make All About Eid lanterns

Justin Somper shares his final creative challenge

Try Justin's final challenge

How to create a secret code

Justin Somper sets his 14th creative challenge

Try Justin's next challenge

Jo Loring-Fisher with her book Just Like You

Just Like You drawalong

Justin Somper sets his next creative challenge

Justin's fun challenge #13

Taking Time drawalong

Altyn Aryg and the Snake

Justin Somper shares his 12th creative challenge

The stowaway is discovered

Eilidh Muldoon shares her tips for being an illustrator

Drawing top tips

Kandek and the Wolf

Justin Somper sets his 11th creative challenge

Create a stowaway

Justin Somper shares his 10th creative challenge

Create pirate punishments

Draw your own dragon with The Moonshine Dragon

Design your own dragon

Enjoy the story of Inanna

Justin Somper sets his ninth creative challenge

Make some pirate rules

Lauren Ace reads The Boys

Justin Somper sets his eighth creative challenge

Write a captain's log

Liz Pichon shows us how to make a plasticine snake

Liz Pichon's snake making

Tom Percival reads his book The Invisible

Storytime: The Invisible

Liz Pichon making an alien from plasticine

Make aliens with Liz Pichon

Justin Somper sets his seventh creative challenge

Justin's next fun challenge

Chris Naylor-Ballesteros teaches us how to draw the beetle and the butterfly from his book Out of Nowhere

Out of Nowhere drawalong

Easter holiday fun

Justin Somper sets his sixth creative challenge

Justin's fun challenge #6

Download activity ideas based on Tom Percival's books

Try Tom Percival activities

Justin Somper sets his fifth creative challenge

Justin's fun challenge #5

Sophie Cleverly shares her top tips for writing a mystery story

How to write a mystery

The front cover of Sophie Takes to the Sky

Try fun colouring activities

Justin Somper sets his fourth creative challenge

Justin's fun challenge #4

How to draw Princess Prue from Never Mess with a Pirate Princess

Draw a pirate princess

Crooked Oak writing ideas

Justin Somper sets his third creative challenge

Justin's challenge #3

Draw Marshmallow Pie

Justin Somper shares his second creative challenge

Justin's fun challenge #2

Horrible Histories drawing

Try Justin's creative ideas

The front cover of Defenders: Dark Arena by Tom Palmer

Try Tom Palmer's quizzes

Adam Baron with his book This Wonderful Thing

Adam's weird writing tip

James Jones shows us how to draw a shape rocket

The Perfect Fit drawalong

Bunny vs Monkey drawing

How to draw a kangaroo

Shadow puppet theatre fun

Download Barrington Stoke's home learning tips for children with dyslexia

Tips: Learning with dyslexia

Once Upon a Dragon's Fire

Isabel Sanchez Vegara holding Little People, Big Dreams: Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking storytime

How to make tin animals

Story: Greta and the Giants

A butterfly emerging from its cocoon from the front cover of Slow Down

Slow Down activities

The Bear and the Piano

Have a go at relief printing

How to draw a rhino

Cigalle Hanaor reading The Pocket Chaotic

Story: The Pocket Chaotic

Shadow puppet theatre fun

How to draw Scruff

Draw the wolf Bitey-Bitey with illustrator Steve May

How to draw Bitey-Bitey

Try Dragon Ark activities

Play a Rhyme Time game

Make a fun animal card

Storytime: Dog Gone

David Litchfield holding his book A Shelter for Sadness

David Litchfield drawalong

Julie Fulton with her book Bears Don't Eat Egg Sandwiches

Storytime with Julie

An illustration of a rabbit and a bear dancing from Fair Shares

Have fun with Fair Shares

A colouring sheet from Last: The Story of a White Rhino

Get Last colouring sheets

Paul Coomey designing a cover for Stick Boy

How to design a book cover

Storytime: Clumpety Bump

The front cover of The Snowman and the Sun

Snowman and the Sun fun

Elephant in My Kitchen

Make a magical forest print

An illustration of Hedgehog from While We Can't Hug

Story: While We Can't Hug

Storytime: Oh No, Bobo!

The front cover of Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me and Ehsan Abdollahi illustrating Thinker

Make your own Thinker

Once Upon a Unicorn Horn

Libby and Wulfie from Wulfie: Stage Fright

Try fun Wulfie activities

The front cover of Feelings by Libby Walden and Richard Jones

Watch a story: Feelings

Ore Oduba peeking over A Busy Day for Birds

Story: A Busy Day for Birds

Elmer Christmas activities

Hotel Flamingo: Lockdown

Storytime: 1, 2, 3, Splosh!

Juliet Clare Bell reading Ask First, Monkey

Story: Ask First, Monkey!

Runaway Pea drawalong

Story: The Runaway Pea

Chris Riddell's Cheshire Cat

Story: Meet Knight Sir Louis

Shaun Tan drawing a character from The Red Tree

Drawalong with Shaun Tan

Pippa Goodhart reading her book Fair Shares

Storytime: Fair Shares

There's Room for Everyone by Anahita Teymorian told in BSL

Enjoy a BSL storytime

Konnie Huq and the front cover of her book Cookie and the Most Annoying Girl in the World

Konnie Huq reads Cookie

Draw an Egyptian god

Matt Carr dressed in an octopus outfit, holding his cat and his book Now Wash Your Hands

Draw Doris the Doctorpus

Summer Staycation fun

Duncan Beedie with his book Oof Makes an Ouch

Story: Oof Makes An Ouch

Harriet Muncaster with her book Mirabelle Gets Up to Mischief

Mirabelle story & drawing

Download fun Rex activities

An illustration from Eva's Imagination: Eva and her dog Chops going up the stairs

Story: Eva's Imagination

How to draw Boo the dog

The front cover of Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival

Meesha Makes Friends fun

Duncan Beedie reading The Bear Who Stared

The Bear Who Stared fun

Little-Monkey-illustrated-by-Marta-Altés

Storytime: Little Monkey

Enjoy a Stubby storytime

Alex Willmore teaching us how to draw Bear from The Big Trip

Big Trip: Story and drawing

Storytime: Marcel's Parcels

Duncan Beedie with his book The Last Chip

Fun with The Last Chip

The Cow Who Fell to Earth

Petr Horacek talking about children's art

The joy of children's art

Duncan Beedie reads Molly's Moon Mission

Molly's Moon Mission fun

Xanthe Gresham-Knight telling the story of Aphrodite

Discover Aphrodite's story

Draw Harry Stevenson

How to write a secret diary with Kathryn Evans

How to make a secret diary

Create a cave painting

Cake with Paul Linnet

Jim Field teaches us how to draw Monsieur Roscoe

How to draw Mr Roscoe

Case of the Missing Cake

Polly Dunbar drawalong

Duncan Beedie reading The Lumberjack's Beard

Lumberjack's Beard fun

How to draw a whale

Frank Cottrell-Boyce sets a National Writing Day challenge

Try a Writing Day challenge

Meet a new Robin Hood

Join an Astro Girl storytime

Jonathan Emmett singing She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

Join a singalong storytime

How to draw a puffling

Celeste Cortright reading The More We Get Together

Join a singalong storytime

Onjali Q Raúf reading The Boy at the Back of the Class

Onjali Q Raúf reads to us

Kate DePalma reading her book Let's Celebrate

Story: Let's Celebrate!

How to write a mystery

Ben Miller and the front cover of his book The Boy Who Made the World Disappear

Storytime with Ben Miller

Sarah Crossan writing tips

Tom Mitchell and his son Dylan sharing their top tips for writing dialogue

How to write good dialogue

Story: Not Now Bernard

Author Ali Sparkes on sharing books online

How to share books online

Try Bali's fridge challenge

Caryl Hart reading Mini Monsters: Can I Play?

Storytime with Caryl Hart

Chris Riddell reading Guardians of Magic

Story with Chris Riddell

Andrew Whitson drawing Molly and the Shutdown

See Andrew Whitson draw

How to write great characters, with Tom Mitchell

Tom Mitchell's writing tips

Molly and the Shutdown

Emily Draws... Wolves!

Try Ninja writing ideas

Hand-washing colouring in

Andy Stanton's top tips for writing stories

Cressida Cowell reads the How to Train Your Dragon series

Our brilliant Waterstones Children's Laureate is reading her books chapter-by-chapter! Make sure you don't miss out on all the fun...

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Be a Pirate

How to Speak Dragonese

How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse

How to Twist a Dragon's Tale

A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons

How to Ride a Dragon's Storm

How to Break a Dragon's Heart

How to Steal a Dragon's Sword

How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel

How to Betray a Dragon's Hero

Get even more fun stuff

The Wizards of Once

Waterstones Children's Laureate Cressida Cowell reads The Wizards of Once, chapter by chapter! Make sure you join in the fun.

Join the story

Ed Vere teaches us how to draw a monster

Fun with Ed Vere

Our Illustrator in Residence Ed Vere has been making some really fun how-to-draw videos and reading some of his awesome stories! Find all the videos here.

Get started

Enjoy Elen's Island

The brilliant Eloise Williams is reading her fantastic book Elen's Island for us! Why not catch up and watch the story unfold?

Start watching

Parent and child drawing at home by Hannah Shaw

BookTrust HomeTime

Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with our free online books and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in our book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters.

Go to the HomeTime hub