Listening to Children's Literature: Audiobooks and the Development of Reading Engagement

In recent years, audiobooks have gained increasing attention as an alternative format through which literary narratives can be accessed and experienced. Within the context of children’s literature, audiobooks offer young audiences the opportunity to encounter stories through listening, emphasizing the auditory and performative dimensions of storytelling. This development reflects broader changes in contemporary reading environments, where digital media have expanded the ways in which children interact with literary texts. The present review article examines the role of audiobooks in children’s literary experiences and explores their potential contribution to the development of reading engagement. The study adopts a narrative literature review approach and examines research related to children’s literature, narrative experience, audiobook use and reading engagement. Relevant academic publications were identified through searches in major scholarly databases using keywords related to children’s literature, audiobooks and reading practices. The selected literature was analyzed in order to identify key themes concerning the relationship between listening to stories and children’s engagement with literary narratives. The findings of the review suggest that audiobooks represent an important form of literary experience that can support children’s interaction with stories. Listening to narrated texts may provide children with access to literary narratives, encourage imaginative involvement and support familiarity with narrative structures. In addition, audiobooks may contribute to the development of reading engagement by offering accessible and enjoyable encounters with stories, particularly in contemporary digital reading environments. Overall, the literature indicates that audiobooks should be understood as complementary to traditional reading practices rather than as substitutes for printed books. By expanding the ways in which children encounter literary narratives, audiobooks may play a meaningful role in supporting children’s interest in literature and their participation in reading culture.