Winnie-the-Pooh tops children's favourite book poll

AA Milne's first Winnie the Pooh book was published in 1926

Winnie-the-Pooh has been named as the favourite children's book of the past 150 years, in a poll of more than 2,000 adults.

The first of the classic AA Milne books beat Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland into second.

The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson from 1999, was the most recently written book named and came in fifth.

The YouGov poll was carried out as part of a campaign to promote reading and support vulnerable children in the UK.

The list of favourite titles is dominated by British authors.

It was issued in conjunction with the start of the reading initiative entitled Story Time - supported by children's charity Barnardo's and retailer John Lewis - which was launched by the newly appointed Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi.

Top 10 favourite children's books

• 1. Winnie-the-Pooh - AA Milne (1926)

• 2. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (1865)

• 3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle (1969)

• 4. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien (1937)

• 5. The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson (1999)

• 6. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (1964)

• 7. Black Beauty - Anna Sewell (1877)

• 8. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)

• 9. The BFG - Roald Dahl (1982)

• 10. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (1950)

"Being read to as a child is something most of us take for granted but for many of the children Barnardo's supports, storytelling and communicating are skills that their parents don't have," said Capaldi.

"I would encourage people across the country to embrace storytelling, bury your head in a good book and donate as much as you can through Story Time in aid of Barnardo's.

"You'll be helping the charity reach out to parents of some of the UK's most vulnerable children and ensuring they build the confidence and knowledge to help their little one thrive."

Winnie-the-Pooh was the first of two books of stories about the much-loved bear and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo and Tigger and was published in 1926.

Carroll's fantasy novel appeared in 1865.

And the third place book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by US author and illustrator Eric Carle, came out in 1969.

JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, from 1937, came in fourth place.

Roald Dahl featured twice in the top 10, with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG.