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Few heroes are loved by children quite like Hanuman. He can leap across the sea, grow as tall as a mountain or as small as a bee, and he is so strong that he once carried a whole mountain through the sky. Yet what makes him truly great is not his strength but his kind and humble heart. Hanuman stories for kids are full of adventure, and every one of them carries a lesson about courage, loyalty and devotion.

In this guide we have retold seven famous Hanuman stories in simple English, from the day baby Hanuman tried to eat the sun to the moment he showed Rama and Sita living in his heart. Each one is short enough to read aloud at bedtime and ends with a lesson and a question for your child. At the end you will find the best Hanuman books for kids, in English and Hindi.

Who is Hanuman?

Hanuman is one of the best loved heroes of the Ramayana. He was the son of Anjana and Kesari, and he was blessed by Vayu, the god of the wind, which is why he is also called Pavanputra, the son of the wind. He is known by many other names too: Bajrangbali, Maruti, Anjaneya and Kesari Nandan.

Hanuman is the greatest devotee of Lord Rama. He is worshipped as the god of strength, courage and wisdom, and millions of people recite the Hanuman Chalisa every day for protection and confidence. His birthday, Hanuman Jayanti, is celebrated across India, and Tuesdays and Saturdays are special days for his worship.

Here are seven of the best loved Hanuman stories in English, told simply for young listeners.

7 famous Hanuman stories for kids

Read these stories with plenty of energy. Make a big whoosh when Hanuman leaps, let your child roar with the monkey army, and pause at the exciting moments to ask what happens next.

1. Baby Hanuman and the Sun

When Hanuman was a tiny baby, he woke up one morning very hungry. His mother had gone to gather fruit, so he looked around for something to eat. There, rising in the sky, was the sun, round and red and glowing. "What a big, juicy mango!" thought baby Hanuman, and with one mighty jump he flew up into the sky to grab it.

The gods were alarmed. If the baby swallowed the sun, the whole world would fall into darkness. Indra, the king of the gods, threw his thunderbolt to stop him. It struck Hanuman on the chin, and he fell back to earth. His jaw, called hanu, was left with a mark forever, and that is how he got his name, Hanuman.

Vayu, the wind god, was so upset that his son was hurt that he stopped blowing. Without air, every living thing began to suffer. The gods quickly came to make peace. They healed baby Hanuman and each gave him a blessing: strength like no other, speed faster than the wind, a body as hard as a thunderbolt and a very long life.

Lesson: Great power comes with great responsibility. Ask your child: If you could have one of Hanuman's powers, which would you choose?

2. Why Hanuman Forgot His Powers

As a young boy, Hanuman was full of mischief. With his great strength and speed he loved to play tricks on the sages who meditated quietly in the forest. He would pull their beards, hide their water pots and tip over their bowls of offerings. The patient sages put up with it for a long time, but one day they had had enough.

"You shall forget your great powers," they said, "until someone reminds you of them when they are truly needed." From that day on, Hanuman grew into a gentle and humble young monkey who never showed off. He lived quietly in the forest, serving the monkey king Sugriva, with no idea how strong he really was. But the sages knew that one day, when the world needed a hero, his powers would come back.

Lesson: Strength is a gift to be used for good, not for teasing others. Ask your child: Why do you think the sages wanted Hanuman to forget for a while?

3. Hanuman Meets Lord Rama

One day, Sugriva saw two strangers walking through the forest with bows and arrows. Afraid they might be enemies, he sent Hanuman to find out who they were. Hanuman disguised himself as a young holy man and greeted them politely. "Who are you, noble ones, and why do you wander through this forest?"

The strangers were Prince Rama and his brother Lakshmana. Rama explained that the demon king Ravana had carried away his wife Sita, and they were searching for her. As Rama spoke, Hanuman felt a great love fill his heart. He threw off his disguise, bowed at Rama's feet and promised to serve him forever. He carried both brothers on his shoulders to meet Sugriva, and the monkey king promised to help find Sita. From that moment, Hanuman became Rama's most loyal friend and devotee.

Lesson: True friendship begins with kindness and good manners. Ask your child: How did Hanuman show respect when he met strangers?

4. The Great Leap to Lanka

The monkey army searched everywhere for Sita until they reached the southern shore of India. There they learned that Ravana had taken her to Lanka, an island far across the sea. The monkeys looked at the endless waves and lost hope. Who could ever cross so much water?

Then Jambavan, the wise old king of the bears, turned to Hanuman, who was sitting quietly to one side. "Hanuman, have you forgotten who you are? You are the son of the wind. You can fly across this ocean in a single leap!" As Jambavan spoke, Hanuman remembered. The curse was broken. He began to grow bigger and bigger until he was as tall as a mountain. Then, shouting "Jai Shri Ram!", he leapt into the sky.

On the way, Hanuman faced many tests. The sea serpent Surasa opened her huge mouth to swallow him, so Hanuman made himself tiny, flew in and out of her mouth in a flash and politely thanked her. A shadow demon tried to pull him down, and Hanuman defeated her. At last he landed safely on the shores of Lanka.

Lesson: Believe in yourself; you are often stronger than you think. Ask your child: Has someone ever reminded you that you could do something hard?

5. Hanuman Finds Sita

Lanka was a city of gold, full of guards and demons. To search it without being seen, Hanuman made himself as small as a cat and crept through palaces and gardens all night long. At last, in a grove of Ashoka trees, he found Sita, sad and alone, surrounded by demon guards.

Hanuman waited for the guards to fall asleep. Then he softly began to sing the story of Rama from a branch above her. Sita looked up in surprise and saw a small monkey bowing to her. To show he was truly Rama's messenger, Hanuman gave her Rama's ring. Tears of joy filled Sita's eyes. She gave Hanuman her own hair jewel to take back to Rama, so that he would know she was safe and waiting for him.

Lesson: Patience and care can succeed where force cannot. Ask your child: How do you think Sita felt when she saw Rama's ring?

6. Hanuman Sets Lanka on Fire

Before leaving, Hanuman decided to show Ravana the strength of Rama's army. He uprooted trees in Ravana's garden and defeated the soldiers sent to catch him. Finally he allowed himself to be captured and taken to Ravana's court. Hanuman calmly told Ravana to return Sita to Rama and ask for forgiveness.

Ravana laughed. "Set fire to this monkey's tail!" he ordered. The guards wrapped Hanuman's tail in oily cloth and set it alight. But Hanuman only smiled. He made his tail longer and longer, so they needed more and more cloth, and then he shrank, slipped out of his ropes and leapt onto the rooftops. Jumping from palace to palace, he set the golden city of Lanka on fire with his blazing tail. Only the grove where Sita sat was left untouched. Then he dipped his tail in the sea and flew back to Rama with the good news.

Lesson: Stay calm and clever when others try to scare you. Ask your child: Why do you think Hanuman made sure Sita's grove did not burn?

7. Hanuman Carries the Mountain

In the great battle against Ravana, Lakshmana was struck by a powerful arrow and fell unconscious. The royal doctor said only one thing could save him: the Sanjeevani herb, which grew on a mountain in the far away Himalayas. It had to be brought before sunrise, or Lakshmana would not wake up again.

Hanuman flew north faster than the wind. But when he reached the mountain, he found hundreds of glowing herbs and could not tell which one was Sanjeevani. There was no time to waste. So Hanuman lifted the entire mountain in one hand and flew back across India to Lanka with it. The doctor found the herb, Lakshmana opened his eyes, and the whole army cheered. That is why pictures of Hanuman so often show him flying with a mountain in his hand.

After Rama won the battle and came home to Ayodhya, he held a grand celebration. Sita gave Hanuman a beautiful pearl necklace, but Hanuman began to break the pearls one by one. When people asked why, he said he was looking for Rama and Sita inside them, because anything without them had no value to him. When they laughed, he tore open his chest, and there, in his heart, sat Rama and Sita. You can read the whole adventure in our Ramayana story for kids.

Lesson: When someone needs help, find a way, however big the task. Ask your child: What would you carry to help a friend in trouble?

What children learn from Hanuman

• Courage: Hanuman faced demons, sea serpents and a whole army without fear.
• Humility: the strongest hero of all never boasted and always gave the credit to Rama.
• Loyalty: once he made a promise to a friend, he never let him down.
• Self belief: his story with Jambavan teaches children that they have more strength inside them than they know.
• Quick thinking: from shrinking past Surasa to lengthening his tail, Hanuman always used his brain as well as his muscles.

Hanuman Chalisa for kids

The Hanuman Chalisa is a prayer of forty verses written by the poet saint Tulsidas, praising Hanuman's strength, wisdom and devotion. Many children learn it from their grandparents, and it is a wonderful way to build memory, confidence and a calm mind. Start with the first two lines and add a verse each week. An illustrated Hanuman Chalisa with the meaning of each verse makes it far easier for children to understand what they are reciting.

How to share Hanuman stories with your child

• One story a night: the seven stories above make a perfect week of bedtime reading.
• Act it out: let your child be Hanuman, leaping off a cushion or carrying a pillow mountain across the room.
• Draw together: ask your child to draw their favourite scene, from baby Hanuman reaching for the sun to the flying mountain.
• Connect to festivals: share these stories on Hanuman Jayanti, Dussehra and Diwali, when the Ramayana is everywhere.
• Read in both languages: if your family speaks Hindi, read one story in English and one in Hindi.

Best Hanuman books for kids

Here are our picks if you want to buy books online about Hanuman for children of every age.

For toddlers (2 to 4 years)

• My First Shaped Board Book: Lord Hanuman: a sturdy, Hanuman shaped board book with bright pictures for the littlest readers.
• Mythology Shaped Books, Pack of 5: a gift set of shaped board books on Indian gods and goddesses.

For early readers (5 to 8 years)

• Tales from Hanuman for Children: Hanuman's best adventures in short, illustrated chapters.
• The Adventures of Mighty Hanuman for Children: action packed stories of Bajrangbali, perfect for reading aloud.
• Children's First Mythology Stories, Pack of 5: Ram, Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesha and Vishnu in simple words.
• Tales from Indian Mythology Combo: Krishna, Ganesha, Hanuman, Rama and Shiva together in one set.

For older children (8 years and up)

• Hanuman: The Wise and Valiant: a fuller telling of Hanuman's life for confident readers.
• 108 Illustrated Ramayana Stories (5 Minutes Read Aloud): Hanuman's adventures as part of the complete Ramayana, one short story at a time.

In Hindi

• Hanuman: Illustrated Story Book for Children in Hindi: Hanuman ki kahaniyan in easy Hindi.
• Pauranik Kahaniyan Combo (Hindi): five mythology story books in Hindi, including Hanuman.

Hanuman Chalisa

• Sachitra Shri Hanuman Chalisa: the Chalisa with pictures, ideal for children learning it for the first time.
• Hanuman Chalisa: a handy edition for daily recitation.

If your child loves Hanuman, they will also enjoy our Krishna stories for kids, Ganesha stories for kids and Mahabharata stories for kids, where Hanuman makes a surprise appearance on Arjuna's flag. You can also browse all our story books for kids.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Hanuman called Hanuman? When baby Hanuman leapt to eat the sun, Indra's thunderbolt struck his jaw, called hanu in Sanskrit. The mark on his jaw gave him the name Hanuman.

Who were Hanuman's parents? Hanuman's mother was Anjana and his father was Kesari, a monkey king. He was also blessed by Vayu, the wind god, so he is called Pavanputra, the son of the wind.

What is the most famous Hanuman story? The most famous Hanuman stories are his great leap across the sea to Lanka to find Sita and his flight carrying the Sanjeevani mountain to save Lakshmana.

What age is right for Hanuman stories? Children of two or three enjoy board books and the story of baby Hanuman and the sun. From five, they love the full adventures read aloud, and by eight they can read illustrated Hanuman books on their own.

Where can I buy Hanuman books for kids? You can buy books online at BooksFactory with cash on delivery, including Hanuman story books in English and Hindi, board books for toddlers and illustrated Hanuman Chalisa editions.

Start with one story tonight

Pick one of these seven Hanuman stories for kids and read it aloud tonight. Reach for the sun with baby Hanuman, leap across the sea to Lanka and fly home with a mountain in your hand. Children who grow up with Hanuman stories learn that real strength means using your gifts to help others. Jai Bajrangbali, and happy reading.