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LET’S DISCUSS THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Bedtime, Conversation

1. What kinds of things to you like to think about as you go to sleep? The things you did today? Or the things you will do tomorrow?

2. What kinds of thoughts give you calm feelings when it’s bedtime?

Bedtime Story written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Yesim Serce

The post Sleep Sweetly, Little Light first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings, —
Little blue pigeon with velvet eyes;
Sleep to the singing of mother-bird swinging—
Swinging the nest where her little one lies.

Away out yonder I see a star, —
Silvery star with a tinkling song;
To the soft dew falling I hear it calling—
Calling and tinkling the night along.

In through the window a moonbeam comes, —
Little gold moonbeam with misty wings;
All silently creeping, it asks, “Is he sleeping—
Sleeping and dreaming while mother sings?”

Up from the sea there floats the sob
Of the waves that are breaking upon the shore,
As though they were groaning in anguish, and moaning—
Bemoaning the ship that shall come no more.

But sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings, —
Little blue pigeon with mournful eyes;
Am I not singing? —see, I am swinging—
Swinging the nest where my darling lies.

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY EUGENE FIELD

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Bedtime

1. How do you think little pigeons go to sleep?

2. How about fish? Or seahorses? Or spiders?

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHONICS

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The post Japanese Lullaby first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

The sky is dark and the hills are white

As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,

And this is the song the storm-king sings,

As over the world his cloak he flings:

“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep…”

He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:

“Sleep, little one, sleep.”

On yonder mountain-side a vine

Clings at the foot of a mother pine;

The tree bends over the trembling thing,

And only the vine can hear her sing:

“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

What shall you fear when I am here?

Sleep, little one, sleep.”

The king may sing in his bitter flight,

The tree may croon to the vine to-night,

But the little snowflake at my breast

Likes the song I sing the best,–

“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

Weary you are, a-next my heart

Sleep, little one, sleep…“

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY EUGENE FIELD

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Bedtime, Independent Thinking

1. What do you think can be comforting about a storm? Think about some of the ways a rainy, stormy day could send you to sleep…

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHONICS

Easily integrate phonics gesture into the stories your children love. Make reading multi-sensory, and turn your little one into an investigator of sounds. Learn how this can help you children read better and faster at Phonics in Motion. Use the Promo Code STORYBERRIES20 to benefit from a 20% discount on any learning programs.

The post Norse Lullaby first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

A wonderful horse is the Fly-Away Horse– Perhaps you have seen him before; Perhaps, while you slept, his shadow has swept Through the moonlight that floats on the floor. For it’s only at night, when the stars twinkle bright, That the Fly-Away Horse, with a neigh And a pull at his rein and a toss of his mane, Is up on his heels and away! The moon in the sky, As he gallops right by, Cries: “Oh! What a marvelous sight!” And the Stars in dismay Hide their faces away In the lap of old Grandmother Night. It is yonder, out yonder, the Fly-Away Horse Speeds ever and ever away– Over meadows and lane, over mountains and plains, Over streamlets that sing at their play; And over the sea like a ghost-ship sweeps he, While the ships they go sailing below, And he speeds by so fast that the men on the mast Adjudge him some portent of woe. “What ho, there!” they cry, As he flourishes by With a whisk of his beautiful tail; And the fish in the sea Are as scared as can be, From the nautilus up to the whale! And the Fly-Away Horse seeks those far-away lands You little folk dream of at night– Where candy-trees grow, and honey-brooks flow, And corn-fields with popcorn are white; And the beasts in the wood are ever so good To children who visit them there– What glory astride of a lion to ride, Or to wrestle around with a bear! The monkeys, they say: “Come on, let us play,” And they frisk in the coconut-trees: While the parrots, that cling To the peanut-vines sing Or converse with comparative ease! Off! scamper to bed — you shall ride him to-night! For, as soon as you’ve fallen asleep, With a jubilant neigh he shall bear you away Over forest and hillside and deep! But tell us, my dear, all you see and you hear In those beautiful lands over there, Where the Fly-Away Horse wings his far-away course With the wee one consigned to his care. Then grandma will cry In amazement: “Oh, my!” And she’ll think it could never be so. And only we two Shall know it is true– You and I, little precious! shall know!

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY EUGENE FIELD

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Bedtime, Creativity

1. Where would you go when it’s bedtime if you had a Flyaway Horse?

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHONICS

Easily integrate phonics gesture into the stories your children love. Make reading multi-sensory, and turn your little one into an investigator of sounds. Learn how this can help you children read better and faster at Phonics in Motion. Use the Promo Code STORYBERRIES20 to benefit from a 20% discount on any learning programs.

The post The Fly-Away Horse first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

An angel stands at the dream-ship’s helm,
An angel stands at the prow,
And an angel stands at the dream-ship’s side
With a rue-wreath on her brow.

The other angels, silver-crowned,
Pilot and helmsman are,
And the angel with the wreath of rue
Tosses the dreams afar.

The dreams they fall on rich and poor;
They fall on young and old;
And some are dreams of poverty,
And some are dreams of gold.

And some are dreams that thrill with joy,
And some that melt to tears;
Some are dreams of the dawn of love,
And some of the old dead years.

On rich and poor alike they fall,
Alike on young and old,
Bringing to slumbering earth their joys
And sorrows manifold.

The friendless youth in them shall do
The deeds of mighty men,
And drooping age shall feel the grace
Of buoyant youth again.

The king shall be a beggarman–
The pauper be a king–
In that revenge or recompense
The dream-ship dreams do bring.

So ever downward float the dreams
That are for all and me,
And there is never mortal man
Can solve that mystery.

But ever onward in its course
Along the haunted skies–
As though it were a cloud astray–
The ghostly dream-ship flies.

Two angels with their silver crowns
Pilot and helmsman are,
And an angel with a wreath of rue
Tosses the dreams afar.

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY EUGENE FIELD

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Creativity

1. This poem imagines that dreams are thrown by angels from the side of a floating boat. Can you think of some other ways dreams might come into our heads as we sleep?

The post The Dream Ship first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Simmerdew was there, but she
Did not like me altogether;
Daisybright and Turtledove,
Pilfercurds and Honeylove,
Thistleblow and Amberglee
On that gleaming, ghostly sea
Floated from the misty heather,
And around my trundle-bed
Frisked, and looked, and whispering said–
Solemnlike and all together:
‘You shall kiss him, Ganderfeather!’

Ganderfeather kissed me then–
Ganderfeather, quaint and merry!
No attenuate sprite was he,
–But as buxom as could be;–
Kissed me twice, and once again,
And the others shouted when
On my cheek uprose a berry
Somewhat like a mole, mayhap,
But the kiss-mark of that chap
Ganderfeather, passing merry–
Humorsome, but kindly, very!

I was just a tiny thing
When the prankish Ganderfeather
Brought this curious gift to me
With his fairy kisses three;
Yet with honest pride I sing
That same gift he chose to bring
Out of yonder haunted heather.
Other charms and friendships fly–
Constant friends this mole and I,
Who have been so long together.
Thank you, little Ganderfeather!

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY EUGENE FIELD

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Creativity

1. This poem is about a child who is kissed by a fairy, and it creates a little mole on his face. Have you ever been kissed by a fairy? Where?

2. Can you imagine what other things a fairy kiss might make happen? Try to think of some more.

The post Ganderfeather’s Gift – Lullaby Land first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?
It is a marvel of great renown!
It blooms on the shore of the Lollypop sea
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town;
The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet
(As those who have tasted it say)
That good little children have only to eat
Of that fruit to be happy next day.

When you’ve got to the tree, you would have a hard time
To capture the fruit which I sing;
The tree is so tall that no person could climb
To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing!
But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat,
And a gingerbread dog prowls below –
And this is the way you contrive to get at
Those sugar-plums tempting you so:

You say but the word to that gingerbread dog
And he barks with such terrible zest
That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,
As her swelling proportions attest.
And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around
From this leafy limb unto that,
And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground –
Hurrah for that chocolate cat!

There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes,
With stripings of scarlet or gold,
And you carry away of the treasure that rains,
As much as your apron can hold!
So come, little child, cuddle closer to me
In your dainty white nightcap and gown,
And I’ll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town.

POEM FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY EUGENE FIELD

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE POEM ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Bedtime, Creativity

1. What is the most delicious place you can imagine visiting as you fall asleep each night?

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHONICS

Easily integrate phonics gesture into the stories your children love. Make reading multi-sensory, and turn your little one into an investigator of sounds. Learn how this can help you children read better and faster at Phonics in Motion. Use the Promo Code STORYBERRIES20 to benefit from a 20% discount on any learning programs.

The post The Sugar Plum Tree first appeared on Bedtime Stories.