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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.

Close your eyes, and go back to bed,
I know you’ll rise and shine when morning comes again.
One last story then you rest your sleepy head,
Close your eyes and go back to bed.

When I was young, just about your age,
We travelled north to where it’s winter every day.
All roads end somewhere so we walked most of the way,
And met some kind stranger on the eve before Christmas day.

He smiled behind a beard white and offered us a ride,
Back to his home where he said we could spend the night.
With a gentle lift his sleigh had taken flight,
Drawn by reindeer through that northern evening sky.

There in a clearing was a house all strung with lights.
We landed softly and he welcomed us inside.
He headed for his workshop as we warmed up by the fire.
He said, “I hope that you’ll excuse me, but at dusk I’ve got to fly.”

I woke up on Christmas morning a little bit confused.
I must’ve slept the whole way home and been carried to my room.
I know you’re thinking “how could all of that be true?”
My parents said, “This card is signed to you,
And who it’s from we haven’t got a clue.”
But there inside, was just one line and as I read my eyes grew wide
It said, “it was a pleasure meeting all of you.”

Close your eyes, and go back to bed.
I know you’ll rise and shine when morning comes again.
One last story then you rest your sleepy head.
Close your eyes and go back to bed.

© David Stone 2020

Poem for Kids / Song for Kids, written by David Stone

Illustrations by Rawpixel, with thanks.

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

Imagination, Independent Thinking

1. Do you think the child in this song really did see Santa Claus? Why or why not?

2. Why do you think people like to tell stories about Santa Claus at Christmas time?

Conversation

1. How do stories about Santa Claus make you feel? What kinds of things do they make you think about?

About the Singer / Songwriter

“David Stone’s songs are carefully written and could easily stand alone as poetry. The fact that he can accompany them with strong melodies that lend themselves to sing-alongs, a voice just this side of gravelly, and delicate guitar work when the occasion calls for it makes Stone a quadruple-threat.” – Rachel Cholst.

David has been writing and releasing music for a little over a decade, with nearly a dozen solo releases to date.

As someone who loves telling stories, much of Stone’s work begins as poetry or short stories, almost always inspired by real people and events.
The line between poem, story and song are blurry at best for David, who’s always found music to be a beautiful and universal conveyer of stories and emotions between friends, and strangers alike.

You can listen to more of his work at http://www.DavidStoneMusic.ca

The post Close Your Eyes first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

When I lay down in my sleepy bed,

my mom tucks me in with a kiss on my head.

Before I lay down to sleep,

my mom and I pray and I close my eyes hard

with ne’er a peep,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed!

When I lay down in my sleepy bed,

around my chin tightly go the snug sheets.

I feel so warm that I am almost asleep,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed!

When I lay down in my sleepy bed,

I have nothing to fear.

Though in the darkness I can

ne’er see her body,

I can still make out her sweet head.

I have nothing to fear

since Mom is always so near,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed.

When I lay down in my sleepy bed

soon out go all the dim lights.

Chairs now become soldiers

in the fury of battle at its heights!

But I have nothing to fear

since Mom is still so near,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed.

When I lay down in my sleepy bed,

soon I breath deeply,

relaxing as I lay,

my eyelids sagging sleepily.

But still I have nothing to fear

since Mom is ever so near,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed.

When I lay down in my sleepy bed

shadows now become shapes!

The shapes now become apes!

The apes love to dance and rattle

as I lay still and dare not tattle!

But I have nothing to fear

since Mom is somewhere so near,

as I lay down in my sleepy bed.

As I lay so still in my sleepy bed,

a puff of warm wind gently lifts me,

carrying me onward with all of its might,

with the help of the moonbeams who

whisk me forward in great delight.

The fairies of the moon,

the warm wind,

onward we go,

on right through the dark night,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed.

When I lay down in my sleepy bed,

oh how my eyes do soon open,

and out my bedside window I see

the golden sun.

He peeks above the trees on the horizon

just to make my nights so fun,

when I lay down in my sleepy bed!

© H.L. Dowless, 2020

Poem for Kids written by H.L. Dowless

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

Conversation

1. What do you like to imagine, when you lay down 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 When I Lay Down In My Sleepy Bed first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

in the merry month of June,

“Oh Come With Me To The

Valley Of The Moon!”

We shall travel about in clothes

of golden sand,

if you will just give me your

precious little hand.

Oh come now,

lets go to the moon!

In those shaded craters

we shall forever swing

from a beautiful hand stitched

hammock that I thought to bring!

Can you come with me to the valley

of the moon?

In the sands of shining gold

we’ll all happily dance,

where only sunbeams

and angels have pranced!

We will sit about

in the cool shade and shadows,

eating manna from the fairies

in the valleys!

Oh please now,

do come to the moon!

Oh…can you see…there..,

my dear child, oh look!

Where the old man’s left eye is,

we will be!

All of us forever merry,

like a portrait in a book!

Oh please now,

lets go to the moon!

Yes you, yes me,

all of us and the whole family,

do come now,

lets go away soon!

© H.L. Dowless, 2020

Poem for Kids written by H.L. Dowless

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

Creativity

1. Can you imagine what it would be like to explore the moon? What kinds of things can you imagine you might see there?

The post Let’s All Go To The Moon first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Pop out at night, and shout with a cry –

“Let’s paint the sky with glow balls of light,

Let’s stretch our wings and fly full flight!”

***

And off they dance like acrobats

With glittering skin and bell-topped hats.

Cartwheeling forth through the dusty air,

They adorn all the stars with twinkle and flare.

***

Light little steps, from cloud to cloud;

One pixie fell; she shrieked painfully loud.

She tore both her wings and plunged with a crash;

Her pitiful screams turning stars into ash.

***

Alas! The sky mourned; so dark and so bleak,

But then Pixie’s mummy kissed softly her cheek.

She fixed both her wings with strong comet soil;

The power of love; that medicinal oil.

***

Twinkle! Bang, Zoom! Pop! Whiz!

The stars returned; all glitter and fizz

The pixies rejoiced in their circus of light.

They whistled new fire, so silver and bright.

***

They swirled and they twirled till the sky turned light blue.

Till the sun rose and shunted the stars out of view.

The pixies flew back to their beds on the moon-

“We’ll be back at dusk with our sparkling tune!”

POEMS FOR KIDS WRITTEN BY PHOEBE COGHLAN

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

Creativity

1. The author of this poem imagines the lights of the sky as pixies who dance with colours and light. Can you imagine some other things that the stars might be?

2. How would falling stars and comets be created, in the story of your imagination?

Love

1. The poem talks about the power of love to fix the pixie’s torn wings. What kind of powers do you think love has? What kinds of other things can love make better?

The post The Pixies on the Moon 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

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 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.