A story of a pet dog and a girl who learns about conscious love. Karen pressed her face against the cool glass of the car window, watching the unfamiliar landscape rush by. At eleven years old, she thought she was too old for the nervous butterflies fluttering in her...
Tales featuring animals both real and imaginary
Dr. Wonder and the Mischievous Crab
A retelling of THE CRAB THAT PLAYED WITH THE SEA, a short story by Rudyard Kipling. Once upon a time, in a world bursting with newness, there was a wise and gentle celestial Being named Dr. Wonder. Her special task was to watch over the newborn Earth, guiding its...
Armadillos Beginnings in a Jungle Mix-Up
A retelling of THE BEGINNING OF THE ARMADILLOS, a Just So Rudyard Kipling story. Once upon a time, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, lived a hedgehog named Stickly-Prickly. He was covered in spikes, like a walking cactus! Stickly-Prickly shared his little corner...
The Leopard’s New Spots: A Tale of Change and Adaptation
A retelling of How Leopards Got Their Spots from the book Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Before our story begins, let's talk about a particular place called the veldt. Imagine a land so wide and open that the sky seems to stretch forever. The veldt is a vast,...
Sweet Friendship on Spice Island
An adaptation of How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin from the book Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Far away and long ago, an island in the Red Sea was home to a boy named Cyrus. Cyrus's family were Parsis, keepers of traditions from an ancient place called Persia. He...
Why Whales Don’t Eat People
A retelling of a Just So Story By Rudyard Kipling In the sea, once upon a time, my young friend, there was a whale, and he ate fish. He ate the starfish and the garfish, the crab and the dab, the plaice and the dace, the skate and his mate, the mackerel and the...
Brer Rabbit in a Sticky Situation
More funny stories from Uncle Remus for beginning readers. As the sun began to set, the little boy snuggled close to Uncle Remba on the porch swing and asked, "Uncle Remba, what has Brer Rabbit been up to today?" "Well, Child, it all started this morning," Uncle Remba...
The Trickster’s Tale: Brer Rabbit Outwits His Friends
A tale retold from the stories of Uncle Remus for beginning readers. Chapter One - The Creatures Go to the Barbeque On this warm and sleepy afternoon, Uncle Remba settled down to share a story with the young lad. "Once upon a time," he began, “But Uncle Remba, when...
Gaia’s Gift: A Rainforest Tale
Animal bedtime stories for early readers. Once upon a time, in the lush rainforests of South America, there lived four wise and caring friends: Miro the capuchin monkey, Tiago the toucan, Sonia the sloth, and Javier the jaguar. They lived together in harmony, learning...
The Cougar and the Hare: A Story About Being Afraid
A five minute story inspired by "the sky is falling the sky is falling." Once upon a mischievous time, deep in the greenest of forests, lived a bouncy little Hare named Miffy. She was a bit of a worrywart, always fretting over the tiniest things. One particularly...
Triple the Fun: The Adventures of Pascal, Celeste, and Louis
A short story about elephants for early readers, inspired by the Babar series. Alphonse, fidgety and restless, struggles to focus on his book. His mind drifts to the thought of his beloved wife and the imminent arrival of their little elephant. He ponders: Would the...
Scout’s Wonderful Wandering
One of our short tales about animals for early readers. In a valley greener than a leprechaun's favorite hat, there lived a herd of one hundred sheep. Shepherd Sam loved them all, caring for them as the sun cared for flowers. Little Scout was one of Sam's fluffy and...