Calm bedtime, every night.
Gentle 5–10 minute tales for overwhelmed parents and busy little minds — a softer end to the day.
Made for peaceful nights, everywhere.
A one-minute sample from Volume 1.
Like the sound of it? Start with Volume 1.
The collection
Two volumes. Fourteen stories.
Each volume holds seven gentle tales — short enough for bedtime, long enough to help your child drift off peacefully.
Volume 1 · Ages 4-8Calm 5–10 Minute Tales for a Peaceful Night's Sleep
Make bedtime calm, comforting, and something your child looks forward to.
- The Lion and the Mouse
- The Wind and the Sun
- The Dog and His Reflection
- The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- The Elves and the Shoemaker
- The Ugly Duckling
Volume 2 · Ages 4-8Volume 2
Make bedtime calm, comforting, and something your child looks forward to night after night.
- The Tortoise and the Hare
- The Ant and the Dove
- The Oak and the Reed
- The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
- The Frogs Who Wished for a King
- The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey
- The Selfish Giant
Created for overstimulated evenings, restless little minds, and exhausted parents who need a softer end to the day.
Why Starlit Stories
Calm tales, made for falling asleep.
5–10 minutes each
Short enough for bedtime, long enough for a child to settle in. Each tale lands gently and ends softly.
Familiar, retold gently
Timeless fables rewritten with a calm rhythm — kind characters, soft pacing, and peaceful resolutions.
Made for ages 4–8
Warm vocabulary, no jolts, no surprises. Carefully written for the bedtime hour — not the school day.
Both volumes are written and narrated by Aileen Summers and published by The Starlit Story Co.
Questions parents ask
Before bedtime
What age are these bedtime stories for?+
Gentle Bedtime Stories is written for children ages 4 to 8. The vocabulary is warm and simple, the pacing is slow, and every story ends softly — made to calm a child at bedtime rather than excite them.
How long is each story?+
Each story runs about 5 to 10 minutes — short enough to fit a bedtime routine, long enough for a child to settle. Each volume holds seven stories, roughly an hour of gentle listening.
Do these stories actually help children fall asleep?+
Yes. Every tale is softly paced with a calm rhythm and a quiet, comforting ending, so it winds a child down instead of stirring them up. Many parents play one as their child drifts off.
Where can I listen to or read them?+
Both volumes are available as audiobooks on Audible and as ebooks on Kindle. The audiobooks are narrated by the author, Aileen Summers, at a slow, soothing bedtime pace.
Which stories are included?+
They are familiar fables and classics, gently retold — including The Lion and the Mouse, The Tortoise and the Hare, The Ugly Duckling, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and The Selfish Giant, across two volumes of seven stories each.
Can I try a story for free?+
Yes. You can get the first story from Volume 1 free by email — we send it straight to your inbox, ready for tonight, with only the occasional note when a new volume is released.
Try the first story, free.
We'll send the opening tale from Volume 1 — ready for tonight. Just the occasional note when a new volume arrives.