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Free Thanksgiving Audio Stories!

Free “Martin & Sylvia” story!

Stories for Helping and Healing: A Story of Grief and Loss

A free “Martin & Sylvia” Story – about knitting!

In celebration of all of summertime's delights and wonders, here's our Free Martin & Sylvia Story! It's called "Summer Magic". Summer is filled with such excitement!  There is so much fun to be had on the long, sunny days.  When Martin and Sylvia's Uncle Phil comes for a visit, the children are particularly excited - as they love his magical stories and games.  But oh, how hard it is to go to bed at the end of a wonderful summer day!  It takes a special gift -- one that only summer offers -- to help Martin and Sylvia settle down for a summer's sleep. Enjoy! :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: If you would like more Summertime fun with Martin and Sylvia, then try Martin & Sylvia's Summer Adventures Audio Book! It's a BRAND NEW Audio Book!   Perfect for summer travels or lazy afternoons. Included are three delightful stories about brother and sister's summer adventures. You see, this summer, Martin and Sylvia received a special invitation....  (And it involves Mermaids....!)   To purchase or read more, click HERE!  (And scroll down.)

Welcome to Summer everyone! In celebration of the beginning of Summer, we're offering a Free Story through Rhythm of the Home. (We love what Rhythm of the Home offers families each season, and we love partnering with them as often as we can.  If you're new to ROTH, please go back and check them out right now!) The Free Story is called "Maggie, the Patient Cicada."   It's a story like those you'll find in our by Thistle by Thimble Series! And it's about -- you guessed it!  The journey of a singular Cicada!  Maggie, and her insect kind, are truly unique in that they spend 17 years in the grub -- or "nymph" -- stage.  Seventeen years!  And every seventeen years these Cicadas emerge, shed their brown exoskeleton, and reveal their jewel-like selves to the world!   And the summertime trees are filled with their singing. Guess what?  This summer is an big one of those 17 year cycles - and we should expect to see and hear heaps of Cicadas. This is a story about a kind Cicada named Maggie, who delights all the other grubs under her tree, while waiting patiently for her day to emerge.   This story explores the natural cycles of things, and teaches that everything has it's own time and place.  And it's a story about patience for the great things to come! Enjoy!  :: :: :: And when you've finished listening or downloading, go right back to Rhythm of the Home and enjoy their brand new and luscious Summer edition!   

We're launching our brand-new Series "Sparkle Sleepytime" next Friday, May 31st! This Series is perfect for nap-times, quiet times or bedtimes - or any time you want a particularly quiet and soothing story for your little ones! The stories in this Series are simple and sweet, and each end with a delightful animal character snuggling into bed.  The Series features simple music by Vermont musician and songwriter John Creech! In celebration we thought we'd share the VERY FIRST STORY - for FREE! :: It's called "Addie the Possum": Addie the possum likes having both a younger and an older brother.  She admires her older brother Torin, and how brave he is when he goes on his own to explore; she feels proud when she is able to help take care of little Buzz, her younger brother.  One day it is she, and not Torin, who is asked to lead the family up the old ladder back to their home in the abandoned shed.  On that night, she goes to bed feeling at once proud and very, very tired. Enjoy!    

Yesterday we published this post about how to talk to children about Natural Disasters like the tornado that just swept through Moore, Oklahoma.  And now we've created a story to help families with young children meet with news and experiences of natural disasters.  It's called "Helpers".  (You'll find the download link below.) It is a short story about Dennis, a happy little six year old boy who wakes one morning to see his mother listening to the radio in the kitchen.  She turns it off, but Dennis can tell that something is wrong and that his mother is feeling sad - and maybe a little scared.  She explains that something happened, a big storm moved through a town, and buildings were damaged and people were hurt.  When she sees that this is making him feel nervous, she scoops him up and tells him, “I know that when something like this happens – when there are very strong winds or other kinds of storms – people around the world will know about it. And do you know what they do when they find out?  They will help.” She then told him about how all the people on their street, in their neighborhood and in their town that want to make sure that he, Dennis, is safe. “But you know what, Dennis?” his Mother asked, raising her eyebrows, “It is time for us to be the helpers.  There are people that are feeling scared right now because a storm came to their house.  Our house is fine and so are we.  Are you ready to be a helper?” We hope this story helps with how your children meet this and other difficult events that we all must face.  We send our prayers to Oklahoma. Feel free to share this story with families who have heard or felt the impact of Monday's tornado in Oklahoma.   You can use it as a vehicle for family conversation, although often there is no need to discuss.   The story conveys it’s own message. This story has no Sparkle advertisement or copyright tag.  It is only intended as a gift to support families who may find it useful.  Feel free to download and share or email this story as often as you’d like.  We give permission for it to be shared freely.  You can find a print version of the story below. :: :: ::  Helpers Once upon a time in a little house on a street of many little houses, there lived a young boy named Dennis.  Dennis was six years old and lived with his mother and older brother Tommy.   Like most boys his age, Dennis loved to play in his back yard and ride his bike in the driveway and build towers of blocks in his room.  On rainy days he would put on his boots and rain jacket and dig little trenches between the puddles.  On windy days he liked to toss leaves and see how far the wind would carry them.   He had a best friend named Caroline who lived three houses down, and the two of them played nearly every day together.  In the summertime their favorite games were swinging on Dennis’s rope swing and hide-and-seek in Caroline’s back yard.  In the winter time they liked to build forts in the snow. Dennis was a happy boy who woke up every morning feeling as bright and cheerful as the sun that washed into his little room.  He dressed himself and helped his mother make breakfast.   After he brushed his teeth, he helped prepare his lunch.  Dennis went to the local kindergarten where Caroline and his many other friends went too.  He loved his days at school and enjoyed all the stories he heard and games he played every day. One day, however, was a little different.  When he woke up that morning, he dressed himself like he normally did, and then cheerfully went into the kitchen to help his mother.  But instead of standing behind the counter like she normally did in the morning, she was sitting at the dining room table listening to the radio.  When she saw Dennis, she turned the radio off and smiled – but Dennis could see that it was a pretend smile.  He could tell that his mother was feeling sad and maybe a little scared.  This made Dennis feel nervous. “What is it?” he asked,

Mother's Day Sunday is an emotional day.  Anticipation, excitement, disappointment, maybe some shame,  gratitude and love and even rage are all in the mix on Mother's Day.  Part of the reason for this wide range of emotion is our lack of clarity around the day.  What exactly are we celebrating on Mother's Day? Is it like a birthday where we focus on the individual? Or is it more like an evaluation where we focus on their role as mother? Or maybe it is simply the act of mothering that we celebrate - and thus it can be open to grandparents and other caregivers central to raising children.  Or all of them together. The challenge, then is to be clear about the celebration and then authentic about the way you do it.  Or maybe it is best to just enjoy the form - go out to dinner, give flowers, make cards and say "Happy Mother's Day!"  All is allowed, but my suspicion is that most of you are looking for clarity and authenticity.  This is the calling of our time and the tension we feel around it, I think, is proof of the pudding. So here is a story that we here in Sparkle Land can stand by.  It is a story about a hard working momma possum who may share traits with some of you and/or your own mothers. It recognizes the struggle, the trials, the moments of joy - but most of all it recognizes the clear and authentic need - for a day off. Momma Opossum has just moved the family to a new home.  Now everyone is hungry!  They must go out and find  something to eat in their new neighborhood.  Her three young kits dutifully follow their mother day and night, but now, tired and hungry, they are grouchy and don't want to help.  This is a story about Mothers' patience, Mothers' strength, and why Mothers sometimes simply need a little rest.

Today hundreds of thousands of children will return home from school with stories about the bombing in Boston.  Some of what they say and have heard will be factually accurate, some will be exaggerated and some will be completely made up - but there will be a thread to their stories that will be powerful and enduring. "This could happen to me and people I love." "There could be a bomb anywhere." "I am not safe."  These ideas will be the take-away for many children and as children make sense of the world through stories - they will find more narratives to support these statements. So what, as parents and educators and healers, can we do? Tell them a different story. Not a story that negates their fears because we all know that darkness, danger and disaster is present in the world.  Tell them a story that has room for the darkness but that tells another truth:  that there are so many helpers in the world - that the helpers will do everything in their power to keep you safe - that goodness and beauty is everywhere. So tonight, consider telling your child a story of your own making.  Try to move past the common hesitations around storytelling: that the story might not be a 'good' story or that you might not tell it well.  Your children don't need you to be masters - they only want you to tell them about the world in a language they can understand. The story could be about anything that is important or dear to you or your child.  Last night I told a story to my children about geese flying north to return to their summer homes.  The story was about a young goose who was attempting the journey for the first time.  The further they went, the more elated and powerful he felt - until, on the final day, he realized that some of the geese didn't make it - that some met with unexpected tragedy along the way.  Then it was the job of the older geese to tell the younger goose that they are all together - that they made it home - that they will miss those who did not make it - and that they will always be there to help him and to keep him safe.  Whatever message you want for your child, instead of explaining things to them - just tell them a story.  It is their language.  It is how their developing minds work. When the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut stunned the country, we wrote and recorded a story about a young girl named Lee who loves her little black dog Prince.  But one day, Prince is suddenly killed by a speeding car.  The girl not only has to come to grips with the abrupt loss of her dog, but she also manages questions like “Who was it?  Why didn’t they stop? How could they do it?”.  And the ultimate message from her loving parents is this:  We love you.  It is OK to be sad.  We are holding you.  And we will do everything we can to prevent this from happening again. It is available for you and your family to use in addition to the stories you tell them of your own making. This story has no Sparkle advertisement or copyright tag.  It is only intended as a gift to support families who may find it useful.  Feel free to download and share or email this story as often as you’d like.  We give permission for it to be shared freely. We send our prayers to the families of Boston and to those who traveled there for the Marathon.

We have SUCH GOOD NEWS!   Our very first Sparkle Stories eBook is now available for Kindle!  (We're just so excited!) For years people have been asking us to make our stories available in print. “I would love for my older children to read your stories." “We need bedtime stories we can trust.” "I am Deaf. So listening to stories does not work for me. Do you have written transcripts?" And we've finally made it happen! It's called "Junkyard Tales: The Cat’s New Home."  It's a collection of the six introductory stories in the Junkyard Tales series.  And you'll find it on Amazon! These are the same delightful stories you've enjoyed in audio format, but rewritten for print!  You can read them out-loud or invite your young reader to enjoy them. Not only that, but the eBook also includes four Junkyard Crafts and Games, created and designed by the fabulous Annie Riechmann!  Annie is the creator and publisher of Alphabet Glue, a literacy themed e-magazine for families, and is an associate editor for Rhythm of the Home, the popular quarterly magazine.  Learn how to create fun from your own "junk" and hone your own Junkyard-style hiding skills! Sparkle eBooks are a whole new way to enjoy the stories.  It has potential to introduce Sparkle to an entirely new community! And guess what?  The book is only $2.99!  Buy it HERE! :::::::: This first week on the Amazon Kindle platform is key.   Will you help Sparkle scale the rankings on Amazon.com? Our success on Amazon is directly tied to reviews. If there are a lot of reviews for a new book – especially glowing reviews – then the ranking of the book is higher.  If the ranking is higher, more people will see it in their search. If there are a lot of reviews for a new book – especially glowing reviews – then the ranking of the book is higher.  If the ranking is higher, more people will see it in their search. If we sold many copies, and received many reviews in the next few days, Sparkle Stories could really show up on Amazon! Would you consider helping us?  We've got some ways to make it more fun!   For everyone who purchases the eBook and posts a little review, we'll enter you into a Giveaway for the "Everything Junkyard" Package! The "Everything Junkyard" Giveaway includes: 1. One Year Subscription to Junkyard Tales 2. The Junkyard Tales Sample Story Pack 3. and the FOUR Sparkle Car Episodes that feature Junkyard Tales stories! That's a $95 value!  And a full year of Junkyard adventures! You can enjoy it yourself or give it as a Gift. Here's what you have to do: Simply place a comment at the end of this blog post.  You get up to three different possible comments!  Comment and tell us one, two or all of the following: 1.  that you purchased the book.  (On Amazon!) 2.  that you wrote a review. 3.  that you shared this email with friends! And we'll enter you into our "Everything Junkyard" Giveaway! The Giveaway will remain open to the end of day, April 18th.  We'll be picking a winner on the morning of April 19th! THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!  THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!!! Buy the Sparkle eBook "Junkyard Tales: Ben’s New Home" right HERE! :: For EVERYONE -- regardless of whether you purchase the eBook or not -- there's a Free Spring Junkyard Tales story available to enjoy right now.  It's called “Mike”, and it's just below! Thank you!  And enjoy!

Hello Sparklers! It's Easter Week, and we have a lot to share!  Of course, Easter is a Christian holiday -- but there's lots to explore in this time of year that crosses faiths and religions! Death and rebirth, the power of spring, enduring love -- these are all themes that weave themselves into this time of year -- particularly in the places in the world where Spring is bursting forth! What do we have to offer for this week? A FREE STORY and a SPECIAL DISCOUNT, plus a wee GIVEAWAY! the FREE STORY:  "Elijah's New Home" We in Sparkle Land are deeply moved by the original Easter story, and wanted to find a way to share it, without overwhelming children with intense imagery.   And so last year we crafted this story. It is called  “Elija’s New Home”, and it comes out of our "by Thistle by Thimble" Series.   It tells the story of Peter and his beloved dog, Elijah, and offers a way into the original Easter story by telling a tale of the love and loss (and enduring life) of one devoted dog. It’s a touching and very inspiring tale — and perfect for this time of year, whether you want see the bible story with fresh eyes, or you’d love a reminder of the awesome processes of life, love and mother nature. Important Note: It is a “secular” tale, and appropriate for all backgrounds and religious affiliations!  DISCOUNT:  the new "by Thistle by Thimble" Sample Audio Book! The "by Thistle by Thimble" Subscription Series is one of the least known of our Series, but it offers the richest content of all! So we want to inspire you to try it! This Series grew out of the many emails we received asking for ideas and support.  Parents asked us about how to address loss, how to talk to their children about challenging times, how to inspire courage, or wonder, or confidence.  And so the by Thistle by Thimble Series was born!  The stories in this Series are all "pedagogical" and "therapeutic" in their intention.   But they are still "Sparkle Stories" so they are delightful, entertaining, thought-provoking and deeply calming! We just created a "by Thistle by Thimble" Sample Audio Book, so it's easier to give the Series a try!  This Pack includes three of our favorite stories pulled from the Subscription Series (and for all you Thistle Thimble subscribers, you will soon find three new stories in your boxes!). For this week, we've created a discount of 1/2 off the normal Sample Pack price of $6.  It's an hour of rich, thought-provoking stories.  Click HERE to add the  to your Shopping Bag for $3!  (This offer is good through April 2nd.) WHAT STORIES are in this Sample Audio Book?  Some of the very favorites! "Slops and the Princess" No one knows Slops’ real name. All they know is that she is the Garbage Maiden, the one who carries off what no one wants, to burn or bury forever. But Slops has a secret — in fact she has several — for the people of the castle don’t realize that she often keeps what they throw away. One day, Slops finds something that is more valuable than anything she has ever found before, something that can only belong to the Princess. "Jack Tar's Brave Day" Jack Tar is a tall figure in sea lore known for his bravery on the high seas.  His bravest day, however, occurred on land when he was a boy: on his second day of school when he admitted what he really did know how to do ... and what he did not. "The Invisible Red Thread" There is a very old saying in the world: "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break." This story is about how a husband and wife in St. Louis follow an invisible red thread all the way to northern India, to find their daughter. the GIVEAWAY!  Three months of the "by Thistle by Thimble" Subscription Series! Would you be willing to share this Free Story and Discount? Then let us invite you into a quick Giveaway!