Hello, friends! How was your day today? Did you have lots of fun, or maybe you were busy or just relaxed? Whether you’re getting ready for bed or not, we have a special story for you called “The Night Box” by Louise Greg and Ashlyn Lindsay.
As the day starts to get sleepy, the sky turns dark, and the birds stop singing. A little boy named Max watches as the last bits of sunlight disappear. Max has something special in his hand. Can you guess what it is? It’s a key!
Max’s mom tells him it’s time for bed. The day slowly says goodbye, and Max waves as it leaves. In the quiet night, a fox wakes up and wonders if the day is still around. But the day is tired, and everything is waiting for night to come.
Max’s mom gives him a goodnight kiss and leaves him with his teddy bear. Among his toys, there’s a special box called the night box. Max knows it’s time to open it!
Max turns the key in the night box, and whoosh! The day goes inside, and the night comes out. Darkness dances all around the room, under the bed, and everywhere else. Max giggles and listens to the night sounds. He hears tiny noises that sound big, like a little drip or a gentle tap.
Night is big and can hold everything, even a mountain and an ocean! It stretches up to the sky, and suddenly, stars twinkle and shine. A swan flies home, and night gently covers a sleeping fawn with her mother.
Night invites animals like the badger and fox to play. They come out of the shadows to have fun. Night gives everyone something special in the dark. Max has his teddy bear and a cozy bed.
Night is kind and stays with Max, keeping him safe and warm. But night gets sleepy too. It whispers, “Good night,” and when it’s time, Max opens the box again. Whoosh! Night goes back inside, and the day comes out to play.
The day wakes up, and everything comes alive again. The sun rises, and a new song begins. Wasn’t that a lovely bedtime story? We hope you enjoyed “The Night Box” as much as we did!
Do you have a bedtime routine? How many books do you like to read before bed? One, two, or maybe three? If you liked this story, give us a thumbs up and subscribe for more stories. We’d love to hear from you, so leave us a comment. Take care and see you next time. Bye!
Nighttime Sounds Exploration: After listening to the story, let’s explore the sounds of the night just like Max did! With the help of an adult, go outside or sit by an open window when it’s dark. Close your eyes and listen carefully. What sounds can you hear? Is it a cricket chirping, the rustle of leaves, or maybe a distant car? Draw a picture of the sounds you hear and share it with your friends or family.
Create Your Own Night Box: Just like Max, you can have your own night box! Find a small box and decorate it with stars, moons, or anything you like. Each night, before bed, write or draw something special that happened during the day and place it in your night box. In the morning, open the box and remember the special moments as the new day begins.
Day and Night Observation: Let’s learn about the differences between day and night. With a grown-up, observe the sky during the day and at night. What do you see? Are there clouds, stars, or the moon? Draw two pictures: one of the daytime sky and one of the nighttime sky. Talk about what makes them different and what you like about each time of day.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music] Hi everyone, welcome back to the Storytime Family! How was your day today? Did you have a fun day, a busy day, or a relaxing day? Well, it looks like you’re about to go to bed… or maybe not! Today we have “The Night Box,” a bedtime story by Louise Greg and Ashlyn Lindsay.
[Music] You can get your own copy of this book and show some love for the authors via the links in our description below. Now, let’s have a look at “The Night Box,” shall we?
The night box day is yawning. Quiet settles in the trees. The birds fold their wings; the singing stops. Yellow sinks behind the rooftops. A little boy watches the last strips of light drop down onto long shadows.
But what is he holding? Is it a key? “It’s time for bed,” Max’s mother calls softly. Day slips out of the leaves, out of the pond, out of the pink rose and the blue ball. Max waves goodbye.
A fox uncurls, blinks, sniffs, and thinks, “Is day still here?” But day is sleepy. The milk-white daisies droop and close. A bank of tiny ghosts—two eyes, two ears, two wings—wait as they inch like a snail around the clock. Tick tock, tick tock.
In the kitchen, the spoons stop clinking. “Good night,” they wink to the kettle. Everything waits. The long window waits for the heavy drapes. The bare wall waits for shadow. A bed waits for a boy. A lot waits for a key.
Here is Max’s mother with milk and a song. She kisses him and kisses the bear, then she’s gone. Look among the toys—what peeks out? Not a rabbit, not a whistle, not a drum—a box of midnight blue. The night box is waiting too.
Max smiles, for he knows it is time and the waiting is done. Gently, he turns the key in the night box—click, and another click. Up comes the lid—whoosh! Day slips inside as night sweeps out. Darkness tumbles into the air; it dances and whirls around the room. It goes under the bed, under the chair, everywhere.
“Hello, night!” laughs Max. Night is mischievous; it chases blue, white, pink, and green away. Max presses his ear to the darkness. Night turns tiny sounds up loud—just a plank, that’s all. Just a drip, not a waterfall. Just a tap on a window pane, just a little branch as gentle as rain. Nothing more—just a tinkle of a bell and a purr, not a lion, it’s a kitten.
Max holds on tight as darkness swirls and spills like ink into the world. Night is huge; it can hold a house, a pond, a forest, a mountain, and a whale—even an ocean too. Night soars, streams, stretches up to the sky like a kite, and suddenly a thousand stars sparkle and fizz, shine and spin.
“This way,” they say to a swan. “Where is she going?” She beats her strong white wings and honks one word: “Home.” Night is gentle; it floats down to the ground like a feather. It covers a fawn asleep with her mother. Night is brave; leave them in peace.
Night shakes itself into the trees. “Come, badger! Come, fox! Let’s play!” And out of the shadows, they snout and snuffle, leap and swoop. Night gives a moon to a pawn and a mole to a goose. Now a rose has a fox, and a kitten has the milk. Everything has something in the dark. The branch has an owl, and the wall has a tree, and Max has a bear and a soft, warm bed.
Night is kind. Night stays in Max’s room, silent and strong all night long, to hold in its arms a bear and a boy. But night gets sleepy too. “Good night,” it sighs to itself. “My job is done. It is time to return.”
And when night falls asleep, Max opens the box and whoosh! Night slips inside as day sweeps out. Day breathes into the leaves, quiet flies out of the trees, yellow rises from the rooftops, and a new song begins.
Now, wasn’t that a beautiful bedtime story? Hope you enjoyed “The Night Box” as much as we did! Tell us about your bedtime ritual. How many books do you read? Just one, two, maybe three?
If you enjoyed this video, we would appreciate a like, and do subscribe if you haven’t, and click on the bell for more stories like this. Leave us a comment; we’d love to hear from you. Until we see you again, thanks for dropping by. Take good care of yourself and your family. Bye!
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