Bedtime Stories for Kids Ages 4-8

By: Bernard Tate

Narrated by: Maxwell Glick

Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Nothing’s more rewarding than listening to an audiobook to your kids at bedtime. But–let’s face it–occasionally, you might be in a hurry!

Perhaps the big game’s about to begin. Maybe you’ve got paperwork your boss has got to have in front of them first thing. Or do you need to finally make a start on that mountain of washing you’ve been ignoring for days? In these circumstances, you want a bedtime story that’s exciting, fun-filled, and won’t take all night to get through!

That’s where Bedtime Stories for Kids Ages Four-Eight comes in! Acclaimed children's author Bernard Tate has crafted 20 charming but concise bedtime stories to help out frazzled moms and dads. Your kids will absolutely love them, but they won’t take up too much of your precious time!

Inside, discover 20 magical tales of enchanted creatures, faraway lands, and all-action adventurers, including:

• "A New, Old Friend": Unravel the mystery of a boy found frozen in ice. Follow Jack as he discovers an ancient friend who turns his lonely winter holiday into an adventure of a lifetime!
• "The Explorer": Join a fearless explorer as they venture into the heart of a mysterious pyramid filled with puzzles, monkey statues, and dancing snakes. Will curiosity and a lucky coin be enough to guide them out of this ancient maze?
• "Friends from Space": Discover the heartwarming adventure of Alisha and her unexpected little friends from space. Listen on as they form a special bond and use teamwork to reach new heights!
• "Level Up": Dive into the exhilarating story of a young boy who unexpectedly finds himself inside his favorite video game. Follow Luke as he teams up with the mysterious Glitch to outsmart a giant worm and find his way home.
• "The Unicorn on the Trail": Meet Ellie, an adventurous eight-year-old embarking on an unexpected journey on her birthday. With the help of Chill, a majestic unicorn prince, Ellie learns about her destiny and the importance of making the right choices.
• Fifteen more awesome 10 minute stories that will fire your child’s imagination and fill their dreams with magic!

Each enthralling story whisks children away on an imaginative rollercoaster, igniting their curiosity and sense of adventure. Along the way, they’ll meet fascinating characters created especially to win the hearts of young listeners. The stories also contain valuable life lessons such as responsibility, courage, friendship, and kindness. Perfect values to teach your kids at the day’s end!

©2023 Bernard Tate (P)2023 Tomokai River

Didn’t Quite Work

As someone who loved being read to as a child and loved reading to nieces and nephews, I find the concept of audiobooks of bedtime stories for children to be a bit odd. Yet, when they come up for review on a favorite book review site, I pick them up to see if a book will be one to change my mind. I have listened to one that was absolutely remarkable, with lots of music, sound effects, and interesting voices that made it seem more like an old radio play than an audiobook.

Unfortunately, I found this particular bedtime story book lackluster and potentially harmful to a good night's restful sleep. I wasn't wild about the narrator; I found his voice odd and annoying, like a chipper Santa’s elf. Some parents, caregivers, and other family members who might play this for a child may not appreciate that it does reference particular body parts and sounds; many kids love this, but many adults don't like books to reinforce a love of the scatological. For a bedtime story book, some stories would be far too disturbing and could trigger nightmares for a sensitive, young, or easily frightened child. One story is actually about a fire the child hero narrowly escaped. Not quite the settle-down-to-slumber stories best for kids at bedtime. Most stories had male protagonists, leaving girls out of too many stories. And the ones with female protagonists definitely seemed stereotypical, far too common in children's stories. Let's give little girls some adventure, too—not based on gender stereotypes! Some stories had a magical, whimsical element, but you would have to sort through these to figure out if they would be appropriate for the child you intend them for, as well as if you want these kinds of lessons and concepts to be reinforced for the child. Really, I think you're better off picking a story book you've already vetted and reading it to the child yourself.