Make a Bedtime Story About a Bear
A bear is big, warm and slow — which is most of what a child wants beside them at night. Readkidz writes and illustrates a complete bedtime story about a bear that settles into one den, counts the quiet things one at a time, and takes the reader down with it instead of waking them up at the end.
Made with Readkidz
Four pages from “Bramble Bear Counts the Quiet Things.” The count is the clock — by ten, the book is over and so is the child.
How it works
- 1Pick what your bear counts
Quiet things, stars, breaths, the creaks a house makes. Counting gives a bedtime book a built-in ending, and a child who knows ten is coming stops fighting the last page.
- 2Dig one den and stay in it
Same moss bed, same round entrance, same stream outside. Readkidz keeps the den identical on every spread, so the only thing that changes is how heavy the bear's eyes are getting.
- 3Read it on a tired night
The real test is the tenth reading, not the first. Read it aloud once, cut any line that picks up speed, and redo a picture that came back too bright — then print it or keep it on the tablet.
Is this what you were looking for?
- What you get
- 10 illustrated pages plus a cover
- Written for
- Ages 2-6
- How long
- One sitting — not weeks
- Rights
- Original story — nothing is retold from another book
Frequently asked questions
Why does counting work so well at bedtime?
It removes suspense on purpose. A child who can hear the number going up knows exactly how much book is left, so there is nothing to stay awake for. It also gives you somewhere to slow down — most parents stretch the last three numbers without noticing they are doing it.
Is a bear too big for a two-year-old?
Size is why it works, as long as the bear is the one who is sleepy. In the sample the bear is young, round-eared and not remotely threatening — the child is not being protected from the bear, they are going to sleep alongside it. If you want it smaller or softer, say so in your description.
Can it be the bear we already own?
Yes, and it is worth doing. Describe the actual toy — the ear that is coming loose, the patch of fur rubbed flat — and that bear is drawn the same way on every page. Children are unreasonably loyal to their own bear.
How young can this go?
Two works if you keep it to eight or nine spreads with one line per page. You set the page count and the reading age before anything is drawn, so the same idea can come out as a board-book-style read or a longer one for a five-year-old.
Can I read the whole sample before I make mine?
Yes — the link below opens all eleven pages of Bramble Bear Counts the Quiet Things, plus the caregiver notes. Nothing is cut off partway.
Will my bear book be a rewrite of that one?
No. The counting structure is a shape anyone can use; the bear, the den, what gets counted and how it ends are yours. None of the sample's sentences are reused in your book.
Make tonight's bear story
Say what your bear counts and where it sleeps. The whole book is illustrated before you leave, and you see the price before you spend anything.
Create new original characters, wording, and visual designs. Do not request protected characters, logos, or close imitation of a living artist’s signature style.