← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Bison Boone's Moonbeam Dream Tour 🎤 ✨ Relaxing Bedtime Stories For Kids
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- [00:11]
A
Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. Hello everyone. Tonight is a very special night here at Koala Moon because I have something new and rather lovely to share with you. You know how much I care about choosing stories that feel safe, cosy and just right for bedtime. Well, tonight I'm introducing you to someone very special. Her name is Lauren and she's joining us to share this evening's adventure, a magical story where Coco and Kira head off to a very exciting concert full of music, sparkling lights and a few wonderful surprises along the way. I'll still be right here in the Koala Kingdom, of course, but for this story, I'm gently handing over the rain so you can drift off on a brand new adventure. So snuggle down, take a slow sleepy breath, and let's give Lauren the warmest Koala Moon welcome. Sweet dreams. Before we begin, a quick message for the grown ups. If you'd like to support our podcast, enjoy ad free listening, unlock four bonus stories per month and much more, you can join Koko Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes, but now here's a quick word from our sponsors.
- [01:41]
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Hello, Koalakids. I'm Lauren and I'm so happy to be here with you at Koala Moon. I'll be joining you every now and then to share a brand new bedtime story. And I feel so lucky to be part of the cosy little kingdom. I've always loved stories, especially the kind that make you feel warm and safe, like you're tucked up under a blanket while your imagination drifts somewhere wonderful. And I have to tell you, I've loved listening to Abby's stories just like you. There's something so special about the way stories can help busy thoughts settle down and turn bedtime into something calm and magical. It means so much to me to now be sharing a story with you. Tonight we'll be heading off on a musical adventure with Koko, Kira and their sparkly suited grandma as they travel to Moonbeam Heights for Bison Boon's Moonbeam Dream Tour. And yes, that's right, Bison Boon. There'll be dazzling lights, wonderful songs, new friends, and even a very cosy surprise ride home. So snuggle into your pillow and settle down for Bison Boon's Moonbeam Dream Tour. By Luke Prendergast. Deep in the heart of a faraway forest stood a cozy wooden cabin. In the cabin lived a family of koalas. Koko lived there with his parents, his grandparents, and his little sister, Kira the Panda. Koko's parents adopted Kira years ago, and since then Kira had become more than just his sister. She had become his best friend. There were many wonderful things that Koko loved about Kira, but one of them was that she seemed to have an almost magical ability to discover the coolest new music. He could still remember the day she arrived at the cosy cabin in the woods with her signature purple bow in her hair and matching purple headphones over her head so she could listen to music. She told him that music made her feel safe, like a comfort blanket, because no matter where in the world or how much anything changed, your favourite songs stayed the same. Koko liked that idea. He thought about it often. Ever since then, Kira had introduced Koko to all kinds of music, age old and brand new. Remember, it was Kira who had introduced him to Swifty. Of course. How could he ever forget that? One evening Coco was busy at the kitchen table drawing a picture of a cactus that had arms instead of spikes so that it didn't poke you but hugged you instead. But when Kira came in with a slender, square tissue wrapped object gripped in her paw, he put his crayon down straight away. He stood up from the table. Is that what I think it is? He asked. Kira grinned at him and nodded. I was just down at the Evergreen department store browsing in the music section, of course, and the friendly emu was working there, the one who lets me listen to new music so I can decide what I like before I get it. I listened to a few vinyl records and they were all okay, but then I put this one in and I put the headphones on and I only listened for three seconds. Just three seconds because it was so good I had to share it with you. I came home with it straight away. Kira handed Koko the record and he tore off the tissue paper. On the front of the album was one of the coolest creatures Koko had ever seen. A bison with a shaggy head of curly hair, wearing denim shorts and a pair of roller blades that shot fire out of the back of them. Oh. He sighed, reading the name of the musician. Bison Boone. He let the name roll around his tongue. Now that sounded like the name of a pop star. And with those awesome rollerblades, the only remaining question mark hung over the music. He grinned at Kira. Let's go listen. They flew up the stairs so swiftly they might have had flames coming out of the back of their shoes. Into their room they went and put the new vinyl on their grandma's old record player, which she had given to them back when their grandma was a young koala. She had told them vinyl records were the only way you could listen to music. That's how old she was. But now records were just pretty cool. Plus, Kira said everything sounded better on vinyl. She lowered the little needle down to the record and listened out for the first telltale scratch. Twenty seconds later, they were rocking around their bedroom, Coco strumming his air guitar, Kira with an imaginary microphone held to her lips. Bison Boon. They loved him. Every day when they came home from school, they made sure to get their homework finished extra efficiently so they could go upstairs and listen to Bison Boone's music. They bought posters of him and stuck them on their bedroom walls alongside their posters of Swifty. Coco even tried to grow his fur out so he could have long shaggy hair just like Bison Boon, but all he managed was one little curl on the top of his cute koala head. You two have got Bison Mania. Their grandma told them, shaking her head. That made Coco and Kira laugh out loud. Yes, they did, they agreed happily. But if they had Bison Mania, then she had Bison Mania, too. They'd seen her shimmying down the corridor when they were playing Bison Boon in their room. Their grandma blushed a little. Well, you're right, she said. Maybe I do. Then one day their dad came home with some pretty wonderful news. Bison Boone was starting his Moonbeam Dream Tour in the nearby city of Moonbeam Heights. The opening show was this very weekend, and what was more, their dad had managed to get tickets. What amazing news. They cheered and wrapped their arms around their dad and hugged him and kissed his cheeks. Thank you, thank you, they repeated. You're very welcome, their dad told them, smiling. I thought you could take your grandpa, he added, because I know how he loves music. But then came a little cough from the corner of the kitchen. It was their grandma, if my memory serves me correctly, she said with a cheeky glimmer in her eye. Your grandfather got to take you to the Swifty concert when she came to Sleepy Forest, isn't that right? Kira nodded. Yes, Grandma, that was right. Well then, she said, I think it's my turn this time. Their grandpa looked over the top of his newspaper, blinked twice, and nodded. Fair enough. This time, Coco and Kira wrapped their arms tightly around their grandma. How excited they were to go and see Bison Boone's Dream tour with her. As often happens, whenever you are really looking forward to something like birthdays and Christmas, the week dragged its heels. But soon enough, Saturday Night arrived and they were ready for the concert. Coco came down in a pair of cut off dungarees with his single curl gelled to his head. Kira had put on a bright purple dress and a matching spangly purple bow. When their grandma came downstairs, Coco and Kira's mouths almost dropped to the floor. She was not in her usual thick knit cardigan and slouchy trousers. She had put on a suit of silver sequins that sparkled as though they captured a sky full of stars. Coco was the one who found his voice first. Wow, Grandma, you look amazing. Their grandma grinned. I brush up all right for an old koala, don't I? Together, the three of them wandered through the darkening evening. Everyone in Sleepy Forest seemed to be getting ready for bed, tucking themselves into nests or burrows. But when they spotted the three of them, they were very curious about where they were going, looking so dapper, and wished them a fun night at the concert. Soon enough they reached the station where the Moonbeam Express was waiting to take them to the city, its golden wheel shining and its rose glass windows misted with condensation. They sat on pale blue leather seats around a table while the train's engine chugged beneath them and discussed their hopes for the evening. Kira said she hoped Bison Boone played her favourite song, the one about love being magical. Koko said he hoped the stage looked spectacular and their grandma said she hoped the cafe was serving tea. They chatted so much that the journey went by in almost a blink of an eye and the next thing they knew they were stepping off the train in Moonbeam Heights. They let out sighs of wonder as, gazing upwards, they took in the towering stone buildings with their panels of glass flashing with lights. Many creatures were getting off here. Moonbeam Heights was the capital city of Koala Kingdom, after all, but Kira saw that some of them were dressed up in spangly outfits too. They must be going to the Moonbeam Dream Tour too, she said. They drifted with the flow of the crowd and discovered outside the station signs pointing them towards the Starshine Stadium. They plodded merrily down the pavement, smiling sheepishly at a pair of young moose who had wound fairy lights around their antlers. They were obviously attending the concert too, but for now at least, Coco and Kira were feeling a little too shy to say hello. Soon they saw a big black building appear in front of them. It looked like a super sized speaker covered in bright lights flashing like stars. Why? Said their grandma, looking down at her shimmering suit with a cheeky smile. I think the Starshine Stadium has rather stolen my fashion sense, don't you? Coco and Kira giggled and silently they both decided that they had the coolest grandma in the world. They joined the queue full of other excited fans, feeling as though they were submerged in an ocean of chatter. When they got to the front, Coco was so proud to show their tickets that at first he didn't notice who the security guard was. Uncle Keef, he said in surprise. Hello, Coco, Uncle Keith said before saying hello to Kira and their grandma too. He was wearing the same blue uniform with a blue cap that he wore when he was the security guard at the cinema, but they hadn't expected to see him here. We never knew you worked at the Starshine Stadium too, Uncle Keith, kira said, frowning a little as though she had been tricked. Well, Kira, uncle Keith replied with a jolly smile, there are plenty of things you don't know about me. But hurry along now, the concert's starting. Have fun. They each gave Uncle Keith a big hug and stepped into the big black speaker, sidestepping other creatures who are wandering hither and thither. They headed for the big doors that led through to the stadium. But then their grandma spotted the cafe bar and paused. Don't worry, she reassured them. I promise you we won't miss the start. Just as their grandma had hoped, the stadium served tea and within a couple of minutes she had a steaming cardboard cup clasped between her paws. In fact, Koko and Kira did too. Their grandma had treated them to a hot chocolate each. When he walked into the stadium, Koko gasped with wonder. It was huge, much larger than the riverside concert space where they had seen Swifty that time in Sleepy Forest. Rows and rows of red raked seats rose up the sides of the stadium, and more rows lined the ground area. There must have been thousands of creatures in there, and the air in the stadium seemed to fizz with a tingling kind of happiness. They squeezed down the aisle, smiling and saying hello to other fans that they passed until they reached their seats. How pleased they were with them. They had a perfect view of the stage, which currently had a huge black screen drawn over the front of it, concealing what lay behind. There was another surprise about their seats. They were right next to the two moose siblings with the fairy lights encircling their velveteen antlers. Hey, said one of them. We saw you outside and we saw you, kira agreed. How funny that we've ended up sitting next to each other. Any shyness that they had had before evaporated the next moment. Coco and Kira were deep in conversation with the moose, discussing their favourite bison boon songs, the most dazzling guitar riffs, and the best of his numerous music videos. They were almost taken by surprise when the lights dimmed. Tingles of excitement went through both of them, and through everyone else in the whole stadium, too, they supposed the show was about to begin. In the pitch darkness, they couldn't see the black screen in front of the stage rise and disappear. But what they could see was a giant moon, glittering like a disco ball, hung high above the centre of the stage. Soft spotlights affixed to the moon swung around the stadium, the beams drifting over the applauding fans and transforming them, just for the briefest moment, into magical visions. Wow. Coco whispered. This set is awesome. Now we understand why it's called the Moonbeam Dream Tour, Kira said. Look, whispered Grandma, pointing up to the moon. On its surface. A door had slid open and stood right in the centre of the moon, holding a sky blue electric guitar. The crowd broke into applause. Everyone clapped whatever limbs they had, paws and hands, claws and wings. Bison they called. Bison Boon Bison, still a silhouette standing in the silver light of the disco moon, raised a hoof in the air. The stadium went silent. Then he brought it down, strumming his first chord. Kira wrapped her arms around Coco. I can't believe it, she said. It's my favourite song. And then she was singing. Singing about Moonbeam ice creams and dancing at the movies. Singing about how love was mystical, how love was magical. The musical notes seemed to float through the air like invisible bubbles. Some tickled their ears, some landed soft and cozy in their chests. Large screens on either side of the stage showed Bison Boone strutting up and down the stage with his guitar, shoots of silver glitter fanning from his feet as though he were moving on Stardust. When he did his trademark backflips all across the stage, the crowd cheered and called for more. Everyone loved it when Bison did a backflip. Had Koko and Kira ever danced so much before? They weren't sure. They shimmied and boogied with him. Their grandma even did. The jive waves of happiness flowed around the stadium, and occasionally a Mexican wave went up too. Everyone was smiling and singing. Koko and Kira found themselves making friends with the two moose simply by dancing. That was the power of music, Coco thought to himself at one point. It wasn't only that it never changed. It wasn't that it was always there for you. It was that it brought people together, no matter where they'd come from. It was like a sturdy bridge between your heart and someone else's. Then the show grew gentler Bison Boone exchanged his electric guitar for a green acoustic guitar. He sat on the front of the stage with his hooves dangling off the edge and strummed the strings. Some of these slow songs were cheerful, some were beautifully bittersweet, but all through them the audience swayed back and forth as though they were a field of wildflowers swaying in the breeze. The final song he played was so moving that tears of joy came to Koko and Kira's eyes. They wrapped their arms around each other and around their grandma too, as plumes of confetti, pink and white and pale blue, streamed from the dangling moon. The confetti drifted over the audience like delicate drops of snow, or like tiny blossoms released from the branches of a cherry tree. Bison Boone took a deep bow as the audience clapped. The show was over, but even though it was over as they left the Starshine Stadium, they could still feel the music lingering in their bodies. It was a low, warm vibration, like a kind of joy that had sunk into them and taken up home. I wish the Moonbeam Dream Tour could have gone on forever, said Kira. Then she let out a big yawn. Their grandma chuckled. It rather seems that if it had gone on any longer, she said, you'd have been asleep on your feet. Come on, it's been a long day and we're tired. Time to get home and to bed. They strolled down the streets of Moonbeam Heights back towards the station. Now that it was night, the streets were much quieter than they had been before. The sky above them was black as polished leather, except for the milky spill of a distant galaxy in the distance. It was rather unexpected when a small bus pulled up beside them. Had they accidentally waved it down at a bus stop? They glanced around themselves. But no, there wasn't a bus stop to be seen. With a satisfying hiss, the doors of the bus slid open, and it was with some surprise that they realised they knew the driver. Uncle Keef Coco said hello again. But wait. He frowned and scratched the top of his head. I thought you were a security guard. Are you a bus driver now, too? Uncle Keith, still wearing his blue uniform, winked. I told you that there were plenty you two didn't know about me. And besides, this isn't a bus. Kira cocked her head to one side, bemused. It's not? She asked. How strange. It looked rather like a bus to her. It's not simply a bus, uncle Keith said. It's a tall bus. A tall bus, kira repeated. But whose? Mine, said a deep, friendly voice. And as though he were not a real creature But a vision or a dream come true. Bison Boone stepped into view. He was no longer in his concert outfit. He was wearing comfy black trousers and a baggy shirt with a picture of a drum kit on it. His hair had been let down and hung in its spiralling curls. He grinned at them. Well, mine and my band's, of course. Coco and Kira, not for the first time today, just stared at him with their mouths open. They couldn't believe their eyes, and they couldn't just yet find their tongues. Your Uncle Keith here spotted you on the pavement and pointed you out to me, bison Boone said. He said that there's my family who all live in Sleepy Forest, and that gave me an idea. I said, hey, Keith, do you reckon your family would like a lift back home to Sleepy Forest on my tour bus? And Keith said to me that there was only one way to find out. We had to ask you. So concluded with another grin. Here I am finding out. How do you fancy that lift? It didn't take long for Coco and Kira to find their tongues and find their answers. Of course they would like to ride back home. They climbed the silver steps of the bus and the door folded shut behind them with a pshh, as though it was sighing in contentment. Inside, the bus did not feel like a bus at all. It felt like a secret den. Soft golden lamps glowed along the walls, dancing on their grandma's sparkly suit. The air smelled faintly of gingerbread and freshly cleaned laundry. Kira's shoes sank into the thick rug patterned with tiny stars. Along one side of the bus was a long velvet sofa, the very same colour as the moss that grew on their cabin back in Sleepy Forest. And on the other side there were rows of bunk beds bundled with knitted blankets and all kinds of cushions. Stripy cushions, fluffy cushions, Cushions shaped like bumblebees and clouds. This is the cosiest bus I've ever seen, mumbled Koko. Bison Boone told him that after the excitement of the stage, it was good to have somewhere gentle to land at the end of the night. Plus, he said, if there's one thing I love as much as music, it's napping. Kira smiled at him. She knew she loved Bison Boone's music, but she never would have guessed she'd get the chance to meet him and discover just how much they had in common. Just like us, she told him. He is that. So, he said, well, we best get comfy and have a nap. It's a pretty long journey back to Sleepy Forest. Uncle Keith started the ignition and the bus rumbled to life beneath them. It rolled down the roads ever so gently. Not bumpy, not rattly, just the low comforting purr of the engine beneath them. Somewhere near the back of the bus, a kettle started whistling and Bison Boone asked them if they wanted any tea. No thank you, Koko and Kira said, yawning. They were too tired for tea, but their grandma accepted the offer gratefully and a minute later she was sunk into the moss coloured sofa with her grey paws wrapped around a warm pink mug. Her eyelids kept drifting closed and fluttering open. She was tired too. Bison Boone pointed at the bunk beds. Take your pick, he said. Koko chose a top bunk. He climbed the tiny wooden ladder and clambered onto a mattress so soft and puffy it was like lying on top of a giant marshmallow. There was a small shelf with a moon shaped nightlight. Kira took the bunk beneath him, tucking herself under a blanket embroidered with musical notes, crotchets and quavers and other symbols she didn't know about yet. Somehow the blanket was warm and toasty, as though it had recently been folded over a radiator. Bison settled down on the other end of the moss green sofa for a little while. As the bus rumbled beneath them and the twinkling lights of the homes and buildings of Moonbeam Heights flickered past the windows. They chatted. They spoke about music, about the concert, about their favourite books. They discovered that Bison Boone himself had in fact been at the very same Swifty concert they had once been to, singing along in the crowd. Just like them, he was a huge fan. But as they talked, they got sleepier. Coco let out a few big yawns and Kira found she couldn't keep her eyes open. She had to keep rubbing them to keep awake. It was time to take a nap. As they nestled down further into the soft pillows on the torbus bunk bed, Bison had an idea. How would they like it if he sung them a song that he had only recently written as a kind of bedtime lullaby? No one in the world had heard it live before. Would they like that? Would they like that? Kira repeated. There was nothing in the world they'd like more. So Bison picked up an acoustic guitar that had been leaning against the side of the sofa. The metal strings gleamed in the golden lamplight. He rested it on his lap and tested a couple of strings to make sure they were in tune. Then he cleared his throat and strummed the first chord. It was a gentle nighttime tune. The chords were shimmering and soft, the music wavering and mysterious. Just hearing it made Koko and Kira feel even sleepier, their limbs even heavier. Bison's voice was deep and low, luxurious as chocolate, and he sang about the beauty of the world and kindness, and the joys of making new friends. Coco and Kira both tried to stay awake. They knew how special it was to be in Bison's tour bus, hearing a song that no one had ever heard played before. But they couldn't help it. They were drifting off. They yawned. They stretched. They snuggled into the folds of the blankets. And before Bison could even finish playing his song, they had both fallen asleep. Their breathing was slow and gentle. Their heads were filled with magical dreams. But Bison Boone didn't put down his guitar. He carried on playing. He sang the gentlest, most soothing songs he knew. As the Moonbeam Dream tour bus trundled the through the Koala Kingdom, bearing them safely all the way home. Sam.