← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Kira & The Pooki Pandas 🐼 🎋 Sleepy Bedtime Story For Kids | Rewind
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Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. We're back in Sleepy Forest tonight hanging out with Coco, Kira and the gang. Some new creatures have moved into the forest and Koko and Kira's dad thinks Kira might want to meet them. I wonder why. Before we go exploring though, let's get into bed and stretch. That's it. Stretch yourself out so you are long like a pencil or wide like a starfish. And as you stretch, breathe and sigh. Perhaps wiggle your fingers and toes too, because. Why not? Perfect. Relax everything and scrummage around into your bed and under your covers until you are really comfy, warm and settled. And slowly come to stillness and just rest there, breathing softly. Great. Let's go and meet our cute koala friends and see just what's going on. 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, 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. This is Kira and the Pookie Pandas by Luke Prendergast. Deep in the heart of a faraway forest stood a cosy wooden cabin. Inside the cabin lived a family of koalas. Except one of them wasn't a koala. She was a panda bear. That's because Kira the panda had arrived in Sleepy Forest to be adopted by the family of koalas. Overnight, Kira got a new mum, a new dad, and a new big brother too. That was Koko. But even though she loved them very much, she did wonder from time to time what her life would be like if she hadn't been adopted. If she lived not with a family of koalas, but with a family of pandas. That was the peculiar thing Kira found about being adopted. She could feel an immense sense of belonging with her koala family at the same time as sometimes wondering about the alternatives and having questions too. Luckily, Kira and Koko's mum said this was perfectly normal. It's okay, she told Kira one night when she was tucking her into bed, to feel two seemingly opposite things at the same time. And in fact, it's not only normal to have questions about yourself and your life, it's healthy. Just because you miss the company of other panda bears doesn't mean that you love us any less. We understand that, my darling. All of us who live here In Sleepy Forest are complex creatures. We contain multitudes. Kira didn't quite understand what her mum meant when she said that we contain multitudes. But she liked made her imagine herself as a big house inside which lived lots of other mini Keiras. And sometimes these Keiras got along. And sometimes these Keiras disagreed. Some of them thought purple was the best colour in the whole world, and some of them thought the best colour was actually yellow. Some of them thought eucalyptus, which was Koala's favourite food and which her mum served for dinner very often, was delicious. And some of the others, quite frankly, weren't so sure. But even though all these mini carers didn't always agree with each other, that was okay, because in the end they were all still her. And so from time to time, Kira wondered what it would be like to spend some time with some other panda bears. And she didn't feel bad about it. The only problem was there were no other pandas living nearby in Sleepy Forest. There were grizzly bears and brown bears, sun bears and sloth bears. There was even a family of polar bears. But there were no panda bears, so Kira couldn't have spent time with them even if she wanted. But then one evening, Kira and Koko's dad came home with some pretty exciting news. A new family had moved into Sleepy Forest. A family of panda bears. They were called the Pookie pandas and they'd moved in way on the other side of the forest where tall bamboo trees grew up into the sky. Kira's dad had met the Pookie family today and said they seemed very friendly indeed. He had told them that his daughter was a panda bear and the Pookies had been very excited. They said that they'd love to meet her. So what do you say, Kira? Her dad asked with a gentle smile. Do you fancy meeting the Pookie pandas? Kira laid down her fork and then looked at Coco, who was sitting next to her. Koko wasn't just her brother, he was her best friend in the whole world. And often when she wasn't sure about something, she looked to him for help. He often gave great advice, and even if she didn't agree with it, what he said was almost always useful. Koko knew just what Kira's look meant. He reached out a paw to touch the back of hers and said, I think you should do it, Kira. It'll be fun to make some new friends, especially some panda ones. And I can come with you for moral support. Kira smiled. Koko's words had made her feel immediately more settled. Lets do it, she said. And so, just a couple of days later, the whole family, Kira, Koko, and their parents too, set out from their cosy cabin in the woods. They were all dressed in their finest clothes. Kira had chosen her favourite purple sundress and had tied a yellow bow in her hair, while Koko was wearing a green waistcoat and a pair of shiny brown boots. They walked down to the bank of the Sleepy river, where they picked up a taxi boat captained by a friendly mallard duck. Down the river they sailed, bobbing along rather serenely on the gentle current. Sunlight fell like golden pennies from the sky, scattering over the water and making it shimmer for some of the way. Koko and Kira lay on their backs and looked up, picking shapes out of the drifting clouds. At last Koko's dad announced that they were there. They hopped off the boat and onto the riverside and found themselves in an unfamiliar portion of Sleepy Forest. The trees here are different, coco said. They're so tall and thin and bright, Bright green. Oh yes, their dad replied. Their dad knew almost all there was to know about the history and geography of Sleepy Forest. He had a whole shelf of books at home about it, published by the Sleepy Forest Press. This is the bamboo section of Sleepy Forest, and the earth is different here, too, very different to where we live. And yet, said their mum, giving Kira a little wink, it's still Sleepy Forest. Kira grinned at her mum. Even the forest contains multitudes, she said. They weaved their way through the pole like bamboo trees whose leaves high, high above them were so dense and bright that all the air seemed to be tinged lime green. Then their dad pointed ahead. Here we are, he said. The first thing Kira thought when she saw the Pooky family residence was that this cabin in the woods looked a lot like their cabin in the woods. It was built from the same dark wood and was like their own home, wrapped around the trunk of a tree so that it was partway between a cabin and a treehouse. Even the front door looked similar, Kira thought as they approached it with a little peephole and its metal knocker, although their door was blue, whereas this door was white. Kira's dad reached out and lifted the door knocker. He let it go with a firm thwack. Then they waited, shifting a little on their feet while inside they heard the sound of footsteps approaching and the door swung open. In front of them stood a family of panda bears, two parents and a girl around Kira's own age. The pandas blinked a few times, then broke out into big Smiles. Welcome, said the mama panda. We're the Pookies. I'm Priscilla. This is Pete. And our little one here is Patty. Hello there. Welcome. You must be Coco. And you, of course, must be Kira. We've heard so much about you. Come on in. Kira and her family followed the Pooky family into their home and through to a cosy little kitchen. The walls were covered in family photographs. Some were just of the little panda, Patty. Others were of the three of them together. Still more captured images of the wider family. Aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents. A big clan of panda bears gathered in the shade beneath the bamboo tre. It was a little strange for Kira sitting there to see other panda bears for the first time in so long. She looked down at her palms and then looked at theirs. Hmm. How similar. Her fur was black and white splodges, and so was theirs. In many respects, she was very similar to the Pookies. And yet she didn't know them at all. In fact, being around them right now made her feel even closer to her koala family. And she edged a little closer to Koko just to feel him next to her. It was funny how the world worked in odd ways like that, wasn't it? Priscilla poured them all cups of juice, and then the two sets of parents began talking. The panda adults spoke about how tiring the move had been, but how happy they were to finally have arrived at Sleepy Forest. And the koala adults offered up compliments about how pretty their home was and made recommendations about things they could do as new arrivals to Sleepy Forest. Quite honestly, Kira found the conversation a little boring. That was sometimes the way with adults, wasn't it? They spoke about dull things while the kids had to sit around just listening. She stifled a little yawn, and then when she looked around, she noticed that Koko and Patty Pooky were yawning too. Kira wasn't the only one to notice the yawning. Priscilla Pooky noticed too. Oh, you kids shouldn't have to listen to us adults drone on, she said with a smile. Patty, why don't you take Koko and Kira outside and show them around? They didn't need asking twice. Patty Pooky hopped off her chair and and turned to Koko and Kira with a friendly smile. Come on, let's go. We've got a really fun rope swing outside. It's so much fun. You're going to love it. That certainly did sound fun. Koko and Kira said thank you to Priscilla Pookie for the cup of juice, then followed Patty Back outside into the bamboo forest, she led them up to a particularly tall tree, then showed them a long rope dangling down from one of the branches. Here, she said, let me show you how it goes. And Patty took hold of the knot of rope and hoisted herself up so that her back feet were stood on the knot, her front paws holding onto the length of rope tightly. And now she said, may you be so kind as to give me a little push. Kira went up to her, pulled on the length of rope, and then let go so that Patty started swinging back and forth. Up she went, very high indeed, and then back down. And all along she was giggling with delight. Ok, she said, hopping off the rope swing now it's your go. You go first, Kira said to Koko. And so, with Patty's help, Koko hoisted himself onto the rope. And then soon he was the one swinging back and forth, giggling with excitement too. Oh, that's a really good rope swing. He said when he was done. Go on, Kira, your turn. You're going to have a lot of fun. And so finally, Kira pulled herself up on the swing, and together Patty and Coco pulled her back as far as they could and let her go. Whee. She whistled as she soared through the air on the swing. Up, up, up she went. And then with a little twist in her stomach, she started going back down. Wowee. She said once the swing had come to a stop. That really was a lot of fun. She plonked herself down on the ground cross legged. And then Patty, Pooky and Coco sat down beside her. Patty gave a small sigh. Back in my old home, we had loads of rope swings. There were rope swings off every tree, more or less. And that's how my friends and I would travel to visit each other. We'd swing from one rope to another and then from that one to another, all the way through the forest until we reached each other's houses. She looked up at the rope that was now dangling in front of them. This is the only rope swing I have here. From the way she was speaking, Kira could tell that Patty Pooky was feeling a little sad. Are you missing your old home? She asked the young panda. Patty nodded. A little bit, she admitted. At first it was fun arriving in a new place. But then, as the days went by, I started to think about my old friends and I began to miss my old home. That's ok, Kira said. Let me tell you something that might make you feel better. When I first moved to Sleepy Forest, I missed my old home too. Even though everyone here is lovely and trust me, you'll see just how lovely everyone here truly is. I couldn't help sometimes thinking about where I'd come from and missing the people and places I knew there. But it gets better. And it gets better really quickly. It doesn't ever go away fully. Even now, sometimes I miss my old home. Patty looked at her wide eyed. You do? Kira nodded at her. Of course, she said. I love Sleepy Forest because it's my home. But I miss my old home sometimes too. Both things can be true at the same time. We contain multitudes now. Patty thought about this for a moment or two and then nodded. Hmm, that makes sense, I think. Hey, said Coco, who'd been listening to what they were saying, I have an idea. Why don't we try to create a series of rope swings that runs all the way from our cabin to the Pookie cabin here. Wow, Said Kira. That's an amazing idea, Coco. Then we can come and see our new friends, the Pookies, whenever we like. But it's an awful long way. Her cabins are on the complete opposite side of the forest. Well then, Coco said. I guess it will just have to be a long project full of hard work and determination. But we can do it, don't you think? What do you reckon, Patty? And now Patty broke into a very big smile indeed. I think that sounds brilliant. Then this place would be just like my old home. Thank you, she said and gave Coco a hug. Knowing that I've got two friends here makes me feel so much happier that we've moved. When Kira watched Patty Pookie give Koko a hug, she got a swell of pride in her heart. She had the best big brother in the world. She remembered all the times when she'd first moved here that Koko made her feel right at home. He'd introduced her to all his friends, took her on lots of fun adventures, and always read bedtime stories with her at night when they couldn't sleep. And now he was doing the same for Patty. Well, Kira felt that she certainly was a very lucky panda bear to have the family that she did. Soon they heard a call from their cabin. Their parents were calling them back inside. They went and discovered that Priscilla had served a whole selection of delicious bamboo snacks. There were bamboo biscuits and bamboo brownies. There were cut up triangles of bamboo sandwich and little cups of bamboo tea. It was the most delicious looking spread of food Kira had seen and after thanking Priscilla heartily, she tucked in. Kira and the Pookies ate all the bamboo snacks with relish. But Koko and his parents only had a little taste, and that was enough for them. Bamboo, after all, wasn't their favourite. I'm so sorry we don't have any eucalyptus treats for you, priscilla said to Kira and Coco's mum. We should have been better prepared. Not at all, Kira's mum told her. But when you come and visit our cosy cabin, you can have a taste of some of the eucalyptus we grow there. And judging by how much Kira seems to like your snacks, perhaps you can teach me a few bamboo tricks. Oh, Priscilla said with a smile. I'd be happy to. The light in the Pookie cabin began to change. The bright green daylight which filtered through the bamboo trees started to dim. Now it was a darker forest green. Looks like the sun is setting, kira's dad said, brushing a crumb of bamboo brownie from his lips. We'd best be off so we can get home before dark. And so Kira and Koko and their parents said goodbye to the Pookie pandas. They exchanged hugs all around and said how wonderful it was to meet each other. You must come back for more bamboo snacks whenever you like, Priscilla, pooky said to Kira, and Kira said, oh, yes, please, and gave Priscilla another hug. They waved the pookie pandas goodbye. Don't forget about our tree swings, said Patty, and Coco said, oh no, we definitely won't. Then they made their way back through the forest towards the sleepy river. Their parents strode ahead arm in arm, talking, no doubt about boring adult things, while Kira and Koko followed behind. At one point Koko cleared his throat and began to say something, but then he stopped and just muttered, oh, don't worry. It was not very in character for Koko to be shy about saying something, so Kira told him to go ahead. What was he going to say? Koko stared at the ground and was quiet for a few moments. Then he said, if you want to go and live with the pandas where there's lots of bamboo snacks you like, you can, you know. He shouldn't worry about upsetting me. Kira stopped right in her tracks and looked at him in amazement. Then she threw her arms around her big brother and enveloped him in a warm bear hug. Oh, Coco, you're so silly. Have you been worrying about that the whole time? Maybe, he said, his voice muffled in her shoulder. Well, you shouldn't have. There's not even a little bit of me that wants to live with the Pookie pandas, and that's because the Pookie pandas are my friends. But you're my Family. I was just thinking how happy and lucky I am to have you as a brother. They might make tasty bamboo snacks, but I'm right where I belong. Really? Said Coco. Oh yes, Kira replied. Trust me. Of all the Minikiras inside me, quite a few of them are koala shaped, you know. Ok, Koko said with a big smile and they carried on walking. Then Koko paused and said, what do you mean Mini Kiras inside you? Kira laughed. Oh, don't worry about it. It's just a way I've come to think of myself, she said. There's not just one of me inside. We contain multitudes, after all. And with that, Koko and Kira made their way through the forest to where the taxi boat was waiting to take them back home. Over the next few weeks, Koko and Kira saw a lot of patipukey. They had a project to complete. They took Patty to meet Buck the Beaver, who supplied them with all the lengths of rope they could need. Then they tracked a trail through the forest, marking the trees that would need rope swings on them in order to connect the Pookie cabin to Koko in Kira's one. It turned out that the distance between the two wasn't quite so far as their dad had made out. Maybe he didn't know all there was to know about the geography of Sleepy Forest after all. Once all the trees were marked out, they set about making their rope swings. Patty took the lead on this, since she was by then an expert at rope swing craft. They climbed up the trunks, found sturdy branches and wrapped the ropes around them so they dangled down. All in all, it took two weeks and two days, but soon enough the rope swing path was completed. After a little practice, Patty and Kira and Koko could swing from one cabin in the woods to the other in just minutes, which meant that it was very easy for them to visit each other's houses to eat bamboo and eucalyptus and have slumber parties. Sleepovers were their favourite. They made a bed on the floor for Patty in between Koko and Kira's beds, and with the starlight coming through the gap in the curtains, they read bedtime stories until their eyes got heavy and their limbs got sleepy and the words of the stories began to be exchanged for big old yawns. Thank you for all the rope swings, patty said one evening just as they were falling asleep at a slumber party. You're very welcome, Kira said. Patty yawned, then said, now Sleepy Forest feels just like home. And as Kira drifted off to sleep, she wondered where the Sleepy Forest felt like home to Patti Pookie. Because of the rope swings or because of them? Well, she thought it could easily be both.