The true story behind it
My son just gave me the name, Sunny the parrot, and left the rest to me. So I reached back into my own childhood. I used to be scared at night, sure a ghost lived under my bed. I never just hid from it, though. In my dreams I’d fight it off and throw it out, and when the fear got too big I had an escape: I’d run to the front door, jump, and float toward the neighbor’s flower bed, and the moment I reached it I’d wake up. That fear became the dark forest in this story, and the flower bed became the elf’s sparkling lights.
What happens in the story
One evening, just as the sun goes down, a bright yellow parrot named Sunny flaps up to Kitty and Dino’s door. The baby animals in the forest are scared of the dark, he says, and they can’t sleep. One little bunny cries, “I can’t see my mommy even when she’s beside me!”
Sunny remembers the sparkly lights that used to fill the night sky, and a tiny elf who is said to make them. Kitty puts her paws on the ground and feels for him with her earth magic. Deep in the oldest part of the woods they find Twinkle, a little elf with a soft blue glow. He loves making lights, but he gets shy around others.
Sunny has a kind idea: Twinkle can hide while he works. Dino grows soft moss seats inside a big hollow oak, the babies settle in, and the lights begin. It ends with a forest full of sleepy, happy little faces.
Looking for a children’s book about parrots?
Sunny is a bright yellow parrot with blue tips on his wings, and he’s the one who notices something is wrong. That makes him a nice hero for a small child. He can’t fix it himself, so he flies off and asks for help.
There’s a second small story tucked inside, too. Twinkle the elf is shy, and nobody pushes him. They find a way for him to share his lights from a hiding spot, and by the end he has new friends. That’s a good thing for a shy kiddo to hear at bedtime.
Look inside
Flip through the opening pages of the book.
Questions to ask after reading
A few questions for the minute after the book closes. There are no wrong answers.
- The baby animals were scared because it was too dark. What helps you feel safe at night?
- Twinkle was shy. How did Sunny help him share his lights?
- If you could make a light show in the sky, what shapes would you make?
Perfect for
- ✓ The kid who’s scared of the dark
- ✓ A calming, reassuring bedtime read
- ✓ Talking gently about nighttime fears
- ✓ Shy little ones, who’ll like Twinkle the elf
Quick answers
A gentle light for the kid who’s scared of the dark
One short story. One glowing forest. Ready for tonight.
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