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19 stories · part of Magic

Space stories

Rockets, planets, and the moon seen from a bedroom window

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Space stories

Nineteen space stories, all written for this site rather than retold from folklore: nebula harps, asteroid caverns, a lunar owl and a gingerbread knight in orbit. They run five to ten minutes and suit ages three to ten.

Space is the perfect bedtime setting: it is dark, it is quiet, and it is enormous in a way that makes a small bed feel very safe. These stories take children past the moon and among the planets, and most bring them back to a window with the same stars outside it.

They pair well with a look out of the window before lights-out. Some are gentle and slow; a couple are proper adventures, better read a little earlier in the evening.

Where to start in space

12 of the 19 stories in this theme, picked as good first choices: the shortest, the gentlest and the best loved.

5 min Ages 5–8 · Magic The Velvet Paw and the Throne of Stars

In the peaceful land of Felina, a brave kitten named Paws possesses a legendary velvet paw with healing powers. When…
6 min Ages 4–8 · Magic The Orchard Sprite of the Forbidden Planet

Tim and Emma journey to Xylophia's forbidden zone, seeking the legendary Orchard Sprite. They face challenges like…
7 min Ages 6–10 · Magic The Coral Queen and the Space Pirate’s Curse

Young Tim finds a mysterious map leading to an enchanted island. There, he and his friends meet the majestic Coral…
7 min Ages 4–8 · Magic The Ice Mirror of the Frost Galaxy

In the shimmering Frost Galaxy, young Timmy lives in Frostbite village, where everything is cold. He dreams of finding…
7 min Ages 4–8 · Magic The Midnight Dance of the Shadow Comet

In a peaceful village nestled between Whispering Woods and Starry Sea, villagers eagerly await a thousand-year…
7 min Ages 5–8 · Magic The Photon Harp of the Storm Nebula

Elara, a curious astronomer, discovers the beautiful Storm Nebula and a glowing musical instrument called the Photon…
7 min Ages 4–8 · Journeys The Rainbow Bridge of the Galactic City

Zibby, a curious little alien from Starburst, discovers a magnificent Rainbow Bridge linking two distant planets…
7 min Ages 4–8 · Magic The Silent Flight of the Lunar Owl

In the magical Enchanted Forest, Orion the owl faces a big problem: he can't fly silently like other owls. This makes…
8 min Ages 3–7 · Magic Starlit Quest for the Cosmic Petal

Sprout, a tiny sapling in the Enchanted Garden, dreams of reaching the stars and finding the mystical Cosmic Petal…
8 min Ages 5–8 · Magic The Amber Amulet of the Dragon Star

Young Tim discovers a mysterious letter and map from his great-grandfather, leading him on an extraordinary quest. He…
8 min Ages 4–8 · Bravery & Courage The Gingerbread Knight’s Sweet Victory in Space

In an enchanted bakery, a brave Gingerbread Knight lives. But when a wicked Space Witch steals all the magic, he must…
8 min Ages 5–8 · Magic The Sapphire Crown of the Desert Moon

Amara, a curious girl, finds a mysterious map leading to the legendary Sapphire Crown of the Desert Moon. With her best…

Quiet space and loud space

These divide cleanly by mood, which matters more at bedtime than the setting does. Half are written to slow a child down and half are written to thrill them, and the titles do not always tell you which is which.

For winding down

The Silent Flight of the Lunar Owl is six gentle minutes and ends with somebody asking for help, which is unusual and good. The Midnight Dance of the Shadow Comet is also six minutes and gentle, and Moonlit Secrets of the Celestial Forest is nine minutes of forest and starlight together.

For a child who wants a proper adventure

The Coral Queen and the Space Pirate’s Curse and The Crystal Caverns of the Asteroid Belt are both seven minutes for ages six to ten. The Gingerbread Knight’s Sweet Victory in Space is the silliest thing on the page and the one most likely to be asked for twice.

Long titles, short stories

Do not be put off by the names. The Rainbow Bridge of the Galactic City is the shortest here at five minutes, and The Velvet Paw and the Throne of Stars is also five, with a small hero and a large throne.

Series feeling, without a series

Because they were written together, these nineteen share a vocabulary: nebulae, moons, crowns, small brave creatures a long way from home. Children who like one usually like several, and they can be read in any order. There is no plot running between them, so nothing is spoiled by picking the newest-sounding title first.

Three run to a full ten minutes: The Golden Thread of the Interstellar Loom, The Lost Melody of the Nebula Brook and Sunbeam’s Journey to the Ice Planet’s Heart. If you are choosing by the clock rather than by subject, the guide on how long a bedtime story should be is worth five minutes of your own time.

Where space sits in the rest of the site

Space is filed under magic rather than under anything scientific, and that is deliberate: these are fairy tales that happen to be set past the atmosphere, with the same shapes as the ones set in forests. A child who wants facts about planets will be disappointed; a child who wants a quest will not. Its sibling theme is discovery, where the finding happens closer to home.

For a child who wants the night sky without the rockets, moon and stars stories collects eighteen quieter tales, and several of them overlap with this page. The Photon Harp of the Storm Nebula and The Whispering Winds of the Galactic Well are the two that sit closest to that border: both six or seven minutes, both more about listening than about flying. Between the two collections there is enough here for a fortnight of bedtimes without repeating a title.

Six space stories by length and mood
StoryMinutesMoodAges
The Rainbow Bridge of the Galactic City5Adventurous4–8
The Velvet Paw and the Throne of Stars5Adventurous5–8
The Silent Flight of the Lunar Owl6Gentle4–8
The Crystal Caverns of the Asteroid Belt7Adventurous6–10
Moonlit Secrets of the Celestial Forest9Gentle4–8
The Lost Melody of the Nebula Brook10Adventurous6–10

Every space story, A to Z

  1. Moonlit Secrets of the Celestial Forest9 min · Ages 4–8
  2. Starlit Quest for the Cosmic Petal8 min · Ages 3–7
  3. Sunbeam's Journey to the Ice Planet's Heart10 min · Ages 5–8
  4. The Amber Amulet of the Dragon Star8 min · Ages 5–8
  5. The Coral Queen and the Space Pirate’s Curse7 min · Ages 6–10
  6. The Crystal Caverns of the Asteroid Belt9 min · Ages 6–10
  7. The Firefly Code and the Starlit Path10 min · Ages 5–8
  8. The Gingerbread Knight’s Sweet Victory in Space8 min · Ages 4–8
  9. The Golden Thread of the Interstellar Loom12 min · Ages 6–10
  10. The Ice Mirror of the Frost Galaxy7 min · Ages 4–8
  11. The Lost Melody of the Nebula Brook10 min · Ages 6–10
  12. The Midnight Dance of the Shadow Comet7 min · Ages 4–8
  13. The Orchard Sprite of the Forbidden Planet6 min · Ages 4–8
  14. The Photon Harp of the Storm Nebula7 min · Ages 5–8
  15. The Rainbow Bridge of the Galactic City7 min · Ages 4–8
  16. The Sapphire Crown of the Desert Moon8 min · Ages 5–8
  17. The Silent Flight of the Lunar Owl7 min · Ages 4–8
  18. The Velvet Paw and the Throne of Stars5 min · Ages 5–8
  19. The Whispering Winds of the Galactic Well9 min · Ages 5–8

Questions parents ask about space stories

Are these real science stories?

No. They are bedtime fairy tales set in space, with comets, nebulae and planets used the way a folk tale uses forests and rivers. There is no astronomy to get wrong.

Which space story is best for a child who will not settle?

The Silent Flight of the Lunar Owl or The Midnight Dance of the Shadow Comet. Both are six minutes and both are written in a gentle register rather than an exciting one.

How many space stories are there?

Nineteen, all original to this site. The shortest is five minutes and the longest ten.

What age are they for?

Between three and ten, though most sit in the four to eight band. The seven- and ten-minute ones marked ages 6–10 assume a listener who can hold a plot together.