About BedtimeStory.kids

What this site is

BedtimeStory.kids is a collection of 319 illustrated stories written or retold to be read aloud to a child in bed. Roughly two thirds are classics: tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, written by Hans Christian Andersen, polished by Charles Perrault, gathered into Andrew Lang's coloured fairy books, or handed down as fables from Aesop and folk traditions from Norway to China. The rest are original stories written for the site. Every one is free, needs no account, and comes with a reading guide: the lesson in a sentence, a few questions worth asking, and the words a child might not know.

Why it exists

Ten useful minutes, easily lost

A bedtime story is the single most useful thing a family can do in ten minutes: it builds vocabulary, models empathy, anchors the sleep routine and gives a child undivided attention at the end of the day. It is also the thing most likely to be dropped when everyone is tired. The site is designed around that tiredness. Tonight's story is one tap from the home page. Every story shows how many minutes it takes before you open it. The five-minute list exists for the nights that have already run late. And when the last page turns, the next story in the same theme is a single button away, so tomorrow's choice is already made.

How the stories are made

Retelling a classic

Classic tales are retold rather than reproduced: we keep the shape and the memorable lines, modernise the language for reading aloud, and soften details that would keep a small child awake without pretending the wolf is a vegetarian. Original stories are written by the team. Every story is edited by a second person, checked for reading level, given a suggested age range and a read-aloud time, and only then published. The illustrations are original artwork made for this site. The full process, including what we use AI tools for and what we do not, is on the editorial policy page.

What we believe

• Stories should be read, not scrolled. Story pages have no infinite feed, no autoplay video and no pop-ups. They have a story.
• Children deserve the real thing. The classics are here in versions that respect them, with their origins named.
• Honest labels. A story marked five minutes takes five minutes. A story marked for toddlers has nothing in it that frightens toddlers.
• Free means free. The site is supported by unobtrusive advertising on some pages and by nothing else. There is nothing to buy and nothing to sign up for.

Who makes it

A small team of writers, editors and illustrators working remotely; you can meet them here, and what we do differently from other story sites is set out on how we’re different. Writers and illustrators who would like to contribute can get in touch through the contact page.

Questions about the site

Who owns BedtimeStory.kids?

It is run by a small independent team rather than a publisher or a brand. The writers, editors and illustrators are named on the team page, and the process a story goes through before publication is set out in the editorial policy.

How is the site paid for?

By unobtrusive advertising placed outside the story text. There are no sponsored stories, no affiliate links in the library, and advertisers have no say in what is published.

Are the stories really free?

Yes. Every story is free to read, listen to and print, with no account, no email address and no app. Teachers and librarians may read them aloud in class without asking.

Who writes the stories?

The classics are retold by our writers from public-domain sources, and the original stories are written by the team. Each story page names its origin, and the editorial policy explains what AI tools are and are not used for.

Get in touch

Suggestions, corrections and requests for a story you remember from childhood are all welcome at contact@bedtimestory.kids or through the contact form. Teachers and librarians are welcome to read the stories aloud in class; see the copyright notice for what else you may do with them.