Read the same book all week
Children don't want a new story every night — they want the same one until they own it. By Friday they'll be saying the chant before you get to it, and that is the moment reading starts.
Six things that make bedtime reading work
Let them do the chant
Every Timblemoon book ends the same way on purpose. Hand the last four lines to the child and read the rest yourself. It gives a pre-reader a real job in the book.
Ask one question, not five
One good question after the last page beats a quiz. The read-aloud guides give you three per book — pick whichever one fits the night you're having.
Point at the pictures first
For a child who finds words hard, start by naming what's on the page. The illustrations carry the story on their own, so nobody has to feel behind.
Stop before they're finished
Ending a page early leaves them wanting tomorrow's reading. A bookmark halfway through is not a failure.
Let the dog stay
These books were written for the whole house — the grandparent in the chair, the child insisting on one more page, and whoever's asleep at their feet.
What each book is teaching
These aren't lessons bolted onto a story. They're the reason each story exists.
Book 01 · Lantern Night
Pip's Small Light
A small light still counts — and lots of small lights make a bright hill.
Book 02 · First Snow
Soot Bakes It All
Nobody does it alone. Asking for help is part of doing the job well.
Book 03 · Christmas in Timblemoon
What Bram Gave Away
The gift you give away is the one you remember all year.
Everything that's free to print
Read-aloud guides
Three discussion questions and one activity per book. Free to copy for classrooms.
Coloring pages
A new free page on the first of every month; the whole pack with an email.
Thanksgiving activity book
Sixty pages, all free, printable one at a time or in one go.
Make a paper lantern
Cut-and-fold template with six steps. The craft of the whole series.
Soot's kitchen
Kitchen recipes plus wise recipes for friendship, love, siblings, animals, counting and letters.
The chant card
Short clips to say along with, plus a printable chant card for the wall.
Questions grown-ups ask
What age are these books for?
Four to eight. Younger children follow the pictures and the chant; older ones read it themselves and then explain it to everybody at the table.
Is anything on this site scary?
No. There is a friendly ghost named Puff and some October lanterns, and that is as dark as Timblemoon gets. Nothing jumps out, nothing chases anybody.
Do I have to give an email to print things?
No. The page of the month, the read-aloud guides, the lantern template, the recipes and the whole Thanksgiving book are free with no sign-up. Only the full coloring pack asks for an email.
Can I use these in a classroom or library?
Yes, and gladly. Print, copy and share the guides and printables with your class. No permission needed and no fee.
What order should we read them in?
Pip's Small Light, then Soot Bakes It All, then What Bram Gave Away. They stand alone, but the village grows in that order.
How do you handle children's information?
We don't collect it. The newsletter and the gallery are for grown-ups; gallery photos are posted with a first name only, after a parent ticks the permission box, and every submission is reviewed by hand before it appears.
The full details are in the privacy policy.
One letter a month
The Lantern Post
Book news, one of Soot's recipes, the free page of the month and what's happening in the village. Written for the grown-up doing the reading. Unsubscribe in one click.