Abbe's Snoozy News 🐨🗞️ Spring Edition 🌸 Pre-sleep Minisode!

[00:00:00] 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 Coco Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes. But now here's a quick word from our sponsors.

[00:00:19] Hey parents, spring is in the air and we have an exciting treat for you. From April the 7th through the 21st, all new Coco Club members can enjoy 14 days of premium completely free, just in time for the Easter holidays. That means your little ones can drift off to sleep night after night without free stories, without you spending a single penny.

[00:00:45] And to celebrate Easter, we have some very special bedtime adventures coming up, such as Coco and Kira's Cozy Easter, and a brand new Coco Club exclusive, Hector and Sonny, and the giant golden Easter egg. In this instalment, the doggy duo head to Storybook Land, where they enter an egg hunt to win a golden egg laid by a magical goose.

[00:01:11] This offer is only available for a limited time, so don't miss out. Start your free trial in just two taps on Apple Podcasts, or head to cococlub.supercast.com for Yoto and Spotify. The link is, as always, in the show notes. Sweet dreams and happy Easter. Hey, sleepyheads. I'm Kelly, the host of Koala Shine, the perfect daytime adventure show for long car journeys, school runs, and lazy Sunday mornings.

[00:01:41] I'm popping up here on Koala Moon because I've heard you want more Koala Kid stories, and I'm here to deliver. Beep beep, special delivery! Koala Shine is a tiny bit different from Koala Moon, as it's designed for daytime listening. So, after a great night's sleep with a story from Abby, you can have a big old stretch and tune into Koala Shine, joining your favorite characters on crazy adventures around the world.

[00:02:03] With new episodes every Friday, we'll follow Hector and Sunny on a daytime safari, explore the big city with Munchie the Raccoon, and visit the circus with Super Soul. You'll also hear cool facts, jokes, and learn about the world we live in. Plus, there's a chance for your voices to be featured on the podcast, too. Koala Shine offers mindful, fun entertainment on the move, designed to spark curiosity. Search Koala Shine now on your favorite podcast platform.

[00:02:29] And be sure to hit follow so that finding your next adventure is easy peasy lemon squeezy. Hope to see you there! Koala Shine! Hey, Koala Kids!

[00:02:54] Welcome to Abby's Snoozy News, our new minisode full of chatter about the show. Like news from the characters, behind-the-scenes facts, and answers to your questions. Like, what on earth does Betty Badger have for breakfast? The answer's strawberry pancakes. In tonight's Snoozy News, we're talking about nature.

[00:03:19] You see, it's spring here in the UK, and spring has a wonderful way of reminding us just how amazing the natural world is. When the trees have been leafless for months, and the flowers have been away for winter, we realise how much we miss the beautiful things that grow around us and add colour to our world. So I'm really happy to say that coming up on the podcast, we are celebrating this abundant nature in Coco and the Very Sleepy Caterpillar.

[00:03:48] In this charming tale, Coco's just had a very busy time and is completely wiped out. He's had enough excitement for the time being and would rather take some time to himself to relax in the garden and let the gentle breeze and warm sunshine coax him back to feeling like himself again. When he's there, he sees a caterpillar, and back he goes every day to see it,

[00:04:15] as it wraps itself in a silk cocoon and sleeps for a while. Oh, and once Coco gathers that energy he's been lacking, a little birdie told me that he and Kira are taking a trip to ride horses at Sweet Pine Ranch, so keep an ear out. Soon we'll also be meeting a tiger called Chill Bill. That's right, Chill Bill the Tai Chi Tiger.

[00:04:41] You'll find him on a mountaintop, peaceful as can be, doing his Tai Chi. Tai Chi started as a Chinese martial art, but is now more a practice focused on health and well-being. It involves a series of slow, fluid movements, deep breathing, and a meditative state of mind.

[00:05:05] Like a really slow, sleepy dance where you empty your mind and just focus on your movements. Chill Bill is more of a silly billy when he's in town. But when he gets out in nature and does his Tai Chi, you've never met anyone chiller. You should check it out and maybe try some Tai Chi yourself. In the park or the garden or in the town square.

[00:05:32] Just be aware, if you do it there, you might just gather a bit of an audience. Oh, we have so many stories from the back catalogue that celebrate nature too, just thinking about it. We've got Zen's garden. Have you heard that one? It takes us under the sea to a wonderful garden of seaweed and coral and sea glass and pebbles. Zen the pufferfish is an extremely relaxed guy.

[00:05:58] And it's because he's always looking at the beauty of the world around him under the sea. Some of the world's most incredible nature is underwater. You know, 70% of the earth is covered by the sea. And it's bustling with life. Scientists actually think that up to 91% of marine species have not yet been identified. There could be as many as 700,000 of them. Isn't that bananas?

[00:06:26] I can't even think of 500 species, let alone 700,000. And that's just under the sea. So take a stroll through an underwater world with Zen as soon as you can. You know, one of the main characters in Zen's garden is an axolotl called Amara. And I know you guys love axolotls. So what are you waiting for?

[00:06:50] And finally, finishing off our nature theme, the time has rolled around again for you to relax and fall asleep to floating on a breeze, the spring dandelion. Do you remember that meditation that follows a dandelion seed as it floats on the wind? Looking down at the beautiful land below, the seed truly can float anywhere and choose to grow wherever it wants.

[00:07:20] Why not wonder as you listen along where you might choose to grow? Would you pick a flower bed in town? Maybe outside the bakery where it smells delicious every day. Or maybe you'd land in a field amongst big mooing cows. Or even in a rooftop garden where you could look up and watch the clouds. So they're just the few that I can think of that are on the pod, but maybe there are more.

[00:07:50] As for your challenge this month, I would like you to take a picture or a video of what nature looks like where you live. We have koala kids in so many different countries, so I want us all to share our own wonderful corners of the world with each other and be grateful for nature together. Please share your pictures or videos with us at koalakids.fm on Instagram. That's at koalakids.fm on the Instagram. I can't wait to see them.

[00:08:19] Before I go, I'd like to let you know that we here at Sleep HQ, we're cooking up a Cocoa Club exclusive series around a character that I just know you'll all love. I won't give it away. I'll try really hard not to. But I'm so excited to be making something so special for all you lovely lot. So I just had to say something. Stay tuned.

[00:08:42] As for now, if it's the daytime where you are, why not go and touch some grass or sniff some blossom or a flower? If not, well, it's time for a bedtime story and I'll see you there. Sweet dreams. Well, I don't know about you, but I can't wait for those stories. I look forward to sharing them together and hearing what you think. Don't forget to follow, leave us a review.

[00:09:11] And if you'd like the full version of this episode, along with all the other Cocoa Club perks, join via the link in the show notes. Sweet dreams.