Back to School with Koko & Friends 🐨🎒 | 2 Hour Compilation of Bedtime Stories

[00:00:11] Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. Tonight we're spending time with some of our favourite friends as they head back to school. Whether it's the first day, a new classroom or moving up a year, starting something new can sometimes feel like there's butterflies in your tummy, but it can also feel like an adventure.

[00:00:40] We've gathered four wonderful stories together into one extra long bedtime collection. Some follow Koko and Prickles at Sleepy Forest Elementary, while others meet human characters like Isla, discovering their own courage along the way. This extended two-hour compilation is perfect for getting cosy beneath the covers as you settle in for a brand new school year. So, let yourself get nice and sleepy.

[00:01:10] And let's begin with Koko goes to Sleepy Forest Elementary by Luke Prendergast. Before we begin, here's a quick ad break, then we'll start tonight's bedtime story. If you'd like to support our podcast, enjoy ad-free listening and unlock all our premium stories, you can join the Koko Club. To join, follow the link in the show notes.

[00:01:35] As the summer holidays begin to wind down and families settle back into their familiar bedtime routines, we have something to help make those early wind-downs a little easier.

[00:01:45] From August 31st until September 14th, you can enjoy a 14-day free trial of Koko Club. So, whether you need a peaceful story after a busy back-to-school day, a calming meditation to help your child switch off, or an extra-long compilation to help an overactive mind settle down, you can unlock over 500 episodes, totally uninterrupted.

[00:02:09] With ad-free listening, exclusive bonus adventures, and a growing library of magical bedtime stories, there's something for every kind of night. This September, you can enjoy even more adventures with Koko and Kira, go camping with Hector and Sunny, join Flick and Jumble on a brand new quest, and even meet a curious new alien family who've just moved into the middle of nowhere.

[00:02:33] Simply tap Try Free on Apple Podcasts, or use the Supercast link in our show notes for Spotify, Yoto, and other podcast players to begin your 14-day free trial. Deep in the heart of a faraway forest stood a cosy wooden cabin. Inside the cabin lived a family of koalas.

[00:03:00] The youngest member of the family was called Koko. One evening, at the beginning of September, Koko was being tucked into bed by his mother. His pillow was soft under his ears. The gentle rustling of leaves came from the trees around the cabin, and he had enjoyed a warm cup of Koko. But for some reason that night, Koko was extra fidgety. He simply couldn't settle down.

[00:03:29] What's the matter with you? His mother asked him kindly. It's like you've got ants in your pants. Koko let out a giggle. His mother was always saying funny things, like having ants in your pants or bees in your bonnets, which didn't make any sense when you really thought about them. I don't think I can sleep, he told her. I'm too busy thinking about tomorrow.

[00:03:59] Koko's mother smiled with sympathy. Tomorrow was Koko's first day back at Sleepy Forest Elementary School, after he had spent a long summer off hanging out with his friends and relaxing. Are you excited? Are you excited? She asked him. Oh yes, Koko said, nodding his head up and down. I'm very excited. But then he paused. But then he paused, and a little frown appeared on his furry face.

[00:04:27] His mother, who had known Koko all his life and often had a sick sense about how he was feeling, reached out a paw and touched his face. But you're a bit nervous too, are you? She asked him. Koko nodded more slowly this time, but he didn't say anything. Sometimes he found it hard to admit he was nervous. And what are you worried about?

[00:04:57] His mother asked him softly. Well, he replied. I'm going into a new year, and lots of things will be different. I hope that my teacher is nice, and that I learn lots of things, and I also hope I have fun. When he'd finished speaking, Koko immediately felt calmer.

[00:05:21] When he was worried about something, he often found that it made things much better to say those things out loud. Sharing his worries with someone else always seemed to lighten them, and make them appear less significant than they had before. Now he stopped fidgeting so much, and lay his head down on the soft pillow. His mother said, those are all very normal worries to have.

[00:05:51] In fact, I bet that every little animal in the sleepy forest is excited and nervous going to bed tonight. Nerves aren't entirely a bad thing, she told him. Sometimes having a few nerves can be good. How so? asked Koko. Well, his mother said. Nerves can be put to good use.

[00:06:19] If you don't have a few of them, you'd never have the opportunity to be brave. Koko was always impressed by just how wise his mother was. She was absolutely right. At her words, the last of Koko's remaining nerves had disappeared, and he told her that now he was only looking forward to tomorrow.

[00:06:44] Very good, she said, pulling the covers over him and giving him a kiss on the head. Now, the sooner you sleep, the sooner morning will come. She really was very wise. Koko slept very peacefully that night indeed, and dreamed of all the adventures he might get up to in the new school year. He woke up feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

[00:07:14] He hopped right out of bed and did a big morning stretch. Ah. For the first time in weeks, he put on his school uniform, a white shirt, a pair of grey shorts, a bright green tie with the Sleepy Forest Elementary logo on it, some socks, and his black leather shoes. He looked in the mirror. He was ready to go.

[00:07:42] His mother had already made him some porridge, and before he left the treehouse, she handed him his school bag. I've put your packed lunch in there for you, she told him. Now go and have a wonderful first day back at school. Koko thanked his mother, gave her a big hug, and set off through the forest for school.

[00:08:06] Outside the school gates, which swung open on two especially strong tree trunks, all of the other students were gathering. There were lots of faces there he didn't recognise. Students from the old years, and others newly arriving at Sleepy Forest Elementary. But then, he saw two of his best friends, Camo the Chameleon and Prickles the Hedgehog, standing the other side of the gates.

[00:08:35] He went over to them and said hello. They both looked really pleased to see him. Hello, Koko, they said. Koko asked them both how they were doing this morning. I'm excited, said Prickles. I can't wait to learn new things and make new friends. And he gave a bristle of his needles to show just how excited he was. Camo was a little more quiet.

[00:09:01] He had the extraordinary ability to change the colour of his skin. Sometimes, to camouflage himself with his surroundings. Or other times, to put on a wonderful show. Today, he was the colour of leaves and tree bark. I'm feeling a bit shy, he whispered to Koko.

[00:09:25] Koko put his arm around his friend and told him the advice his mother had given him the night before. It's good to have a few nerves. That's how you get to be brave. Koko's advice made Camo feel much better, indeed. His skin ripples and turns lots of bright colours, like a rainbow. Thanks, Koko, he said.

[00:09:53] Just then, there was a noise from above. Twit-twoo! And a big, tawny owl with dark feathers and a thick pair of spectacles flew down in front of them. All the students fell silent. Hello, everybody. And welcome to Sleepy Forest Elementary, said the owl.

[00:10:22] My name is Mrs. Merryfeathers. And I'm your teacher this year. Koko, Camo and Prickles looked at each other with relief. Mrs. Merryfeathers seemed like a very kind and very clever teacher already.

[00:10:43] Now, if you'd like to follow me, Mrs. Merryfeathers went on, let's start the first day of school. And with those words, she spread her broad wings and fluttered through the doors of the school. The students all followed after her.

[00:11:06] They found themselves in a room with benches running against the walls, with a row of pegs above them. This, said the owl, is where we can leave our belongings. It's much warmer in the school than it is out in the forest. So, everyone, hang up your coats on the pegs. Leave your bags on the benches.

[00:11:34] And tuck your shoes neatly underneath. You'll find your name tag under your pegs. The students all began to walk around the room, searching for their pegs. Koko soon found his. It was in the corner, not very far from Camo's peg.

[00:11:57] He hung up his coat, slipped off his shoes and lay them next to each other beneath the bench, and left his bag on top of it. When they were all ready, the students followed Mrs. Merryfeathers into the classroom. Wow! whispered Camo. The classroom was amazing.

[00:12:22] The teacher's desk was at the front with a tree branch that had been trained across it, perfect for Mrs. Merryfeathers to perch on. And all the other tables were arranged in the middle. Across the walls were all kinds of colourful displays. An alphabet cut out in stencils snaked overhead. All of the times tables. And a perfect map of the sleepy forest.

[00:12:51] That's where I live! Cried Koko, pointing to a spot on the map. Koko, Camo and Prickles all sat down at a table together. In the middle of the table were some large sheets of paper and a few packs of crayons with many different colours. Mrs. Merryfeathers had flown to her perch and now gave a loud hoot to quieten everyone down.

[00:13:21] Now, class, she said. The first lesson of the year will be art. You will all find some drawing materials in the middle of your desks. Your task for the morning is to draw a picture of your homes. She gave a happy click of her beak. Off you go!

[00:13:45] Coco, Camo and Prickles all agreed that this was a very fun way to start the school year and got to work with great enthusiasm. Coco drew a picture of the cabin he shared with his family, nestled amongst the trees. He chose three different colours of green to show the variety and beauty of all their leaves.

[00:14:10] Prickles drew a picture of the burrow house he shared with his father and his baby siblings. It was underground and ever so cosy, perfect for hibernating in over the winter. On the walls he made sure to add the brushes that his family used to clean their spines and make them shine. Camo drew a picture of his family's home, which was down by Sleepy River.

[00:14:38] He made the river water sparkle and drew a wardrobe full of all his favourite fancy dress clothes. He worked very hard, using many crayons to make his bedroom walls shimmer, as though they were covered in velvet. That's amazing, said Prickles, looking over at Camo's drawing. Yes, Camo, Coco agreed.

[00:15:07] You're a truly talented artist. Camo blushed a little. Oh, thanks guys, he said. It must be your natural flair for colour, Coco said, making Camo turn completely red. When everyone in the class had finished their drawings, they took turns standing at the front, showing each other their hard work.

[00:15:36] Coco had never imagined that all the people in Sleepy Forest lived in such wondrous places. The beavers in the dam they built themselves. The dolphins in their underwater palaces. The flamingos in their beach huts. Soon enough, Mrs. Merryfeathers rang a bell. It was time for lunch.

[00:16:01] They all formed an orderly line and filed neatly out of the classroom. But in the cloakroom, they discovered that during the excitement of the art lesson, they hadn't noticed a huge blast of wind had blown through the door, pulling all the coats off their hooks and leaving them in a jumbled heap on the floor. Prickles was worried. How will we ever find out whose coat is whose?

[00:16:30] Don't worry, Mrs. Merryfeathers responded calmly. This is why all of your parents have sewed your name tags into your coats. So that way, you won't lose them. So all the students began to rifle through the big pile of coats, checking the name tags in the collars and handing them to their rightful owners.

[00:16:59] It turned out that it was a good thing that the wind had blown through in the end, because it gave Coco, Camo and Prickles the chance to meet many of their new classmates and give them back their coats. Out in the playground, they all sat down in a circle. Coco searched through his bag and pulled out the packed lunch his mother had made him.

[00:17:26] Cheese sandwiches with extra eucalyptus leaves. Delicious! In his lunchbox, Camo had a couple of oranges cut up into slices. Prickles had three pots of yoghurt, one chocolate flavour, one raspberry flavour and the last one cookies and cream. His dad had slipped a slice of brownie into his box too.

[00:17:53] Prickles' dad was one of the best bakers in all of Sleepy Forest. The three friends shared all their lunches. Coco cut his sandwich into slices and passed them around. Camo handed out segments of orange. And Prickles gave Coco and Camo a yoghurt each and a bite of brownie too. They agreed that they would always share their lunches,

[00:18:20] because it meant that they could each enjoy a bit of everything. After they'd eaten, the whole class played in the playground. Champ, the chimpanzee, taught everyone how to hop from monkey bar to monkey bar as though they were flying through the air, which everybody thought was a whole lot of fun. When Mrs Merryfeathers rang her bell again,

[00:18:48] they all filed back into the classroom and took their seats. Next to the teacher's perch was a big wooden box, covered with a blue sheet of fabric. It was all rather mysterious. This afternoon, the wise owl announced, we will be learning to play musical instruments. And with these words,

[00:19:17] she pulled the blue sheet off the box with a flourish to reveal a chest full of musical instruments. All of the students cheered. They were very excited to learn to play musical instruments. Each student took it in turn to go up to the big wooden chest and take from it an instrument of their choice.

[00:19:42] Prickles took a xylophone with two wooden sticks. Camo took out a clarinet. Finally, it was Coco's turn. He went up to the chest, looked through it, and finally saw the musical instrument he wanted. A groovy-looking blue guitar with bright yellow stars and lightning bolts decorated all over it.

[00:20:10] This one's for me, he cried, and carried the guitar back to his friends. For the rest of the afternoon, they practiced their musical instruments. At first, none of them were very good. Prickles couldn't hit his xylophone to the right beat. Camo blew into his clarinet, and it came out as a loud squeak,

[00:20:37] and Coco kept seeming to pluck the wrong string of his guitar. But as time went by, and they continued to practice, they found they were getting better and better. Prickles discovered he actually had a natural sense of rhythm. Camo's clarinet playing sounded like the most beautiful birdsong,

[00:21:02] and Coco learned chord after chord on his snazzy blue guitar. It wasn't so different from the ukulele in the end. At the end of the class, the teacher asked them to perform a song together. At first, Coco felt a bit nervous to put on a show in front of the whole class, but Camo the chameleon remembered the advice Coco had given him that morning, and said,

[00:21:32] Sometimes, nerves can be good, Coco. They give you the chance to be brave. Coco thanked his friend for reminding him of his own advice, and taking a deep breath, mustered up all his bravery. When the three of them performed their song together, all the other students danced around the classroom,

[00:22:00] jumping up and down with enthusiasm. When they finished, everyone gave a big round of applause. Wonderful! Wonderful! hooted Mrs. Merryfeathers. That's just the thing. Practice does make perfect. Perfect! Finally, it was the end of the school day.

[00:22:26] It had come around much more quickly than any of them could have imagined. See you all tomorrow, said Mrs. Merryfeathers kindly. Don't forget your shoes on the way out. In the cloakroom, Coco tied his shoes, put on his coat, and shouldered his bag. He was just about to leave, when he saw Prickles sitting on the floor,

[00:22:56] looking rather confused. Prickles wriggled his four feet in the air. His shoes were on the floor beside him. I can never remember which shoe goes on which foot, he said. Coco slipped off his bag and knelt down to help his friend work out which shoe went on which foot. Out by the school gate, Coco, Camo, and Prickles

[00:23:25] all waved goodbye to each other. See you tomorrow, they said, and then went their separate ways home. When Coco reached his family's cabin, he climbed the ladder and went indoors. His mother was already busy making their dinner, and Coco went in and put his arms around her to give her a big hug. Welcome home, Coco, she said. How are you?

[00:23:54] And how was your first day of school? It was very fun, he said, and he told his mother about how kind and wise Mrs. Merryfeathers was, and about the interesting art lesson where they learnt all about where the other students lived in the sleepy forest. He told her about how the wind had mixed all the coats up together, and about how he and his friends had shared their lunch.

[00:24:24] Finally, he told her about learning to play the coolest blue guitar ever, and how he, Camo, and Prickles had put on a musical performance for the rest of the class. Coco's mother seemed very impressed. Wow, she chuckled. That does sound like a pretty fun day, Coco. And how were your nerves in the end?

[00:24:52] It was just like you said, Coco told his mother. Everyone was a little bit nervous, because it was the first day, but I told them your advice. A little bit of nerves can be good, because it gives you a chance to be brave. Coco's mother gave him a big smile, as warm as the sun in a bright blue sky,

[00:25:20] and wrapped her arms around her son. You are a very brave boy indeed, she said. That evening, after a scrumptious dinner of rice and peas, Coco brushed his teeth, washed his face, and climbed into bed. His pillow was as soft as ever, and he was very tired after his first day at school.

[00:25:51] Not so jittery tonight, are you, Coco? His mother said, stroking his little grey ears. Coco yawned. His eyes were creeping closed. No, he said. I'm not nervous anymore. I'm just looking forward to going back to school tomorrow.

[00:26:19] I want to make sure I'm really well rested, so I can learn as much as I can. Coco's mother laughed softly, and reached over to turn out Coco's bedside light. She turned at the door to look at her son, but Coco was already asleep.

[00:26:49] breathing gently, and dreaming about the very next day. This is Isla and the Bravery Dragon by Alicia Ainsley. Isla had been attending her new school for almost six weeks, and the half-term holidays were just around the corner.

[00:27:19] She'd made several friends that she played with at break times, and she'd got to know everyone in her class. She had taken a turn looking after the class pet and taking it home for the weekend, and she'd bonded with her lovely teacher, Miss Fudge. By all accounts, Isla had settled in really well at her new school. She skipped into the playground every morning, looking forward to the day ahead, and she greeted her parents with a smile every afternoon

[00:27:48] when she was collected to go home. Her first parents' evening had been a positive one, and she'd received wonderful words of praise from Miss Fudge. Her parents had been so impressed with Isla's report from Miss Fudge that they had taken Isla out for dinner to celebrate. They had gone to her favourite pizza restaurant and let her get a big chocolate fudge sundae for dessert as a treat.

[00:28:17] Isla's favourite subjects were English and PE. She loved running and playing games on the school field, and she really enjoyed writing poems. Isla had written a poem all about her baby brother, Freddie, that impressed Miss Fudge so much that she pinned it up on the classroom wall. Isla had beamed with pride as she received her gold star sticker

[00:28:44] and watched her classmates read her poem from the wall. Isla's new best friends were called Charlie, Jadda and Kara. Every break time, they would all sit together to eat their packed lunches and then head out to the playground to play games of make-believe, practice their skipping chants, and perfect their handstands and cartwheels. One lunchtime,

[00:29:14] they even formed their own girl band and rehearsed several songs and dances all lunch long. Things weren't just great at school, but Isla also loved her new house. Her mummy and daddy had let her paint her room in the lilac colour she wanted and allowed her to pick out her flowery pink bedsheets. Their garden was twice the size of the one they had at their old house.

[00:29:43] Isla was very happy in their new town, their new house, and her new school. But even though Isla was very happy and content, some days she woke up and just felt a bit more wobbly than usual. Sometimes, if there was something worrying her a little bit, she would become quieter and not feel very energetic or in the mood to join in with things. Once, Isla felt a bit wobbly

[00:30:13] before she had a spelling test that she felt unprepared for. There were some tricky words on the list of spellings they had to prepare, and Isla wasn't sure that she would get all of them right. She had practised her spelling several times with her daddy, but she still didn't feel very confident about a couple of the words. When the day of the spelling test came around, Isla didn't want to go to school.

[00:30:41] She thought that she would spell the words wrong and disappoint her teacher, Miss Fudge. With a lot of persuasion, her parents managed to convince Isla to go to school. Isla and her mummy walked up to the classroom door, and Miss Fudge could see that Isla looked a little worried and was carrying a small toy dragon to comfort herself. Good morning, Isla,

[00:31:08] Miss Fudge greeted her in her usual cheery manner. Who is this little friend you've brought with you to school today? Isla quietly explained that the green toy dragon was called Bravo. Bravo made her feel better when she felt sad. Miss Fudge looked concerned and asked Isla why she felt sad today.

[00:31:37] Isla admitted that she was nervous about the spelling test. She'd tried really hard to practise her spellings, but there were some words that she kept getting wrong. She kept getting the letters all muddled up. Miss Fudge smiled kindly and reassured Isla that it didn't matter if she got some of the spellings wrong. That's why she came to school. She was here to learn.

[00:32:06] Some things take a little longer to learn and get right than others, and that's okay. Isla let out a little shy smile and hugged her toy dragon closer to her chest for reassurance. Miss Fudge noticed how much she was clinging onto the toy and asked her if she would like to bring Bravo into class today. He could sit by her while she did her spelling test

[00:32:35] and help her be brave, even when she wasn't sure of the correct spellings. Isla's mummy thought that was a great idea, and so did Isla. Isla walked inside the classroom with Bravo in her arms, hung up her bag on her peg, and prepared to take on the day with more optimism. Miss Fudge suggested that Isla keep Bravo

[00:33:04] in her book tray to keep him safe, and she could get him out any time she felt like she needed his help. When the spelling test came around just before break time, Isla felt butterflies beginning to flutter in her tummy. She looked at Miss Fudge, and she caught her eye. Miss Fudge whispered to Isla across the classroom, You can get out

[00:33:33] your bravery dragon if you want. Isla slid out of her chair and over to her book tray. She opened it up and pulled out Little Bravo. She placed him on her desk, looking right at her, and left him there as she took part in the spelling test. Everything was going well, and Isla remembered how to spell almost all of the words.

[00:34:02] But when she got to the ninth and tenth words, Isla couldn't work out how to spell them. She started to get a little frustrated, and her brain felt boggled. She was about to give up and throw down her pen in exasperation when she looked at Bravo, her bravery dragon, sitting on her desk. His beady, black eyes gazed back at her.

[00:34:33] Isla picked up Bravo and held him to her chin. She inhaled his familiar scent, felt his soft, fuzzy material, and rustled the beans within his belly between her fingers. She took a deep breath in and slowly breathed out again. She closed her eyes and breathed in again, smelling Bravo's

[00:35:03] comforting aroma, and breathed out. She felt calmer already. Isla opened her eyes and looked back at the piece of paper in front of her. She took in the sight of the last two words she had struggled to spell and inspected them. They didn't quite look right, but they didn't look too far from the correct

[00:35:32] spelling either. She liked what Miss Fudge had called Bravo, a bravery dragon. It was a good name because he did make her feel better and a bit braver. Isla imagined that she was as brave as Bravo and picked up her pen. She crossed out the last two words on her list and had another go at spelling them out.

[00:36:02] When she was satisfied that she had given it a good go, she placed down her pen and waited for Miss Fudge to collect her piece of paper. It was break time, so Isla and all her fellow classmates headed out to the playground to play. She felt a little bit better now that the spelling test was over and she left Bravo behind in her book tray so that she wouldn't

[00:36:32] misplace him outside. During the children's break time, Miss Fudge marked everyone's spelling tests ready to hand out the results when they came back to class. Upon her return to the classroom, Isla picked Bravo back out from her book tray as she waited to receive her spelling test results. She wanted to get all of the words right

[00:37:01] but she had really struggled with the last two words. She clutched Bravo the bravery dragon tightly as Miss Fudge approached her table and took a deep breath in, imagining herself to be as brave as a dragon. Pretending to be brave was proving to be helpful for Isla. She found that the more she practiced and pretended, the braver

[00:37:30] she actually felt. Miss Fudge placed Isla's spelling test results on her desk and whispered, Well done, Isla. Great job. Isla inspected her test results and was amazed to see that she had got nine out of ten spellings right. taking the time to retry spelling

[00:38:00] the last two words had paid off. Isla had got one of the difficult spellings right on her second attempt. The word that she had misspelled was only a little mistake. She had only put one letter L instead of two. It was a simple mistake that she could rectify in future. Isla felt so much better. The spelling test hadn't gone as badly as she had

[00:38:30] anticipated. She had actually done very well. Isla squeezed Bravo, her toy dragon, tightly with thanks for his support and placed him back in her book tray. She didn't think she would need his help the rest of the day. Isla was beginning to notice that with Bravo the bravery dragon by her side, she could get through

[00:38:58] almost anything that made her nervous. All she had to do was imagine she was as brave as a dragon and feel it too. Bravo helped Isla get through several tricky situations. One instance was when Isla went to the park and fell over, scraping her knee. She had been afraid that her mother's antibacterial wet wipe

[00:39:28] might sting the cut, so she held on to Bravo tightly and closed her eyes. To her surprise, the wet wipe didn't hurt at all and Isla's mummy stuck a big plaster over her grazed knee and applauded her for being such a brave girl. Another time, Bravo helped Isla be brave, was when she had just started at her new school. She was still getting

[00:39:57] used to her new surroundings and attempting to make new friends, but sometimes she could feel a little lonely and missed her old school and classmates. So one day, when she was feeling particularly homesick for her old school, she brought Bravo the toy dragon out with her at playtime to keep her together. Isla watched the other children play

[00:40:27] and run around together while she sat on a bench and cuddled Bravo. After a few minutes, Isla was approached by a couple of girls from another class who'd spotted her across the playground. They started asking her questions about her dragon toy, and Isla plucked up the courage to return their conversation. After a few

[00:40:57] minutes, the girls invited Isla to play with them and Isla felt a surge of excitement and relief flood through her. She hopped up instantly from the bench and followed the girls to the other side of the playground with Bravo the dragon bravery powers were about to be pushed to the limit.

[00:41:27] Every week, a different class would take turns performing a presentation to the rest of the students in the school. They would put on a presentation all about a topic they'd been studying that term. This week, Isla's class were due to perform in assembly. Their presentation, led by Miss Fudge, was all about the ancient Romans they had been studying in history.

[00:41:57] They had been preparing every afternoon all week long. They had all learned a song to sing together, complete with memorable actions, and everyone had a solo, spoken line to say. Isla had been practicing her solo line at home with her parents, and was feeling confident that she knew it well. She had

[00:42:27] practiced saying it in her big, loud voice, just like her drama teacher had taught her, and every time they practiced their presentation in class, she spoke very well. Isla was looking forward to their presentation in the end-of-week assembly. However, when Friday rolled around, Isla felt the butterflies return to her tummy.

[00:42:58] Her mummy had styled her curly hair into plaits, and she looked very smart for the presentation. The warrior's shield she had made in class was ready to show off in the assembly, and when she rehearsed her line, it was still firmly in her head. She knew it perfectly. As Isla's mummy dropped her off at school, Isla turned

[00:43:28] to her and confessed, I'm a little bit nervous about speaking in front of the whole school in assembly. Isla's mummy promised she would be absolutely fine. She had practiced and practiced all week, and she knew her lines so well that she could say it in her sleep. Besides, if she was feeling especially

[00:43:57] nervous, she always had Bravo the bravery dragon to turn to for help. Isla smiled happily and hugged her mother goodbye. Then she headed inside her classroom to get ready for the presentation. Everyone in her class was so excited for the assembly. Everybody's mummy had styled their hair, especially for the occasion,

[00:44:27] and everyone's uniform was particularly neat today. Miss Fudge ushered them all to line up by the classroom door so that they could walk into the hall and practice before the assembly began with the whole school. Isla sneakily tucked Bravo the dragon under her jumper and carried him with her into the school hall. They all

[00:44:56] sat down on the benches at the front of the hall and Miss Fudge set up the picture slideshow on the screen behind them. Isla noticed that her nerves felt different today. She was still a little nervous about speaking in front of everyone in the school, but she felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach turn into more of a buzz, like a buzzy bee

[00:45:25] vibrating in her belly. She actually felt pretty excited. She tapped Bravo the dragon, who was still secretly tucked under her jumper and felt his bravery passing through into her tummy. His magic was working already. Miss Fudge allowed them all to practice their lines one more time before the

[00:45:54] other students would start filing into the hall for assembly. Everybody spoke their lines confidently and proudly, and Miss Fudge said she was pleased as punch that they all sounded so brilliant. But Isla noticed that there was one person in the class who wasn't speaking as loudly as normal. Ezzie, a boy that

[00:46:24] sat at her table in class, had spoken very quietly, so quietly that it was almost a whisper. Isla leaned forward on her bench and caught Ezzie's attention. Are you all right, Ezzie? Isla asked him gently. Ezzie looked at Isla with big, cheerless eyes. Not really, he mumbled.

[00:46:54] I'm feeling very nervous. I keep forgetting my words and I'm worried I'll forget them in front of the whole school. Isla smiled encouragingly and replied, You won't forget your lines, Ezzie. Just say them as confidently as you have in all our lessons. You've always got them right so far.

[00:47:23] Isla thought Ezzie could use a dose of confidence, like what Isla got from Bravo, her bravery dragon. She placed her hand on the beanie toy beneath her jumper and paused. Maybe Ezzie needed a bravery dragon more than she did today. Isla slipped the toy out from underneath her jumper and passed it to

[00:47:53] Ezzie. Use my bravery dragon for the assembly, Isla suggested thoughtfully. He's called Bravo and I use him whenever I feel nervous or scared. All you have to do is hold him close when you feel worried. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine you are

[00:48:22] as brave as a dragon. Then Bravo will give you some of his bravery for you to use. Ezzie took the green beanie toy from Isla and held it carefully in his hands. Don't you need it? Ezzie asked with confusion. Isla smiled and calmly replied, I don't

[00:48:52] think I need it today. I think I already have a lot of bravery within me. Ezzie tucked the dragon toy under his jumper just like Isla did and practiced closing his eyes, breathing deeply and picturing himself as a brave dragon. The hall filled up with all the other students in

[00:49:22] school and the young audience sat cross-legged on the shiny wooden floor awaiting Miss Fudge's class presentation. Miss Fudge led and directed the children to perform the presentation they had been practicing all week. They began with their song and then moved onto the lines. One by one,

[00:49:51] each student in the class stood up from the bench and recited their solo speeches. They taught the other kids in school how they had learned that the ancient Romans were a very intelligent civilization who built many impressive roads, some of which even still exist today. They also described how the Romans enjoyed watching chariot

[00:50:21] races for fun and gladiator fights in a giant arena called the Coliseum. When it was Isla's turn to say her line, she stood up tall and recited it loudly, clearly and confidently. Her face was glowing with delight as she finished her line and

[00:51:05] not waited for him to speak. Miss Fudge whispered Ezzie's name to catch his attention and the

[00:51:34] boy sat next to him nudged him gently to remind him to speak. Suddenly Ezzie stood up and opened his eyes, looking out to the back wall of the hall and delivered his line with a roar. He spoke so loudly and clearly that everyone was blown away by his confident performance.

[00:52:04] Once his line was over, he sat back down on the bench and Isla saw his shoulders relax and his whole body deflate with relief. Ezzie sighed and looked at Isla who was staring at him from down the bench. He grinned and gave her two big thumbs up before whispering excitedly, it

[00:52:34] worked, it worked, I can't believe it worked. The class presentation ran perfectly and when they finished, the whole school gave them a big round of applause, including a few cheers. Miss Fudge led the students back to the classroom and they all celebrated a successful assembly together with a tin of cookies that Miss

[00:53:03] Fudge had baked herself. Everyone couldn't stop talking about how loud Ezzie had spoken and Miss Fudge gave him a gold star sticker for his terrific performance too. Ezzie was beaming from ear to ear all the rest of the morning and Isla couldn't wipe the smile from her face either. It had been so

[00:53:33] nice to see her toy help someone else in the use the dragon to help you when you're feeling nervous again Ezzie stated with a smile.

[00:54:02] Isla took her toy back and smiled but she had a feeling that she wouldn't be needing Bravo's help much anymore. Now that she knew how to find her own dragon courage within herself she didn't need to rely on her toy any longer. Perhaps Miss Fudge could find a use for the toy instead

[00:54:31] whenever there were other children who needed help finding the bravery that was already inside of them. This is Back to School with Prickles the Hedgehog by Sarah Kate Howarth. It

[00:55:03] was strewn with branches of elderflower handfuls of laurel and long tufts of cotton grass. The air sang with the sweet smell of wild flowers and despite it being late in the day sunlight still trickled its way in through the treetops falling like stardust onto the floor below. Prickles the hedgehog loved summer. It was his favourite season by far and he looked

[00:55:33] forward to the tantalising promise of the summer holidays all year round. This year had been just perfect. There had been camping trips with Coco and Camo where they roasted marshmallows together on a crackling campfire and whispered secrets into the flames. There had been a week spent at the seaside with his cousins building the most intricate and impressive castles and sculptures out of the glittering golden sand.

[00:56:03] There had been afternoons spent paddling in the creek in the dappled sunlight, swinging high on the rope swing and dropping down into the turquoise water below with a terrific splash. There had been tree climbing and star gazing, horseback riding and cupcake decorating, pottery painting and paddle boarding. The list went on and on. Prickles' days had

[00:56:33] been filled with the most delightful and entertaining activities all summer long. Above all else, Prickles had loved to while away the summer evenings in his mother's spectacular library, which was nestled right inside their house. In fact, there was nothing that Prickles enjoyed more on a balmy summer's evening than curling up in the library's window seat, reading a storybook from

[00:57:03] cover to cover. And that's exactly what he was up to now, an open book balanced under his nose, munching his way through a crunchy red apple and devouring the text in front of him. Prickles was a voracious reader. Why, he must have read over a hundred books this summer alone. He'd read about swashbuckling pirates on daring voyages across the seven seas.

[00:57:33] He'd read about the travelling circus that mysteriously appeared on the outskirts of sleepy villages. He'd read about adventurous sailors thrown off course by the silken voices of mermaids and ending up stranded on desert islands. And he'd read about the special waterfall in a faraway kingdom that trickled and oozed with a chocolate so delicious it made anyone that tasted it

[00:58:03] do a flip in delight. The book that Prickles was currently reading was a tale of great intrigue all about a young aardvark named Antony who was secretly a spy. But despite its captivating plot Prickles was finding it unusually difficult to concentrate on the pages in front of him. He kept losing his place and having to start over which was most unlike

[00:58:33] him. He sighed and the gnawing feeling in his belly which he had been trying very hard to ignore grew even more insistent. Bother he said tucking his brightly coloured bookmark in between the pages of the storybook and letting it fall shut. He gazed out of the window taking in the beautiful view of sleepy forest silhouetted in the setting

[00:59:03] sun. The clouds were laced with crimson and the sky had melted into a buttery pool of amber and marigold. But despite the breathtaking scene Prickles' face stayed caught in a frown a deep ridge puckered into his forehead. His tummy felt all twitchy as if a kaleidoscope of butterflies were flitting furtively against

[00:59:33] the walls of his stomach softly careering into one another. He'd been feeling like this for a little while now ever since he'd begun to think about the new school term which was fast approaching. It wasn't that he didn't like school. He loved learning and he was looking forward to seeing his classmates of course. It was something else. His toes felt a little tingly

[01:00:03] and he'd left sweaty pawprints inside inside the sleek pages of the book. For some reason Prickles was feeling anxious about going back to school. And not just a little bit anxious, a lot. Prickles' mum was sitting on the far side of the library, her nose buried in an anthology of poems. Every so often she tore her eyes away from the beautiful

[01:00:32] verses in front of her, gazed over at her son and sighed. She was feeling worried about Prickles. He hadn't seemed himself this past week. His face was pale and he seemed preoccupied, often gazing solemnly into the distance instead of enthralled by whatever storybook lay open on his lap. She reached for her special bookmark

[01:01:02] embroidered with dahlias and daisies and slipped it between the pages of her poetry book. Leaving her book tucked inside the soft crease of the armchair, she padded across the library floor, past the romance section brimming with lovestruck characters, the detective novels with their intricate and suspenseful whodunit plots, and the vast collection of non-fiction books,

[01:01:32] where you could find just about any information you might need. As she approached the window seat, Prickles looked up, and she saw that his chocolate brown eyes weren't as warm as they usually were. They looked a little watery, as if he was holding back tears. Prickles, darling, whatever is the matter, you look

[01:02:02] so melancholic sitting gazing out the window. Prickles sniffed and rubbed his eyes hurriedly. I'll find, he squeaked, gazing back down at his book and trying his best to look interested. But Prickles' mum knew a fib when she heard one. She climbed up onto the soft cushions of the window seat and nestled in beside him. What

[01:02:31] is it, my love? Are you not enjoying the book? Through tear-soaked eyes, Prickles gazed down at the comical illustration of Antony the spy, all dressed up in a hilarious disguise. It's a great book, he replied, doing his best to seem cheerful. But his mouth said otherwise, curling downwards into a frown. Prickles'

[01:03:01] mum twitched her nose and thought hard. What was making Prickles so very miserable? She tipped her head to the right and pursed her lips. Could he be bored? Usually, Prickles adored the long summer holidays, but perhaps he'd grown restless and was eager to get back to school and see all his classmates. Her eyes gleamed triumphantly. That

[01:03:30] had to be it. Well, she knew exactly how to help with that. I know, she sang, her voice echoing brightly around the cavernous library. Why don't we go back to school shopping? It's almost term time after all, and I bet you're sick of spending your days cooped up at home. You're missing your school friends. It's totally natural. But

[01:04:00] Prickles shook his head vigorously. Oh, no, I'm perfectly happy here. I love being home. It's actually... But Prickles mum interrupted with a cheerful chuckle. That's ever so sweet of you to say, Prickles, but I know you're raring to get back to sleepy forest elementary. Listen, how's about we take a trip to Evergreen tomorrow, just you and me? We'll get you

[01:04:30] all kitted out for the new school year. Don't you worry. Prickles paused. Evergreen was a huge department store right in the heart of sleepy forest and Prickles normally loved to wander around the floors with his mum gazing at all the new shiny things on display. Usually he would have been over the moon at the prospect of a trip to Evergreen but somehow

[01:05:00] the mere mention of the new school year was making his skin begin to itch. Oh it's okay mum we don't need to. Nonsense his mum nudged his shiny pink nose lovingly with her own we can look at the stationery find you some new school shoes wander around the sports department it'll be great fun I've got a few things to get done tomorrow

[01:05:29] morning but we'll set off right after lunch okay Prickles nodded and tried to force a smile but he couldn't help feeling glum still it seemed that no matter what he said or did the summer holidays were rapidly drawing to a close as promised after enjoying a tasty lunch of leek and potato soup and hot

[01:05:59] buttered rolls Prickles and his mum set off for the department store in their cheerful yellow car his mum switched on the radio and together they sang along to jaunty pop songs as they cruised along the open roads before long they spotted the shimmering roof of evergreen sparkling in the distance under the sun's strong rays evergreen breathed Prickles delighted

[01:06:29] by the beautiful image on the horizon here we are sang his mother as they pulled up in the busy car park hopped out of the car setting off towards the emerald dome ahead Prickles dawdled behind slightly his tummy twinging as if he'd swallowed a punnet of unripe plums come on Prickles his mother stretched out a paw to her little son

[01:06:58] who trailed behind her don't be shy you usually love back to school shopping now where shall we go first as they entered the smart revolving doors of evergreen Prickles felt the wobbles in his tummy subside a little the air hung heavy with the delicious scent of peppermint candy and pistachio ice cream and the floor tiles

[01:07:28] gleamed in a dizzying constellation of jade emerald and teal in the centre of the store stood a spiral staircase cast in ornate iron leading to other floors all of which were full of delights for a brief moment Prickles forgot to be nervous and gazed in wonder at the spectacular sights around him rows

[01:07:57] and rows of shiny new toys each one beckoning him closer his gaze travelled across the toy department falling first on the latest computer games then skimming over to the enormous BMX bikes with their monstrous tyres past rocking horses and inflatable water slides cricket sets and basketball hoops until it finally

[01:08:27] settled on a shining fleet of toy cars I know his mother's voice came bounding very suddenly into his consciousness like an alarm disturbing his dreamlike reverie school shoes first up on the third floor prickles tried to muster up some enthusiasm as he and his mum gazed up at the

[01:09:00] assistant in a bottle green suit made his way over to them eagerly I would need some help he asked brightly gesturing at the plentiful collection of shoes I know back to school shopping can be a little daunting with so many lovely pairs to choose from how's about we get you measured first little man he smiled down at prickles kindly prickles blushed and gazed at the floor

[01:09:31] oh yes that's a great idea I'm sure you'll have grown since last year prickles prickles his mum ushered him over to the machine and the shop assistant helped him climb up onto its surface and place his paws in the dedicated spots now keep very still instructed the shop assistant it's very important your new shoes are roomy and

[01:10:00] comfortable prickles gazed down at the sensors under his feet he had to admit it was pretty cool a machine that told you exactly what size shoes you needed to buy excellent sang the shop assistant you kept very still indeed well done now I'll go grab a few pairs in the right size and you can try them on okay a few

[01:10:30] moments later prickles was plodding happily up and down the shop floor gazing at his reflection in the mirror in wonder the new shoes the shop assistant had picked out

[01:15:26] pens and pens to go inside the furry red pencil case and very soon they had filled another shopping bag full of back to school supplies they stood together each holding an emerald green shopping bag close to their chest smiling triumphantly well we've done very well prickles brand new boots and a

[01:15:55] fabulous pencil case i think this calls for a celebration don't you her eyes wandered towards the ground floor cafe with its sparkling silverware and gleaming white crockery prickles his face melted into a dreamy grin do you mean he could barely get the words out he was feeling so hopeful

[01:16:25] i sure do if you ask me it's time for an ice cream sundae to mark the end of the summer holidays prickles and his mum shared a cheeky smile they were both great fans of the evergreen cafe were just heavenly prickles tried not to think about the end of the summer

[01:16:55] holidays and instead began to fantasize about hot chocolate sauce shavings of caramelized pecans thick dollops of whipped cream candied apricots delicate wafers and gleaming glacé cherries his tongue snuck out of his mouth without permission and he licked his lips yes please

[01:17:25] he squeaked forgetting all about his stomach ache from before and thinking only of

[01:18:16] edible glitter his mother watched him pensively her head tipped to the side her eyes a little glazed what's up mum asked prickles through an enormous mouthful oh nothing pet i'm just glad to see you happy you've seemed a little distant these past few days has anything been the

[01:18:45] matter prickles prickles stopped digging for chocolate truffles and sat back licking the cream from his spoon delicately well i guess i've been feeling a bit funny you see whenever i thought about going back to school i got this strange feeling in my tummy his mother leaned forwards

[01:19:14] what sort of a feeling she inquired worriedly prickles began picking at a wafer breaking it up into little crumbs and scattering them on his napkin it was sort of like butterflies dancing around flapping their wings and making me feel all nervous prickles his mum

[01:19:44] stroked her son's paw her eyes shining with empathy oh honeypot it's totally normal to feel anxious especially with a new school term ahead prickles nodded and it just felt like such a shame he continued you know with the summer holidays ending and all it felt

[01:20:14] really sad now we have to wait a whole year for summer to arrive prickles his mum smiled but think of all the wonderful holidays we'll have before then prickles there's thanksgiving and hanukkah and passover too prickles his mind filled with images of hullabread chocolate gelt and honey

[01:20:43] cake his mum was right there was so much to look forward to so much to enjoy in between and you'll love to see your friends again won't you prickles thought of his classmates from sleepy forest elementary school he thought first of daphne the duckling and wondered if her feathers had changed colour over the holidays he

[01:21:13] thought of eleanora the baby elk who had spent the summer back in sweden and was bound to have lots of wonderful stories to share

[01:23:24] boots and my red furry pencil case with the little apple dangling from the zip. And I loved that ice cream too. Prickles' mum helped him climb up into the back seat of the car and fasten his seatbelt securely. I'm glad, Prickles. You're most welcome.

[01:23:49] And I'm glad you opened up about how you've been feeling too. That's very brave and I'm very proud of you. As their car trundled along the highway, Prickles felt the soft vibrations of the motor engine lulling him into a deep slumber.

[01:24:15] As his head began to nod and his eyelids to flutter, he slipped away into the most beautiful dream. Striding into school in his new cowboy boots, grinning ear to ear with his best friends Coco and Camo right beside him.

[01:24:45] This is A New Year in Kookaburra Kindi by Jane Thomas. Snuggle and Huggle are two baby platypuses known as Puggles who live in the heart of Sleepy Forest with their little sister, Cuddle. And this morning, it's Snuggle and Huggle's job to make sure Cuddle is alright.

[01:25:14] She has a big day ahead of her. You'll be fine, says Snuggle, patting Cuddle on the shoulder, then reaching across her to get the marmalade. You'll have no problems at all, says Huggle, giving Cuddle's arm a quick squeeze, then biting into her grapefruit so hard that juice squeezes out and hits Cuddle in the face.

[01:25:41] There's a quick pause before all three of them burst into laughter. Didn't you find it scary? Asks Cuddle when the laughter has died down. Huggle shrugs her shoulders. I suppose a little bit, she says. But did you also find it exciting?

[01:26:06] Asks Cuddle, her face showing how confused she is that something can be both exciting and scary at the same time. Snuggle grins. Definitely exciting, he says. Their mother comes bustling into the kitchen from the garden, her basket overflowing with fresh-cut flowers.

[01:26:31] Ready for your big day, dear, she says to Cuddle, planting a quick kiss on her youngest Puggle's head. A whole year older. A new classroom in school and a new teacher. Let me guess. It's scary and exciting, isn't it? Cuddle giggles and says, yes, it's exactly that.

[01:26:57] Her mother reaches into one of the kitchen cupboards and turns around holding out a new shiny lunchbox. It's purple and covered in silver stars that sparkle as she moves it around in the beam of sunlight shining through the window. I think this day deserves a brand new lunchbox, don't you? She says, passing it over to Cuddle, whose eyes grow large.

[01:27:26] Snuggle and Huggle exchange a quick look. And then Huggle reaches into her school bag and hands Cuddle a pencil case in the shape of a giraffe. Thought you'd need this too, seeing as you're getting all grown up now, she says with a smile. And then Snuggle is reaching into his school bag too and taking out a brand new set of pencils in all the colours of the rainbow.

[01:27:54] Reckon you'll be needing these, Cuddle, he says, and puts them on the table in front of her. It is with great ceremony and care that Cuddle places her bright new pencils inside her wonderful new pencil case. And as she snaps the silver sparkly clips closed on her brand new lunchbox, she feels as if she is ready for anything.

[01:28:21] For the first time, she won't be one of the very youngest at school. And she imagines all the tiny creatures all across Sleepy Forest who are getting ready for their very first day at Kookaburra Kindy. Mrs. Bloomington will have already learned their names by heart. Cuddle knows that much.

[01:28:44] And for a moment, she feels sorry that she will no longer be in the care of the big fuzzy yellow and black bumblebee. The three of them head to the bus stop together, watching for the alligator to appear right on time, just as he always does. Cuddle says, Good morning, Mr. Alligator, as she hands over her bus pass.

[01:29:10] She's a little older this year and she dares to sit slightly further back than she did before, looking ahead to see the youngest creatures taking the bus for the very first time. A worried-looking fox cub is right in front of her, clutching onto his flame-coloured lunchbox as if it is keeping him alive. And Cuddle leans forwards and tells him he needn't worry at all.

[01:29:40] That Mrs. Bloomington is the most wonderful teacher and he will be almost certain to have a little bit of magic in his day. The fox cub smiles and squeaks a little, Thank you. And then they're at the next stop and Kevin is leaping aboard and bouncing towards Cuddle with a loud, G'day, g'day, g'day! and plonking himself down next to her.

[01:30:07] The kangaroo and the platypus have been best friends since their first day at the Kookaburra Kindi and Cuddle can't wait to show off her new lunchbox. She proudly displays it, the silver sparkly stars flashing in the sunlight and Kevin reaches into his backpack and pulls out his new lunchbox, which is covered in a glorious jungle scene where toucans fly through the trees

[01:30:36] and monkeys are swinging on lengths of creeper. As they pass the community garden, Cuddle leans forwards and points it out to the young fox cub in front of her, telling her that Mrs. Bloomington's class had thought of it and brought it to life. The young fox cub's eyes grow wide. He's often been in the garden, taking a handful of blueberries here

[01:31:03] and a clutch of bright orange carrots there and he starts wondering what his class might get up to. He had been worried that school would be all about sitting with your nose in a book and doing very complicated sums and learning to spell incredibly long words. But if school also meant things like learning to plant seeds and grow gardens,

[01:31:32] wow, that sounded like a perfect place to him. Snuggle and Huggle gave Cuddle a quick hug and a wave as they charged off in the direction of their classrooms and then Cuddle and Kevin walked either side of the little fox cub and led him up to Mrs. Bloomington. The fuzzy bumblebee smiled at the two friends and thanked them,

[01:31:59] welcoming little Blaze the fox to her class and checking off his name on the register. Cuddle and Kevin hang about, not in a rush to go anywhere. I think you're with Mr. Twinkle, said Mrs. Bloomington, nodding her head in the direction of a line of animals queuing up in front of a frazzled-looking peacock. He keeps dropping his list

[01:32:27] and when he picks that up, he drops his pen and then when he has that, his glasses slip clean off his nose and he has to pat around on the ground with his beak for a moment before he finds them once more and pops them back in place. Mr. Twinkle sparkled like sapphires

[01:32:49] Mrs. Bloomington leaned in close to Cuddle and Kevin as she whispered, Mr. Twinkle's peacock feathers

[01:33:19] really did look as though they contained a thousand eyes that could see in all directions at once. They went over and joined the back of the line right behind Harry the hoglet, the one with the glasses that slipped down his nose at least a dozen times a minute, and Tammy, the pointy-nosed, big-bottomed fluffball of a wombat. Together, the four of them make up the sleepover story club

[01:33:48] and Cuddle was crossing her little webbed feet in the hopes that somehow, by some miracle or other, they might all end up sitting at the same table in Mr. Twinkle's classroom. Theirs is the last group to head towards their new classroom, mainly because all the other teachers have a better grasp on their lists and pens than Mr. Twinkle manages to have,

[01:34:17] but they finally go in and are given a seating plan as they pass their new teacher. Cuddle looks down and sees that there are all sorts of different shapes. There's a triangle as a table of three, a hexagon as a table of six, and a circle has space for seven students. She searches quickly for her name and breaks out into a smile

[01:34:46] as she sees she will be seated at a star-shaped table and three of the other seats are taken by her sleepover story club friends. Cuddle and Kevin have a quick celebratory dance before they settle into their seats and start looking around the new classroom. The fifth seat remains empty. Mrs. Bloomington's classroom

[01:35:14] had been all about balloons and clouds with a huge mural on one wall and a huge map of sleepy forest on another. Mr. Twinkle's classroom has taken them deep under the ocean. The walls are painted a beautiful dash of turquoise and silver along the top and become the deepest midnight blue at the bottom. Models of colourful fish hang from the ceiling

[01:35:44] on invisible threads, so there is the distinct feeling of being inside an aquarium where orange and white clownfish dance alongside the dazzling purple of parrotfish. On one of the walls, there is a map of the world and where attention is normally paid to the land, on this particular map, all the glory was given to the seas and oceans.

[01:36:13] They were filled with whales and dolphins. There were albatrosses sweeping over the waves in the far south and black and white penguins surfed on ice flows. Walruses and polar bears patrolled the white-capped top of the northern hemisphere. With a hop, a step and a jump, Mr. Twinkle was on his perch,

[01:36:43] a golden bar that hung from the ceiling and meant he could twist and turn in a moment to see any corner of the room he wanted. The thousand emerald and gold eyes on his feathers shimmered and shone, a reminder that every student could be seen in every moment. Cuddle pulled out her new pencil case and presented it proudly to Kevin,

[01:37:13] who, in turn, showed her his new one that looked exactly like a book, except it had a little clip and when you open the cover, there was a secret compartment inside instead of pages. Mr. Twinkle is about to start the lesson when there's a knock at the door. He hops down from his perch and glides across the room with a swoosh and a shimmer

[01:37:42] of his glorious feathers. Cuddle leans back in her chair to see who is there and notices the school secretary is talking to her new teacher. The secretary is an elderly rabbit with a string of pearls around her neck and a chunky blue cardigan that all the students know always has sweets and plasters in its pockets. She's whispering quickly with Mr. Twinkle

[01:38:12] and then a badger cub appears in the doorway. He's wearing a badge that says, Hi, I'm Buttons and has a large pair of headphones covering his ears. Mr. Twinkle guides him over to the star-shaped table and introduces Cuddle and her friends and Buttons smiles shyly before hopping onto his seat and staring at the table in front of him.

[01:38:41] He carefully reaches into his backpack for his things arranging his pens and pencils in a perfect row of neatness in order of size. Kevin looks at his bits and pieces which are already all over the place in no order whatsoever and scoops them back into his disguised as a book pencil case. The first lesson is maths

[01:39:11] and Mr. Twinkle uses his feathers to help show the sums. He bobs his head up and down in perfect rhythm as he says, Two plus two plus two and then one more two then two again gives us all a nice round ten. The class giggle and chant as they go through the two times table with him

[01:39:40] loving his rhymes to help them remember everything. Although Buttons isn't watching Mr. Twinkle Cuddle can see his listening because his head bobs up and down in perfect time too and his pencil taps out the rhythm of the words. Four plus three plus two plus one what have we gone and done? Only found another ten

[01:40:10] let's all try that one again. Mr. Twinkle twirls and swirls on his golden perch far above the tables looking down on his students who chant along with him as he does his sums. Cuddle steals a glance at Buttons' notebook and sees that he has the most immaculate handwriting every number and word

[01:40:40] being perfectly formed and sitting neatly exactly where it should rest resting on the lines of the page. She looks down at her own workbook already covered in scribbles and crossings out where she's made mistakes and decides to start a new page. She doubts she can do this as beautifully as Buttons but she would definitely give it a try.

[01:41:09] Ten lots of ten have you ever wondered why I'll tell you that's one hundred Mr. Twinkle chants and the whole class repeats it back to him thinking how easy and fun maths can be and wondering what they'd worried about all this time. The bell rings for break and everyone rushes to get outside into the

[01:41:39] sunshine everyone that is except Cuddle and Buttons. Cuddle was about to leave when she looked back and saw Buttons sitting there all by himself his eyes closed and his paws flat on the desk. He was breathing slowly and carefully long deep breaths that he held for a moment before letting them go.

[01:42:09] Cuddle looked outside and saw Kevin showing off his latest dance moves to Harry and Tammy and then looked back at Buttons sitting by himself and decided she would go and talk with the new badger cub. She touched him gently on the shoulder and Buttons jumped and then opened his eyes and smiled at her reaching up and removing his headphones. Hi

[01:42:38] he said a beaming grin suddenly in place. Cuddle hadn't expected him to be so confident. She stammered out a little hello going back to the very shy little platypus she'd been on her very first day at Kookaburra Kindy a whole year ago. She couldn't help herself. Her eyes darted towards the headphones now lying on the table

[01:43:08] folded up neatly next to the perfect row of pens and pencils. Buttons' eyes followed hers. Therefore when it gets too noisy he said. Oh replied Cuddles not quite sure what else to say to that. I find it hard sometimes when everything is really loud. I wear them a lot but I don't always have music on he

[01:43:38] explained. So that's how you could hear the maths rhymes? Cuddle asked. Buttons nodded. He pointed outside where Kevin could just about be seen trying to do a back flip. As they watched in silence Cuddle and Buttons saw him fall flat on his face again. They both stifled a giggle. It looks fun said Buttons

[01:44:08] but sometimes it's a bit noisy for me. I don't really like it so he pointed towards the headphones. Got it said Cuddles. Spicy brain she asked. Buttons laughed. Spicy brain he said. He looked out at Kevin again. I swear my brain thinks it can do back flips sometimes he added.

[01:44:38] Cuddle was suddenly curious. Buttons she said. Do you ever want to be alone but not be alone? He looked sideways at her so she rushed to continue. Like you feel as if you don't have the energy to talk to anyone else but you don't want to be by yourself. You just want to be quiet with someone

[01:45:27] that way? Buttons shrugged his shoulders. I think it is. Do you? Cuddle nodded. I guess it's our version of normal then he said firmly. Cuddle pointed at Kevin who was now trying to see if he could do a belly dance. Tammy was rolling on the floor holding her sides and Harry was scrabbling around trying

[01:45:57] to find his glasses. Kevin glanced up and saw the puggle and badger cub watching him gave a big grin a huge wave of his stomach and then fell right into running on the spot as fast as he could. See him Cuddle said he's my best friend in the whole wide world he can be a bit a bit much for some with all his energy but

[01:46:27] trust me he likes his quiet time too. It comes on suddenly it won't happen now he's got too many people watching and laughing with him but but when it's just me and him and it's a weekend and we've gone to Betty Badger's bakery for a treat Kevin sometimes likes to just sit completely still and calm with no talking or dancing or being silly

[01:46:57] buttons nods he understands what she's saying I guess says cuddle we all have our different way of seeing things and being don't we and that's good I mean it's brilliant cuddle had no idea how relieved little buttons was in that moment it was his first day in a new school

[01:47:26] and he'd been worried how others might see him and his headphones and his moments of disappearing into silence when everything became too much for him he'd even been told that just behind the secretary's office there was a quiet little den where he could retreat if he needed one with soft pillows and cosy blankets and heavy curtains at the window so

[01:47:56] the

[01:48:34] heard music want to join to us cuddle to think about it for a moment before saying no not this time if that was all right and cuddle said sure of course it was all right just because you said no this time doesn't mean I won't ask again she turned

[01:49:04] to say just before she left the room I get it some days you will and some days you won't and that's perfect see you in five cuddle ran out of the room and over to her friends putting her arm around Tammy's shoulder and joining in the dance her big webbed feet lifting in time to the others Mr.

[01:49:34] Twinkle had watched the whole scene quite quietly from his golden perch far above the classroom cuddle and buttons had quite forgotten he was there a thousand emerald and golden eyes in his feathers had seen every moment and he thought to himself how lucky he was to have cuddle in his class Mrs. Bloomington

[01:50:04] had told him to keep an eye out for that one about how kind cuddle was and how understanding and how she was always looking out for others he had only known her a few short hours but already Mr. Twinkle knew that cuddle was something special he peered out of the window and watched as the four

[01:50:34] friends fell down in a heap on the grass lying down with their chests heaving as they caught their breath pointing up at the clouds drifting by as he watched he saw buttons approach the group the little badger reaching down and touching cuddle gently on the shoulder to catch her attention she shifted over and

[01:51:04] patted the grass next to her and buttons lay down with them Kevin leaning over to give buttons a quick fist bump of welcome and then settling once more onto the grass Tammy picked a daisy from the grass and one by one removed the singing some song to herself as she went that Mr. Twinkle couldn't quite hear from

[01:51:33] where he rested on his golden perch as the bell went to signal the end of break Mr. Twinkle watched as Kevin leapt up before the others turning round to pull them up one by one all the creatures slowly returned to their classes some by themselves others with arms linked through their

[01:52:03] best friends some racing to be the first and others dawdling to be the last buttons put on his headphones and headed in behind Tammy and Harry with Kevin and Cuddle holding back for a moment the little kangaroo held the paws of his puggle friend and twirled her round and

[01:52:33] round a gentle whirlwind skimming across the daisies and the grass her laughter drifting across the fields and to all corners of sleepy forest a little silver sparkle that everyone felt rather than heard it was a shimmer that started in their toes and ran up their

[01:53:03] legs and down their arms and to the very tips of their noses a warm glow spreading gently across the world as the kangaroo and the puggle swirled and twirled in the sunshine shine