Isla's School Picture Day Panic 📸 😬 Bedtime Stories For Kids

[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. We're starting with the shout outs as always, and I'd like to welcome very warmly into the Coco Club, Remy and Reese from Sisters, Oregon, Naomi in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, Lucy who's nine from Perth in Western Australia, Quincy also in Perth, Bailey Hudson,

[00:00:41] and Quinn who are in Auckland, New Zealand, and Miley or Miles and Griffin who are in Oakland, California. Welcome. Thank you so much for supporting us. We appreciate every single subscription as they come in and we love reading out your names. So thank you for sending them in and sending us where you live and also enjoy all your extra bonus episodes from now on.

[00:01:06] Tonight, I'm really, really looking forward to this story because it talks about a school event that all of us know about. Some of us really love it. Others really hate it and there's probably a few who don't really mind one way or the other. I wonder which you are.

[00:01:22] Personally, I loved it as a small child. In my small primary school, it was great fun. As soon as I got to high school, I dreaded the jostling, the time it took to line everyone up, and occasionally the teasing afterwards because of the funny faces we ended up pulling. It isn't sports day. It isn't sports day. It is, I think you've guessed it, school picture day.

[00:01:44] And to our friend Isla, it is very important that when she's asked to say cheese or sausages, she has a perfect smile. But things don't go quite to plan for her because when she wakes up, she finds she has lost her front tooth. She wants to hide with embarrassment until an unexpected surprise reminds her that some memories are worth smiling for. Shall we find out what happened?

[00:02:12] Okay, lie back in bed, perhaps with a little sigh and a small smile on your own face. Breathe in and out gently and steadily as I begin Isla's School Picture Day Panic by Luke Prendergast. 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.

[00:02:39] From August 31st until September 14th, you can enjoy a 14-day free trial of Coco 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.

[00:03:03] 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 Coco 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.

[00:03:27] 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. As far as Isla was concerned, tomorrow was the most important day of the year.

[00:03:52] No, it wasn't Christmas, and no, it wasn't her birthday either. It was something far more important, something far more momentous than that. It was School Picture Day. Like your birthday and Christmas, School Picture Day only came around once a year, but it had much longer-lasting consequences than either of those.

[00:04:17] Birthdays and Christmases, you could forget about pretty quickly, depending on how much you liked the presents you received, or how quickly the memory of party balloons and pulling crackers faded from your mind. But school pictures, they lasted forever. Not only were they your official photographs for the whole year, to rest on your parents' mantelpiece, or on the wall above the staircase, and to be displayed proudly in the school's front hall,

[00:04:46] they were also a store of memory for the rest of your life. They might end up in cardboard boxes stored in the attic. But when you were an old lady, oh, hundreds of years from now, you might fish those old cardboard boxes out, go through their contents, and see yourself back when you were only nine years old. The school picture would be how you remembered yourself.

[00:05:13] So it was very important that the pictures were good. To this end, Isla had been preparing. For weeks, she had been brushing her teeth extra meticulously, making sure that she did the full two minutes on the top and the full two minutes on the bottom. She had washed her hair and detangled it carefully before leaving it to dry. And she had fished out her special school uniform, the one she didn't usually wear,

[00:05:42] getting her dad to iron the pleats into the blue skirt and the creases into the shirt not once, but twice, just to make sure that he got them perfectly right. That evening, she'd laid the clothes out alongside her freshly polished shoes, ready to be put on the next morning. She wove her hair into two plaits, tied them with her favourite yellow hairbands, and tucked herself into bed nice and early.

[00:06:10] She wanted to get lots of sleep for the next day. And do you want to know what? She did. Isla slept like a lamb, dreaming only the gentlest of dreams and not waking up one single time in the night. She woke up with a big yawn, stretching her tired limbs. It looked as though it was going to be a beautiful day, the perfect day for a school picture.

[00:06:40] Isla slipped out of bed, pushing her feet into the fuzzy warmth of her furry unicorn slippers. She padded out of her bedroom, crossed the landing, and went into the bathroom. In front of the sink, she looked into the mirror, gave her most winning camera-ready smile, and... Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. There, Isla's reflection was, smiling back at herself

[00:07:09] with the same smile that she'd practised countless times before. Except, this time, there was something different. Or rather, something missing. Now, her smile had a humongous gap, right where her front tooth used to be. Isla hurried out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom. She pulled back the covers of her bed. There it was. She reached out and plucked it up between two of her fingers.

[00:07:40] Then, she went back out onto the landing and stood at the top of the stairs. Mom, she called down. Mom. Mom. Her mother poked her flushed face around the corner of the kitchen. Almost ready for school, honey? She asked. Isla held out the tiny little white object she'd found lying in her bedclothes. Mom, she said. I lost a tooth.

[00:08:10] Immediately, Isla's mother's face was illuminated by a smile, as though the moon had just risen over it. Oh, Isla, how wonderful, she said, pressing her hands together, which Isla thought was a rather strange response. Couldn't her mom see what a disaster it was to lose a tooth today, of all days? Her mom came up the stairs and took Isla's hand,

[00:08:40] the one not holding the tooth, of course. She led Isla into her own bedroom, perched on the bed, and out of Isla's bedside drawer, she took a tiny green jewellery box with a cushioned lining. Once, it had contained a pair of earrings that her dad had bought her mom, probably a million years ago. But now, it was the box they put teeth in when they fell out. You know what this means? Her mom said brightly,

[00:09:10] holding the open box out. You know who'll be coming for a visit tonight. Isla dropped the tooth into the jewellery box. She couldn't be excited about the tooth fairy right now, though ordinarily she would be. But mom, she complained, it's school picture day today. I can't smile for the camera like this. Her mom blinked at her a few times,

[00:09:38] then shook her head with a smile. She reached out and stroked Isla's cheek. Oh, Isla, she said, a fallen tooth is nothing to worry about. Plenty of people end up with school photographs with gaps in their teeth. Trust me, you'll look back on it fondly. It's all part of growing up. With that, she left the bedroom, and Isla was alone.

[00:10:09] Isla let out a little quivering sigh. Her mom didn't get it. The fallen tooth wasn't nothing to worry about. It would ruin the school picture. She picked up the green dragon, Bravo, who lay on the end of her bed and hugged him close to her chest. Bravo was her worry toy. He'd been there many times to comfort her when she'd got those nervous butterfly jitters.

[00:10:38] But today, Isla wasn't feeling nervous. She was feeling something else. Something like... Something she didn't have a word for. She gave Bravo a kiss on his soft green head. Wish me luck, she whispered, and placed him back on the bed. Isla got dressed. She barely noticed the crispness of her perfectly ironed shirt

[00:11:08] or the way her Velcro leather shoes shone like a rubbed apple. She ate breakfast, which was actually rather odd, since the cereal kept slipping through the newly formed gap in her teeth. Then, her mum drove her to school, chattering away about this and that and gave her a kiss on the cheek when she dropped her off. Have a lovely day, sweetheart, she said.

[00:11:36] Isla stood at the school gate, peering into the playground. Already, the rows of seating on their metal stilts where students would sit and stand for the school picture had already set up in one corner near the swing set. Isla gulped. She scanned her eyes across the playground, past the camera on its tripod, the kids playing four square with a bouncy ball, her friend Brooke

[00:12:05] with a big smile on her face. Uh-oh. Brooke was heading straight towards her on the wheelchair, sure to be full of questions and conversation topics like Brooke often was. Isla loved Brooke, why, she was one of her best friends. But the thought of opening her mouth and having Brooke see the big gap at the front, it sent a shiver of something through Isla. She had to get away.

[00:12:36] Quickly, she pointed at the school building. I forgot something, she called out, already turning away from Brooke. And quickly, so as not to see the look of disappointment on her friend's face, she hurried into the shadowy corridors of Lower Starry School. Now, all she had to do was avoid the rest of her friends, which was easier said than done.

[00:13:04] As per usual, she sat next to Charlie in maths. But whenever he asked her a question about the multiplication problems they were working on together, Isla just had to grunt or shrug. At first, Charlie seemed confused by her responses. But after a little bit, she just got along with the questions by herself. In music, Isla was supposed to be rehearsing a new pop song with her friends

[00:13:33] Jada and Kara. They'd formed a girl band together and were planning to do a performance for the school in just a couple of weeks. But when she got to the class, Isla realised she had to avoid singing. She pointed at her throat, as if to say she had lost her voice, and then had to sit in the corner and watch as her friends jammed by themselves. And when it came time for lunch, instead of sitting with her friend

[00:14:03] Ezzie, like usual, Isla went and hid in the bathroom. As she sat in the locked cubicle, unwrapping her sandwiches, she let out a little sigh. Oh, she hoped Ezzie wouldn't take her absence personally. She hoped none of her friends would. All the while, Isla was painfully aware of how close it was getting to the end of school when the school picture was due to be taken.

[00:14:33] Already, evening was approaching. Outside, the shadows were growing long. All day, she had been trying to think of solutions to her toothless problem. At break time, she'd found a four-leaf clover out in the playground and made a wish for her tooth to grow back. But it hadn't worked. She'd wondered whether she could go to the art classroom and make a fake tooth out of papier-mâché. But then,

[00:15:03] she remembered that papier-mâché took hours to dry. Even if she could make one, it would never be ready in time. At last, she'd come to the realisation. She had to avoid the school picture altogether. But how? All students of Lower Starry School were expected to attend. They took a register. The only reason you wouldn't attend is if you were absent

[00:15:32] or sick or... Isla touched her throat. That was it. She'd already told Jada and Kara that she'd lost her voice. If she went to the school nurse and said she wasn't feeling well, she'd be able to sit the school picture out. Isla left the bathroom and headed towards the nurse's room. Beyond the windows, the sky was turning from blue

[00:16:01] to a soft lilac as evening was settling in and students gathered for the picture. But even though she had found a solution to her problem, Isla didn't feel happy. Quite the opposite, in fact. As she walked down the corridor, a feeling of disappointment rose in her. She'd been looking forward to school picture day for so long and now she was going

[00:16:30] to have to miss it. There would be no photo evidence of this year for her to fish out of a cupboard box in a hundred years' time. There would be no treasured memory framed on the wall. But what choice did she have? Then, just as she turned the corner to the corridor where the nurse was located, she heard a sound behind her. The pitter-pattering of hurried footsteps

[00:16:58] and the familiar swishing sound of wheels on the hardwood floor. Isla turned around and there, right in front of her, were all her friends. Brooke and Ezzie, Jada and Kara and Charlie. Isla, Jada said, what's going on? Isla kept her top lip pulled over her teeth. Nothing, she mumbled.

[00:17:29] What would be the matter? Are you avoiding us? Asked Ezzie. Isla shook her head. No. Then, Brooke rolled her wheelchair up to Isla's side and touched Isla's arm. We just think you're not acting like your usual cheerful self, Isla, she said, and we wanted to make sure everything was okay. Brooke's voice

[00:17:59] was so soft, her eyes so kindly, the touch of her hand so reassuring that Isla couldn't help it. She dropped the act. Her lip wobbled as she let it loosen and reveal the gap in her teeth. I lost my tooth last night, she told them, looking at the floor. On the worst day possible, the day before the school picture,

[00:18:29] and it's made me feel so, feel, so, so, so. And just like that, the word for the feeling that Isla couldn't put her finger on that morning came to her. So embarrassed, she sighed. Five pairs of eyes blinked at her for a couple of seconds. Then, they all broke into smiles.

[00:18:59] Brooke's arms snaked through hers so that their elbows were linked. A fallen tooth is nothing to be embarrassed about, Charlie said. We all get them. I have one now, in fact, piped up Kara. She opened her mouth to show that a tooth at the back was missing. But that won't be visible in the photograph, Isla said. I think I'm going to sit this school picture day out.

[00:19:29] You can't, her friends protested. We've been looking forward to today for ages. I know, said Isla, trying to put on a brave face. But I don't want to be the only one who looks silly in the photos. That's when Brooke gave her arm a little squeeze. Ooh, she said, I have an idea. She looked at Isla and gave her

[00:19:59] a very serious look with her twinkly green eyes. Isla, meet us in five minutes out on the playground, okay? Don't make any decision until then. Promise? Brooke waited until Isla gave a little nod. Then she turned to the others. Come with me, you guys, she said. See you in five, Isla. A moment later, Brooke and the others

[00:20:28] had disappeared down the corridor. Isla stared after them. Where on earth could they be going? And what could they be up to? Isla turned around and made her way through the corridor, past the yellow lockers and the notice board full of science projects. She went out through the glass doors and into the playground. Dusk had streaked the pale sky

[00:20:57] with blue and pink streaks. How pretty that would look in a picture, she thought. All the year groups were already forming lines, ready to take their places on the tower of seating. Everyone looked happy, excited and normal. Isla put her hand in front of her mouth, worried suddenly that people might be able to see her fallen tooth

[00:21:26] even through her lip. She skulked in the shadows by the school building, but Mr. Bang, the science teacher, spotted her and waved for her. Your ears on that row, Isla. Come on now. Isla took a step backwards. Oh dear, she shouldn't have come out to the playground. Now, she was going to get trapped into having the photograph taken, even with her fallen tooth.

[00:21:56] She turned around to head back inside and bumped straight into her friends. They were back, except now they look different. Brooke wore a green wig and a bright red clown nose. Kara had gelled her hair up into several sharp-looking spikes. Ezzie was wearing a snorkeling mask and goggles with a big plastic breathing spout.

[00:22:26] Charlie had painted her face blue and pink, while Jada had put her whole school uniform on back to front and had messed her perfect hair into a wild bird's nest. They all looked totally ridiculous. What are you doing? Isla asked. Brooke gave her a grin. We didn't want you to be the only one feeling silly in the school picture, so we decided to join you.

[00:22:56] Now, we all look silly. Come along. She looped her arm through Isla's again and wheeled towards the seating. When Mr. Bang saw them all looking like that, his eyes went wide for a moment. Then, he shook his head and laughed. Bottom row, you lot, he said, right at the front, and don't forget to smile. As they took their place, Isla felt

[00:23:25] the most wonderful feeling, right there in her chest, like something was blossoming there. other kids spotted them and started laughing. Brooke pulled a clown face and Isla started laughing too. How silly they all looked together. Silly, but wonderful. And as they turned to face the photographer, Isla thought to herself how lucky she was to have

[00:23:54] friends like these. Her silly, ludicrous, wonderful friends. All right, look at the camera, the photographer called out, and say, cheese, cheese, called the crowd. Isla smiled a big old smile, showing off the gap in her teeth. The camera flashed. At the kitchen table that evening,

[00:24:24] Isla couldn't stop handing the school photograph around. She showed her mum and her dad and her baby brother Freddie at least a dozen times, even though Freddie showed more interest in throwing his food in the air than in the actual photo. I still don't understand why everyone's wearing silly costumes, her dad said. Isla stared at the photograph, at the clown wigs and snorkeling

[00:24:53] masks and silly, spiky hairdos and grinned. Because that's what friends do, she said. When dinner was done and Isla had helped wash and dry the dishes, she carried the school picture upstairs and placed it on her desk. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, which also turned out to be odd because the toothbrush kept slipping unexpectedly

[00:25:23] through the new gap. she washed her face and when she went back into her bedroom, the first thing she spotted was the school picture, which made her laugh. Oh, she predicted that this photograph was going to be her favourite school photograph ever. She would love it so much that she didn't think it would ever end up in a box in the attic. It would remain pride of

[00:25:52] place on a desk or wall forever. She climbed into her bed just as her mum came in to say good night. Through the window she could see the branches of the beech tree swaying in the wind and a spangle of stars flickering in the night sky. There was a movement in the tree, a dark shape, a cat tiptoeing along one of the branches.

[00:26:21] The mattress dipped where her mum sat down. She smoothed down Isla's covers and reached out to touch her cheek. Good night sweetheart, she said. Then her face started with a realisation. Um, don't you think you're forgetting something? Isla frowned. What? Her mum reached out and picked up the tiny green

[00:26:51] jewellery box that sat on Isla's bedside table. She snapped the box open. Inside lay a single tooth. You need to put this under your pillow, her mum said. Otherwise, the tooth fairy won't know where to find it. Oh, yes, you're right, said Isla. She plucked up the tiny little tooth and held it very carefully between her

[00:27:21] thumb and forefinger. Then, she lifted her pillow with its pale pink pattern and slipped the tooth under it. I wonder what the tooth fairy will leave behind, she murmured. Something very special, I'm sure, her mum said. The tooth fairy's always so grateful whenever anyone leaves a tooth out for her. Isla's mum

[00:27:51] planted a kiss on Isla's forehead and left the room. As she went, she switched off the main light so that only the faint blue glow of the nightlight filled the room. Isla lay her head down on her pillow. She remembered the old fairy tale her mum had once told her about the princess who had a pea under her mattress. And even

[00:28:20] though it was tiny, she could feel it there beneath her, and it stopped her sleeping. But no matter how Isla turned her head this way and that, she couldn't feel her tooth lying underneath the pillow. It was just too tiny, but she liked knowing it was there. How funny that was. Just that morning, the tooth had caused her all kinds of trouble, so much

[00:28:50] that she'd been so embarrassed by it falling out that she'd tried to avoid school picture day completely. But now, she felt rather fond of the tooth. Lying there beneath the pillow, it made her think of her friends and what they had done to make her feel better. They had seen her embarrassment and they had transformed it through silliness and laughter into joy. Isla felt like she had

[00:29:20] learned a lot. Not only that more often than not there was no reason to feel embarrassment about things, but also that when you're in need, you'll always have friends there to look after you. Without the tooth falling out, she wouldn't have learned those lessons. Isla smiled to herself and rolled over. Through the window, she could still see the dark shape of the cat curled up

[00:29:50] and sleeping on the branch now. The cat wasn't the only sleepy one. Isla was too. She let out a big yawn and felt a heaviness come into her arms and legs. She took a deep breath and let it out. Slowly, she let her mind relax and felt sleep

[00:30:19] fold her into its warm and cozy embrace. Her eyes drifted shut. One last time, she let her tongue touch the gap where her tooth had once been. She gave a dozy half-smile and a moment later, Isla had fallen into a deep and dream-filled sleep.