For children who find it hard to settle at night.

Children from around 5 years old should be able to follow the Yawnlings stories well: they are calm, simple, and deliberately slow.

Some children enjoy this kind of read-aloud story even from age 3, especially if they like listening, looking at pictures, and already know a calm evening ritual. It is worth simply giving it a try.

At the same time, the stories do not automatically stop being suitable after kindergarten. Older children sometimes still enjoy Yawnlings too — even my eleven-year-old son still likes listening to them as he falls asleep. The recommendation from age 5 is a guide; what matters is whether the quiet story fits your evening.

Yawnlings are calm read-aloud stories for the evening. Nothing huge or exciting is constantly happening in them: the animals listen, look around, have a drink, snuggle up, or slowly grow sleepy.

The stories are written to let the pace slow down while you read. Gentle repetition and small breathing pauses give the evening a little more room to become quiet — without turning bedtime into a complicated routine.

Yawnlings are deliberately calmer than many other read-aloud books: less excitement, fewer surprises, and more slow evening moments.

Many read-aloud books are exciting, funny, or full of surprises. That is wonderful — but it is not always what you need just before sleep.

Yawnlings deliberately take a different path. There are no wild adventures, no villains, no race against time, and no cliffhanger that suddenly leads to requests for three more chapters.

Instead, the stories follow calm animals through small evening moments. A turtle listens to the rain. She drinks slowly. She finds a leaf. Things are allowed to become less — quieter, slower, and cosier.

Yawnlings do not rely on extra excitement. They are made for a gentle transition from the day into the evening.

The little breathing pauses help make reading aloud slower. They invite you to be still for a moment, speak a little more slowly, or take a short, calm breath together.

Especially at the beginning of the story, children are welcome to join in: breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly. A parent’s calm, audible breathing can also make the moment feel especially peaceful and safe.

This is not a magic sleep button. But a slower pace can help the evening feel less hectic — for children and parents alike.

Sometimes, one small pause between two sentences is enough to turn “Just one quick story!” into a cosy reading moment.

There are deliberately fewer pictures so children can let pictures in their own minds appear while they listen. Yawnlings are mainly made for reading aloud and listening.

To make it easier for younger children to enter the story, there are pictures in selected places. They support the imagination without showing every scene completely.

That leaves enough room for listening, imagining, and slowing down.

In the first book, you join a gentle turtle on a warm rainy evening.

She listens to the raindrops. She drinks slowly. She finds a large leaf and snuggles underneath it. Little by little, everything becomes calmer.

The story is deliberately simple and invites you to slow down with the turtle as you read.

Yes. The turtle is only the beginning; more animals and calm stories are planned.

Yawnlings will gradually grow with more animals, new calm stories, and different evening moods. Every animal has its own little character — but they all belong to the same peaceful world.

The next book is already in progress. Anyone who does not want to miss anything can sign up for the newsletter to receive news about new books, characters, and little behind-the-scenes glimpses.

Book 2 is currently planned for September 2026. In that story, the turtle goes swimming.

It is especially for children who still have lots of thoughts, energy, or things to talk about in the evening. The story remains calm and caring — but guides them a little further through the transition from day to night.

No. With Yawnlings, there is no right or wrong.

You can read slowly, pause briefly at the breathing moments, or repeat a sentence when your child would like to hear it again. You can lower your voice, breathe together with your child, or simply take a pause.

The stories provide a calm framework. What your evening looks like within it is up to you.

Then the story was still worthwhile: it was a calm moment you shared together.

Yawnlings do not promise that every child will fall asleep immediately after the final page. Some children simply need more time, more closeness, or a longer evening ritual.

The stories can help make the evening slower and more relaxed. Sometimes sleep follows straight away. Sometimes there is still cuddling, a conversation, or simply a little more time.

Another book is already planned for children who find it especially hard to switch off in the evening.