Home For Grown-ups

Goodnight, Garden

Coming soon

Goodnight, Emilia · Story 7

About “Goodnight, Garden”

As the sun goes down, Emilia and Pip tiptoe through the garden to say goodnight: the bees fly home to their hive, the daisies and poppies close up, a ladybug tucks in under a leaf, and a snail and a cricket come out. But one tiny light keeps blinking by the gate... who is it? A calm bedtime story about what happens in a garden at night, with a lullaby.

Some things in a garden close up for the night and some wake up, and this story notices both. At dusk Emilia and Pip tiptoe past bees flying home to their hive, daisies and poppies folding their petals, and a ladybug tucking her wings under her spotted shell before crawling beneath a leaf. Then the night garden arrives: a snail with his shiny trail and a cricket chirping by rubbing his wings together. A tiny light blinking by the gate keeps the question open until it lands on Emilia's finger. It's a firefly, and when eight more blink back, everyone counts them. Last, a big white moonflower opens.

This story is coming to YouTube soon. You can read it below and print its coloring page now.

What Emilia learns

  • hive
  • daisies
  • poppies
  • ladybug
  • snail
  • cricket
  • firefly
  • moonflower

Tips for grown-ups

  • On the snail page the narrator says to sit very still and wait, so do it together for a few slow breaths. A little practice at stillness is a gentle way to slow a busy body before bed.
  • On a summer evening, step outside before the bath and look for what is closing, like a flower, and what is waking, like a cricket's chirp. Then come in and start the same bedtime steps as always.
  • The AAP's Brush, Book, Bed routine rests on a predictable series of steps that help a child wind down. A goodnight to a houseplant on the way to brushing teeth can become one small, steady step in yours.
  • Count the fireflies slowly, one number per blink, and let your child hold up a finger for each. Eight is the last number, which gives the count a clear, quiet end.
  • Fireflies really do talk with flashes. The National Park Service describes males flashing as they fly and, in some kinds, females answering from the ground, so blink a flashlight slowly under the covers and let your child blink back before it goes off for the night.

Talk about it

After watching, ask:

  • Where did the bees go at night?
  • What did the daisies and poppies do?
  • Where did the ladybug sleep?
  • How does a cricket sing?
  • Who was the blinking light?
  • Which flower opened at night?

Try this together

Draw a garden at night on dark paper, or color a white sheet blue: closed flowers, a snail's shiny trail and one big moonflower. Dot on eight yellow fireflies while counting slowly, hang it by the bed and count them again at lights out.

Free coloring page

Coloring page: Emilia in her pajamas hugging Pip in the garden at night, a big round moonflower open on its vine, a snail, a ladybug on a leaf and two friendly fireflies

Goodnight, Garden: The Moonflower, the Snail and the Ladybug: print it (US Letter or A4) or color it on screen.

Read the story

Goodnight, Garden. Look... a tiny light. Blink... blink.
Who's that, blinking by the gate? What do you think?
Emilia and Pip tiptoe out. The day is nearly done.
Let's find out who, and whisper goodnight to everyone.

The bees flew home to their hive as the sun sank low,
back from the flowers, in a sleepy little row.
A hive is a bee house. They rest there, cozy and snug.
Goodnight, bees. Goodnight, hive. A soft, buzzy hug.

The daisies tucked their yellow middles away,
and the poppies curled up at the end of the day.
They close up at night and open again with the sun.
Goodnight, daisies. Goodnight, poppies, every one.

A ladybug flew in, all red with spots of black,
and she folded her wings under the shell on her back.
She crawled under a leaf, like a blanket on a bed.
Goodnight, ladybug. Goodnight, sleepyhead.

The grass got cool and damp, and out came a snail.
Snails love the damp, and leave a silver, shiny trail.
Blink... There was the little light again, by the gate.
Who is it? Shh... let's sit very still and wait.

Then, down in the grass, came a soft little song.
Chirp, chirp! It was a cricket, singing all night long.
He rubs his wings together. That's how a cricket sings!
Goodnight, cricket. Goodnight, little wings.

Blink... blink... The little light floated near,
and landed on Emilia's finger. Now, look who's here!
A firefly! A tiny bug whose tummy glows so bright.
Hello, little firefly. So you were the blinking light.

Fireflies talk with blinks. This one blinked hello.
Lights blinked back! Let's count them, nice and slow.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Eight little fireflies, blinking back by the gate.

But by the back door, one flower opened up at night:
the moonflower, big and round, and soft and white.
Moonflowers open in the evening, when daisies close.
Goodnight, moonflower. Smell it... mmm, sweet as a rose.

Emilia blew a kiss, and carried Pip up to bed.
Goodnight, garden. Goodnight, moon overhead.

On her ceiling, glow star number seven blinked on, too.
Next time: the rain, pitter-patter all night through.

Shh... the cricket is chirping. Let's sing a lullaby.

The lullaby: “Goodnight, Garden”

The story ends with its own lullaby, sung softly while everyone falls asleep. Sing it at bedtime, slowly.

Goodnight, garden, the sun slipped away,
the bees in their hive have finished their day.
The daisies and poppies have folded up tight,
the ladybug's under a leaf for the night.
The snail leaves a trail in the cool evening dew,
the cricket is chirping his song just for you.
Goodnight, garden, where the fireflies blink and gleam,
the moonflower blooms, and you drift off to dream.

Goodnight, garden... goodnight, garden...

Questions parents ask

Do flowers really close at night?

Some do. Common lawn daisies and California poppies fold their petals at night and on dull days, then open again in the sun. Moonflowers do the opposite, opening in the evening and blooming through the night.

Why do fireflies blink?

Fireflies use patterns of flashes to find and recognize each other. The light comes from the end of a firefly's tummy, which is why the one on Emilia's finger glows underneath.

What if we don't have a garden?

A park, a window box or one houseplant works. The habit the story teaches is noticing, and a single leaf can get a goodnight.

Sources

Our tips follow these pages. They are general information, not medical advice: ask your child's doctor or dentist about your child.