Short stories for kids to read aloud: four quick tales
These are four very short stories written for reading out loud, each about a minute or two long. Every one has a gentle ending, a tip for your voice and pauses, and one question to ask afterwards. They suit children of about four to seven, at home, in class or on a quiet journey.
Four stories to read out loud
1. The squeaky gate
Tilu the rabbit had a gate that squeaked. Eeeek! Every morning she tried to open it slowly. She tried to open it quickly. She even tried it on tiptoe. Eeek, eeek, eeek. “I wish you were quiet,” Tilu sighed.
One evening it grew dim, and Tilu was late coming home. Her friend Boro the hedgehog was waiting along the lane, but all the gates looked the same in the half-light. Tilu pushed her gate open. Eeeek!
“There you are!” called Boro, hurrying up the path. “I followed the squeak.”
Tilu blinked. Then she laughed, and Boro laughed too.
The next morning, Tilu opened the gate very slowly and listened. Eeeek. It sounded a little like hello. So she left it just as it was.
Read-aloud tip: Stretch the squeak long and high, and invite children to squeak with you. Pause before “I followed the squeak.”
Ask afterwards: What is a sound at home that you would know anywhere?
2. Kavi’s cloud pancake
On Sunday, Dad made pancakes. He poured the batter into the pan, and it spread out in a funny shape. Not a circle. Something wobbly, with bumps along the top.
Kavi frowned. “It’s not round,” he said.
Dad shrugged, flipped it, and slid it onto Kavi’s plate, golden on both sides.
Kavi’s little sister Mina tilted her head. “It’s a cloud,” she said.
Kavi looked again. The bumps did look fluffy. “A cloud,” he said slowly. “A rain cloud, with syrup rain.”
“Today’s weather,” announced Mina in her best newsreader voice, “is breakfast, with a chance of seconds.”
Kavi giggled. He tipped a little syrup over the top and cut the cloud in two. One half for him. One half for Mina.
Read-aloud tip: Use a bright, speedy newsreader voice for Mina, and pause just before the word “cloud.”
Ask afterwards: What shape would you find in your breakfast?
3. The sunflower that listened
Nina planted six sunflower seeds in a row beside the back wall. She watered them gently and waited. Five grew straight up, tall and proud. The sixth grew crooked, bending to one side.
“Poor thing,” said Nina. She tied a string and tried to pull it straight, but the sunflower leaned right back.
The next morning, Nina heard whistling. It came from the open window, where Grandad was making tea and whistling a tune he liked. She noticed that the crooked sunflower was leaning toward the window, as close as it could get.
Nina smiled. She untied the string. “You are not crooked,” she whispered. “You are listening.”
After that, Grandad whistled a little louder each morning, and the sunflower leaned in a little more.
Read-aloud tip: Read the whistling lines softly and slowly. On the last line, lean your own body a little to one side.
Ask afterwards: What do you lean toward when you really want to listen?
4. Ibu’s long walk
Ibu the beetle woke one morning and smelled something sweet. Far across the garden, a ripe apple had fallen from the tree.
Ibu set off. Step, step, step. Her legs were small and the garden was big. By noon she had crossed the flat stones. By afternoon she had climbed over a twig.
“Where are you going?” asked Gita the snail.
“To the apple,” said Ibu.
“I am going that way too,” said Gita. “We can go together.” Slowly, they crossed the grass, and a ladybird and two ants joined them on the way.
At sunset they reached the apple. A bird had taken one bite and flown off, leaving plenty behind. There was room for everyone. They nibbled and chatted, and the evening felt as sweet as the fruit.
Read-aloud tip: Walk two fingers along the page for each “Step, step, step,” getting slower as the day goes on. Pause before “There was room for everyone.”
Ask afterwards: Who would you invite to share a snack, and why?
A note for grown-ups on reading aloud
Read it once first
A quick read to yourself helps you spot where to pause and where a sound effect might fit. There is no need to perform. A calm, clear voice is a good start.
Make room for the child
Sit side by side so your child can see the page. Let them join in with sounds, repeat favourite lines and interrupt with a thought. Ask the question once, wait a few quiet seconds and accept any honest answer. If attention drifts, stop and try again another day.
More to explore on Rangooo
For quiet evenings, try bedtime stories for 4 year olds or bedtime stories for 6 year olds. For stories with a lesson, read moral stories for class 1 or moral stories for class 2. Let the story picker suggest a tale, or browse stories and activities.
Questions
How long do these read-aloud stories take?
Each story is about 125 words, so it takes a minute or two to read aloud at an easy pace. They fit a quick moment at home, in a classroom or on a journey.
What age are these stories for?
They are written with children of about four to seven in mind. Choose the story that suits your child's mood and attention on the day.
Do I have to do different voices?
No. Voices are an option, not a rule. A calm, clear reading with a few pauses is enough, and you can try one new voice at a time.
Are these stories original?
Yes. The characters, places and plots were made up for this page and are not retellings of any existing story.
These are our own original stories, made up for this page. If you spot a mistake, please tell us and we will fix it.