Tilibou
The Island That Sneezes
Another sung map for Tom the Pirate and his friend Moustache, aboard the Royal Sardine. This one is crumpled all over and, oddly enough, it smells of pepper. Course set for the island that goes atchoo all day long: find whatever is tickling it, and you will be back by night. An island that sneezes, atchoo after atchoo, from morning until evening? Moustache does not believe a word of it. And yet, somewhere in the Thousand Coves, a perfectly round island with a hill shaped like a nose really does have an itchy nose, and nobody for miles around is getting any sleep. It was an exhausted little seagull who sent out the call. Something is tickling the island right at the top, in the one place it cannot reach. Tom and Moustache try to climb up, but with every atchoo the ground heaves, the sneeze flings them into the sky and drops them back in the water. There is simply no climbing an island while it sneezes. In the end it is the little seagull who owns up, rather embarrassed: while building her nest up there, she lost one big feather, and that feather is what has been tickling it. What matters is not never making a mistake, it is owning up, so that things can be put right together. Then Tom has an idea. Instead of fighting the sneezes, you let them carry you. Moustache, who is terrified of flying, glides ever so gently this time and picks up the feather with the tip of his longest arm. The island lets out an enormous sigh of relief, and the seagull offers a small feather for the chest: the seventh keepsake. A funny, soothing bedtime story with one plain lesson for your child. Little worries, and the ticklish thoughts that stop you falling asleep, are chased away far faster when there are two of you. Often, telling someone you love about it, very quietly, is enough to make things feel better. A screen-free adventure and bedtime story for children aged 3 to 5, good to share at bedtime, in the car, or before a nap. As always with Tilibou, the ending stays soft and quiet, with no music, so your child can settle down calmly. All the Tilibou bedtime stories at
