Charlie Douglas

Baby Edward's Bedtime Collection Charlie Douglas

The first five Baby Edward books in one - these stories are designed to help your children get to sleep at bedtime. They use a number of established techniques such as repeated melodic phrases (read in hushed, gentle tones), characters that yawn (studies have shown this to be contagious especially with children) and the occasional sound that is similar to "white noise" (like a waterfall or radio interference) which is widely used as a sleep aid for babies and likened to sounds experienced in the womb. Always start at the beginning, and if all goes to plan, you won't reach the end.

With themes of rescue, responsibility and playful adventure the stories are structured in a way that provides intrigue, familiarity and comfort. Baby Edward becomes lost in "Where is Baby Edward?" and the other elephants go on a journey to find him. Children are drawn in to the rhythmic and melodic nature of the adventure, and as the journey unfolds, so do the tricks to lull the listener to sleep. The elephants go across the savanna, through the marshes, up a river and through a waterfall to a cave beyond to try and find the lost Baby Edward. In "The Ookie Gookie Stuff," Edward and his cousin become stuck in the sticky, smelly, gooey, blacky-brown ookie gookie stuff and the other elephants have to figure out how to rescue them. Edward has his friends and cousins round for a sleepover in the third story "The big Sleepover" and they can't get to sleep. Mummy elephant tries different technique for each younger elephant, and one by one they are soon snoring and dreaming. Monkey is trying to trick everyone in "Who's There?" and Edward goes searching with his cousins to find hidden treats in "Grandma has a Secret".

Check the audio versions on audible.co.uk or audible.com to hear the stories with music and sound effects.