more words heard by kindergarten when a child is read one picture book a day.
Logan et al., 2019Bedtime stories for ages 2–8
Bedtime stories where your child is the hero
Luna is a bedtime story app for iPhone, iPad and Android: illustrated picture books you read aloud, with your child’s name in every one. Each story ends. No feed, no autoplay, no ads.
Find tonight’s story · 6 quick questions · private
Why bedtime stories?
A story a night adds up
A bedtime story is one of the best gifts of the day: new words, a busy imagination, a calm routine and ten cosy minutes together. Four findings every parent should know:
is how researchers described illustrated stories read aloud: the sweet spot for young children’s brains, compared with audio alone or a cartoon.
Hutton et al., 2020ahead in spoken language for toddlers whose parents asked questions while reading together.
Whitehurst et al., 1988counts: each extra night a week with a bedtime routine went with falling asleep faster and sleeping longer.
Mindell et al., 2015Tonight’s picks
Stories to read before lights out
Asking for HelpThe Little Rabbit and the Feeling of Safety
CourageBrave Little Lion
Helping OthersThe Cat Who Saved the Day
CreativityWise Bird
PatienceThe Rabbit and the Turtle
HonestyThe Lying Sheep
Self-AcceptanceThe Elephant and the Forest Friends
KindnessThe Dove's Farm Adventure
Stranger SafetyThe Kind Squirrel and the Cunning Wolf
ResponsibilityThe Ant and Responsibility
FriendshipWoodland Friends Sleep
CourageDinosaurs and Brave Hearts
Free sample · 5 pagesThe Floating ShipA curious little goat compares a solid metal block with an empty bowl and discovers how a heavy ship's broad, hollow hull can float.Start reading 
Every story ends. Then the light goes off.
How Luna works
From “one more video” to “The End”
- 1
Make your child the hero
Type their name and choose boy or girl. Every story is told about them.
- 2
Pick short or long
Short versions for ages 2–5, long for 6 and up. Same pictures, the right amount of words.
- 3
Read it together
One illustrated page at a time. You read; your child looks, points and asks.
- 4
Reach The End
A sticker for the board, a reading streak, then lights out. No “up next”.
See it in action
Luna in 34 seconds
More on YouTube: Make your child the star of bedtime · Bedtime stories where your child is the hero
Story themes
Stories about what children actually go through
What Luna does
- Illustrated picture-book stories, one page at a time, read aloud by a parent or caregiver.
- The hero takes your child’s name and is a boy or a girl to match.
- Two versions of every story: short (ages 2–5) and long (ages 6+).
- Works offline: free stories ship with the app and downloaded stories stay on the device.
- Every story ends. No feed, no autoplay, no ads.
- A sticker for each finished story (at most two a day) and a reading streak.
- Your child’s name never leaves the device.
- English and Arabic, on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets.
0
ads, feeds or autoplay. Ever.
- An endless feed or “up next”
- Autoplay
- Ads or ad tracking
- Animation or narration on story pages
- Your child’s name on our servers
Who reads with Luna
Made for whoever does bedtime tonight
Moms and dads
A calmer routine, a story your child chooses, and a way out of the bedtime video habit.
Learn moreTeachers
Short, discussable stories about feelings, friendship, school and science for circle time.
Learn moreGrandparents
Your grandchild’s name in the story, on a phone or tablet you already have, even without Wi-Fi.
Learn moreNannies and babysitters
A familiar routine for a new face: same stories, same ending, same sleep cue.
Learn moreEvidence, not hype
The research behind story time
We link every claim on this site to the original study and say what each one doesn’t show. Four to start with:
Hutton et al., 2020: Differences in functional brain network connectivity during stories presented in audio, illustrated, and animated format in preschool-age children
Brain Imaging and Behavior 14: 130–141
What it found. The same author’s stories were played as audio only, as an illustrated picture book with narration, and as an animated cartoon. Pictures eased the strain on language networks compared with audio alone, and the illustrated version kept brain networks better connected than the cartoon. The researchers called the illustrated format "just right" (a Goldilocks effect).
Logan et al., 2019: When Children Are Not Read to at Home: The Million Word Gap
Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 40(5): 383–386
What it found. By kindergarten, a child read one picture book a day hears about 290,000 more words than a child who is never read to; at five books a day the difference is about 1.4 million words.
Whitehurst et al., 1988: Accelerating Language Development Through Picture Book Reading
Developmental Psychology 24(4): 552–559
What it found. Parents trained for about an hour in “dialogic reading” (asking open questions, expanding on the child’s answers and praising) had children whose expressive language ran an average of six months or more ahead of children read to in the usual way.
Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy, 2014: Reading personalized books with preschool children enhances their word acquisition
First Language 34(3): 227–243
What it found. New words presented in personalised sections of a book, where the story referred to the child, were learned more readily than words with no personal reference, and repeated readings strengthened the effect. Related work by the same team found children talked more and smiled more with personalised books.
Questions parents ask
Is Luna free?
Luna is free to download and includes free stories you can read without paying, offline. Luna Pro is an optional subscription that unlocks the full library and up to five child profiles.
What ages is Luna for?
Children aged about 2 to 8. Every story has a short version for ages 2–5 and a long version for ages 6 and up. For babies, cuddle up with board books; Luna’s stories will be waiting from age 2.
Does Luna read the stories aloud?
No, and that is on purpose. You read the words, so your voice, pauses and questions are part of the story. Research on shared reading shows that the conversation around a book helps language grow.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. Every story on your device works without a connection, so bedtime works on a plane, at grandma’s or with the Wi-Fi off.
What happens to my child’s name?
It stays on your device. Luna never sends children’s names to its servers, crash reports or analytics.
Which languages and devices?
English and Arabic, on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. See the download page for store links.
Make tonight a story night
Luna gives you a library of illustrated bedtime stories where your child is the hero. Free stories are included and work offline.
Not sure where to start? Find tonight’s story in a minute.