The Bedtime Story Books

One of the most beloved characters in children's literature, Peter Cottontail is up to his long-whiskered nose in rib-tickling escapades in this delightful classic. With gentle charm and humor, famed storyteller Thornton W. Burgess draws young listeners into the timeless world of the Green Forest, the Smiling Pool, and the Purple Mountains.

In The Adventures of Peter Cottontail, Peter Rabbit doesn't like his name and tries to find another that has more prestige. His friends think he is silly and devise a scheme to show Peter the problem with changing his name. Peter learns his mistake and changes his name back.

In The Adventures of 'Unc Billy Possum, 'Unc Billy is a new arrival in the Green Forest. He finds he is lonesome in his new home. His almost uncontrollable urge for fresh eggs gets him in trouble with Farmer Brown's boy, and he soon discovers that he has good friends in the Green Forest.

Sammy Jay is told by the little people of the Green Forest that he is keeping them awake at night with his calling out "Thief, Thief". But Sammy isn’t calling out at night, he’s been sleeping. At least, he thinks he has. Sticky-Toes the tree toad is hearing his own voice when his mouth is shut, and he is angry and puzzled. And Unc’ Billy Possum thinks he may just have seen a friend from Ol’ Virginny who might possibly solve the mystery.

Jerry Muskrat lives in the Smiling Pool along with many of his friends, including Grandfather Frog, Spotty the Turtle, and others. One day Jerry discovers there is something wrong with the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook that feeds it. Both are slowly disappearing. Jerry and his friends set out on a mission to determine what is wrong with the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook.

The Adventures of Johnny Chuck tells the story of a feisty woodchuck named Johnny. Johnny decides he is unhappy with his home in the Green Forest and elects to venture into the wide, wide world. As he wanders he gets into a territory fight with another chuck, discovers a new home, learns there is some good in all, and discovers the most wonderful thing in the world.

The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse is a collection of short bedtime stories guaranteed to be loved my children of all ages. These stories chronicle Danny and his friends on many adventures and in their own, sweet animal way, teach us more about what it means to be human. 

In The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse, Danny begins his tale regretting the length of his tail until he is corrected by Mr. Toad. Then he has a series of stalkings by Reddy Fox and Granny Fox. He is captured by Hooty the Owl but escapes midflight to fall into Peter Rabbit's briar patch. Peter goes to Farmer Brown's peach orchard, gets caught in a snare, and barely escapes. Finally, Danny gets trapped in a tin can and must use his wits to escape Reddy Fox again.

Grandfather Frog has never left the Smiling Pool. He and Mr. Toad have an ongoing disagreement about whether or not Grandfather Frog should see the Great World or remain isolated in the Smiling Pool. Finally one day, Grandfather Frog decides he will see the Great World for himself. He learns that there are hardships in the Great World that he didn’t anticipate and he must constantly be on alert for dangers not in the Smiling Pool.

In this book, Burgess chronicles the antics of Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who's known throughout the Green Forest as a trouble maker. After nearly being caught by Shadow the Weasel and Redtail the Hawk, Chatterer decides to leave the forest for a new home. His curiosity and carelessness soon get him into trouble when he is caught by Farmer Brown's boy and becomes his prisoner. He soon realizes that freedom is much more important than anything else and that people are not always what they seem at first.

Sammy Jay is a blue jay who, like most blue jays, is mischievous. He delights in making trouble for other creatures of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. Sammy really doesn't want to see them hurt, he just wants to make torment them. Enter Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who also lives in the Green Forest and can be as troublesome as Sammy Jay. In The Adventures of Sammy Jay, Chatterer and Sammy Jay match wits and show off their bad attitudes toward one another.