Stories that talk back

Open a picture-book adventure and help it unfold. Choose Short Story or Expanded Story, listen at your own pace, and help characters through surprises, small problems, and happy endings.

39 stories · 802 tappable talking words · 401 narrated scenes · 6 complete stories free

Language goal Search stories Child’s age Story length

39 stories

Everyday routines

5 stories · Getting up, washing, dressing, bedtime - the sequences a child lives every day, so the words come with something to point at.

Ages 3 to 8

Milo and Moon Duck

Milo is ready for bed, but Moon Duck is missing.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Mimi's Rainy Breakfast

Mimi plans to eat breakfast in the garden.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Nell's Step Surprise

Nell wants to leave a surprise picture for Grandma.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Pogo's Pajama Parade

Pogo plans a tiny pajama parade before bedtime.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Rolo's Rinse Rhythm

Rolo wants to make a gentle song from the bedtime routine.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Family life

2 stories · Kitchens, new babies, picnics - the small domestic epics.

Ages 3 to 8

Mimi's Muffin Morning

Mimi wants to surprise Grandpa with muffins for breakfast.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Poppy Shares the Chair

Poppy loves reading with Mama in the big rocking chair.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Feelings and big emotions

6 stories · Naming big feelings out loud, gently, with weather and forests doing the explaining.

Ages 3 to 8

Cora's Weather Gift

Cora wants to show her friends how many feelings can fit in one day.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Gus Sets the Table

Gus wants to be the snack helper on his first day at school.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Mina's Sunny Start

Mina feels shy at the preschool gate.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Moss Finds His Song

Moss wants to join the garden band, but he cannot choose an instrument.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Ollie's Shell Picture

Ollie brings a shell and a leaf to make a school picture.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Rumi's Soft Path

Rumi wants to make a quiet corner for a friend who needs a rest.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Community helpers

3 stories · The people and places a small child meets: the fire station, the clinic, the post office, the library, the corner shop.

Ages 3 to 8

Lumi's Sound Rhyme

Lumi feels unsure about waiting at the clinic.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Mara's Still Game

Mara brings her toy rabbit to a checkup.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Moonlight Checkout

Nora wants a bedtime book about the moon.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Animals

5 stories · Farms, jungles, reefs, ice and the jungle in your own back garden.

Ages 3 to 8

Dot and the Feather

Dot finds a feather beside an empty nest lining.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Momo's Cozy Fort

Momo wants a cozy fort where two friends can read.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Pippa and Peep

Pippa finds a little chick peeping beside the barn.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Rill Finds Echo

Rill wants to make a backyard song that answers back.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Silver Pearl Song

Miri finds a pearl rolling away from Moon Clam's shell.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Nature and growing

3 stories · A mountain trail and a growing patch, at a two-year-old's pace and an eight-year-old's.

Ages 3 to 8

Berry Tea Above

Dara packs a picnic to share with Aunt Owl at the hilltop.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Cap on the Summit

Toma wants to draw the view from the hilltop.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Lyra's Wide Song

Lyra wants to sing Grandpa a song from the hilltop.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Seasons and weather

8 stories · Puddles, long lake afternoons, apple mornings and the first snow.

Ages 3 to 8

Buddy's Beach Day

Buddy wants to build a beach castle with a door big enough for a friend.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Buddy's Spring Song

A little bird wants a gentle song for the egg in her nest.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Clover's Snow Crown

Clover wants to make a crown for the snowman by the window.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Fern's Water Pinwheel

Fern brings her red pinwheel to the lake, hoping to see it spin.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Marnie's Sock Show

Marnie is making two sock puppets for a snowy-day show.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Mira's Sunset String

Mira wants to make a hanging decoration for the garden picnic.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Nell's Striped Hat

Nell wears her striped hat to a picnic beside the lake.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Pipkin's Seed Home

Pipkin finds a striped seed rolling along the rainy path.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Play and playgrounds

4 stories · Playgrounds, forts on rainy days, and the field on game day.

Ages 3 to 8

Lulu's Turn Shell

Lulu and two friends all want the playground swing.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Moon Station Train

Rabbit and Cat want their cardboard train to visit the moon.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Ollie's Keeper Call

Ollie wants to try being the goalkeeper at practice.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Rafi's Sunset Pass

Rafi wants to score a goal at soccer practice.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Things that go

2 stories · Streets, platforms and the window seat above the clouds.

Ages 3 to 8

Bram's Rattle Case

Bram finds a rattling suitcase at the station.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Ages 3 to 8

Pia and the Cone

Pia is taking her first plane trip to visit Aunt Marina.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Imagination and pretend

1 stories · A cardboard rocket and a very small dragon.

Ages 3 to 8

Mina's Moon Course

Mina wants to build a pretend trip to the moon in the living room.

8 scenesShort or ExpandedHelp the story unfold

Every story, A to Z

All 39 stories in one list, so nothing in the library is more than one tap from here.

How story reading becomes speech practice

Tap to talk

Two glowing spots hide in every scene. Tap one and the object pops up, shows its word, and says it out loud; then it's the child's turn to say it back.

One story, three levels

The level dial rewrites and re-voices the narration live: single words for early talkers, short phrases, or rich full sentences for older kids.

Made for sessions too

Therapist mode mutes the narration and lays out each scene's target words with their speech-sound tags, and the Practice round pulls any of the 36 decks into any story.

Questions parents and SLPs ask

Are the Buddy stories free?

Choose one activity to try free, then sign up for a membership or eligible free trial. Use the same account for the web library and Buddy on iPhone and iPad.

What makes these stories interactive?

Help characters solve problems, make things, and discover surprises. Every story has Short Story and Expanded Story narration. Switch versions while keeping your page and completed actions.

How do I pick the right story for my child's age?

Choose a topic your child enjoys. Short Story uses brief, complete sentences; Expanded Story adds useful detail. Both versions tell the same story with the same pictures and outcome.

What language skills can we explore?

Talk about what happens first and next, predict a surprise, describe a picture, or notice how a character feels. Speech-sound activities remain in their own practice collections.

Is there a mode for speech-language pathologists?

Open For grown-ups for optional language prompts. Children can listen, point, use AAC, speak, or watch. Play, pause, replay and mute controls stay available.

Do the stories work on phones and tablets?

Yes. Read on phones, tablets and desktop computers with large buttons, keyboard page turns, and progress saved on this device.

Created and maintained by Little Words Editorial.