Bouncing Bed Stories - Bill Dalke

Every night, the royal siblings begin their ritual with perfectly synchronized bouncing to meet their friend Laura. They start bouncing higher and higher, but when they finally descend, they go down, down, down until they land in the most magnificent room. Waiting for them is the Mad Woman of the Woods, a mysterious, naturewise figure who tends to her gardens while keeping a watchful eye on the royal siblings and Laura. She shares her deep knowledge of the wild and connects them with the magical folk she knows across many hidden realms. Beneath tree roots, fairies stir, emerging at twilight with a shimmer that glows from head to toe. They race through the forest in a blur of light before heading to the shore to splash with seals, loons, and ducks. Finding the royal siblings and Laura, the glowing sprites sweep them up to join their moonlit games by the sea. Along their journey, they encounter extraordinary creatures, from talking periwinkles to a protector named Ca-Rah, who watches over the good Indians of the Valley's rare animals. They find themselves adventuring with lions, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes, leopards, and elephants. Among these giants are smaller playful friends: Panda Bear, Skunky Skunk, Nutty Squirrel, Racky Coon, and even Winnie the Pooh. When the first light of dawn touches the palace windows, the siblings find themselves tucked neatly back into their beds. They look at one another with wide eyes, whispering the same question: "Did it really happen, or was it just a dream?" The Bouncing Bed Stories is a celebration of the boundless imagination of childhood. It explores the thin line between reality and fantasy, the strength of the sibling bond, and the magic that hides in the most ordinary places-like the springs of a bed. Each night is a new chapter, each bounce a new discovery, as they descend once more into the beautiful, baffling world that waits below.