A little black cat in an orange pointed hat sits on the windowsill outside. Beyond the glass, a hollow of dark pumpkins under a big moon, and the old windmill on the hill. The hero, seen from behind in a hooded cloak, stands in a warm, lamp-lit room.

Tale With Me

A bedtime adventure where your child is the hero. You read, they choose.

The Night the Pumpkins Lost Their Glow a Halloween tale · free to read

Start the tale

Your child's name stays on this device.

How it works

  1. Type their name and pick a mood

  2. You read aloud, they choose the path

  3. A postcard with their name at the end

A page from the tale

Mia looked out. Every pumpkin had lost its glow!

“The glows flew off to Moon Hill,” said Pip. “The littlest ones got sleepy on the way. We must gather them up.” Mia turned to the grown-up close by and asked a very important question.

Where will Mia look first?

Down to the pumpkin patch
Up to the old windmill

A postcard with their name at the end

Mia

Keeper of the Pumpkin Glow

Halloween 2026

Save it or send it to Grandma.

The whole tale is free to read.

If you love it, keep it: the Keepsake Edition is a printable picture book of the tale with two colouring pages. Pay what you want, from $2, once.

Questions

What age is it for?

Children from 3 to 8. The tale is written to be read aloud to a five-year-old; younger children love the pictures and the choosing, older ones read along.

How long does it take?

10 to 15 minutes, a good bedtime read. You can stop at any page and pick up where you left off.

Is it scary?

Only a little, and only if you choose “mysterious, a little spooky”. Anything spooky turns out funny or kind on the same page, and the last page is soft and sleepy.

Do I need an account or an app?

No. It opens in your phone’s or tablet’s browser. No sign-up, no download.

What happens to my child’s name?

It stays on this device. We never send it anywhere, not to us and not to anyone else.

Is it really free?

Yes, the whole tale. If you love it, you can keep it: the Keepsake Edition is a printable picture book of the tale with two colouring pages. Pay what you want, from $2.

Can we read it again?

Please do. The tale has two endings and different paths, so the second time is a new story.

Who made it?

A small team. Every tale is written and edited in advance, and a person reads every line aloud before it ships. Nothing is generated while you read.

The Night the Pumpkins Lost Their Glow

Start the tale