7:42 PM.
Teeth are brushed. The nightlight is on. And a small voice says the words you knew were coming:
“Tell me a new one. A made-up one. With me in it.”
You love this moment. You also just worked all day, made dinner, cleaned up dinner, and you have nothing left. So out comes the dragon story. Again. For the 47th time. Or, some nights, the tablet.
What if a new story was already waiting, with your child as the hero, a little lesson tucked inside, and no screen for them to stare at?
Bedtime, handled in three steps
Two minutes to set up. Then every evening is ready before the pajamas go on.
Tell us about your child
Their name, age, favorite things, best friends, pets and stuffed animals. Plus anything to keep out, like storms or monsters.
A new story arrives at 6:00 PM
Every night, in your email, in your time zone. Never repeated, and always a new adventure in a world they love.
Read, snuggle and talk
Read it aloud (there’s a dim bedtime mode for your phone), then use the pillow-talk questions to connect.
Trade the bedtime show for the best 10 minutes of your day
The story comes to you. Your child gets your voice, your lap and their imagination, not another screen.
Their eyes are on you
You read it aloud, from your phone in dim bedtime mode or printed on paper. Your child never looks at a screen.
A calmer wind-down
Pediatric guidance says screens off at least an hour before bed. A story read aloud gives them something to look forward to instead.
Imagination does the work
No pictures, no autoplay. Kids picture the dragon themselves, and the pillow-talk questions get them talking, not scrolling.
The easiest way to say no to “one more show”: say yes to a story starring them.
Fun on the outside. Teaching on the inside.
Your child hears an adventure, never a lecture. You’ll notice the lesson; they’ll just want to know what happens next.
An original story starring your child
Their name, friends, pets and favorite things woven in, with a hero who makes the brave, kind choices that save the day.
Words to wonder about
2 to 3 rich new words per story, each used a few times with a clue, and older words brought back weeks later so they stick.
Pillow-talk questions
Two or three questions to ask after the story. They turn listening into talking, which is where the learning happens.
A monthly report card for you
Once a month: every skill your child practiced, how far they got with each one, and every new word they met.
A little parenting coach for you
What tonight’s story practiced, why it matters, and one small thing to try tomorrow, so the lesson keeps working after the lights go out.
Maya and the Shy Little Unicorn
…Pip felt nervous, that jumpy, tummy-flippy feeling you get before trying something new. Maya noticed Pip standing all alone, trotted over, and smiled. “Want to play with us?”…
Made by a mom who ran out of dragons
Hi, I’m [Founder first name]. I’m a certified teacher in Georgia and the reading coach for my whole elementary school, kindergarten through fifth grade. I’m also a mom of two, including a 4-year-old who asks for “one more story” every single night.
I know what a great bedtime story can do. It builds vocabulary faster than flashcards. It gives kids a safe place to practice big feelings. And kids who hear rich stories walk into school with a real head start.
But after a full day of teaching, coming up with a new story every night got hard. So I built the thing I needed: every story is planned around a real skill I teach at school, with the vocabulary method I use with my students. You just open your email and read.
[Founder first name]
- Certified teacher, Georgia
- K–5 reading coach
- Mom of two
What are you working on with your child?
Pick one. This is how the stories help with it.
In the story
Your child meets a sleepy owl who keeps finding one more thing to do before bed. The fix is a real strategy your child can copy tomorrow:
Your child does a “sleepy body scan”: wiggling toes, then letting each part go soft and heavy.
What your child learns
My body and brain need rest, and I can help them get sleepy.
Your note for tomorrow
A predictable wind-down routine helps kids fall asleep faster and wake more rested. Try this: Do the hero’s sleepy body scan together after the story tonight.
A story that has a goal, every single night
Each story practices one skill from four areas, chosen to match your child’s age and what you’re working on at home.
Big feelings
- Naming feelings
- Calm-down breathing
- Handling frustration
- Taming worries
Friendship
- Sharing and taking turns
- Joining in play
- Saying a real sorry
- Solving disagreements
Kindness and empathy
- Noticing how others feel
- Seeing through their eyes
- Including others
- Feeling thankful
Brave and growing
- Being brave
- “I can’t do it… yet”
- Telling the truth
- Trying new things
Big day? Tell us, and the next story keeps up.
Lost a tooth, a rough day at school, Grandma coming to visit. Add a quick note from the link in any story email and the next story weaves it in.
“Maya lost a first tooth today and was SO brave!”
“Rough day at school. A friend wouldn’t play with Maya.”
“Grandma is visiting this weekend!”
This isn’t another AI story generator
Story apps put your child’s name in a story. Starring Tonight puts a lesson plan behind every story, and a coach in your inbox.
A lesson plan, not a random story
Story apps: a new plot each time, with no goal behind it.
Starring Tonight: every story practices one skill from a reading coach’s curriculum, rotated so your child builds a whole set over time.
Focused on what you’re dealing with
Story apps: the same kind of story whatever is going on at home.
Starring Tonight: tell us you’re working on meltdowns, sharing or a new sibling, and those lessons come up more often.
A real tool, never a lecture
Story apps: a story that stops to deliver a moral, if there is one.
Starring Tonight: the hero uses a real strategy mid-adventure, like “smell the flower, blow out the candle,” with no speech attached. Kids stay in the story and copy it the next day.
Guidance for you, every night
Story apps: nothing for the grown-up.
Starring Tonight: a short note on what tonight practiced, why it matters, and one thing to try tomorrow.
Questions that get them talking
Story apps: the story ends and the lights go out.
Starring Tonight: two or three pillow-talk questions turn listening into a conversation about feelings and their own day.
Real life, woven in
Story apps: stories that don’t know what happened today.
Starring Tonight: lost a tooth, first day of school, a hard day at daycare? Add a note and tomorrow’s story helps them through it.
Built on research-backed methods reading coaches use in the classroom: talking about stories as you read them, naming feelings to calm them, and teaching rich vocabulary with repeated, spaced practice.
Why not just…
| Make it up on the spot | Buy more books | AI story apps | Starring Tonight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your child is the hero | Sometimes | No | Yes | Every night |
| Arrives on its own every night | No | No | Usually not; you type a request | Yes, at 6 PM |
| Teaches a skill on purpose | Rarely | Sometimes | Usually not | Every story, from a reading coach’s plan |
| Focuses on what you’re working on | If you think of it | No | Usually not | Yes, you choose the focus |
| Guidance for parents | No | No | Usually not | Every night |
| Builds vocabulary on purpose | A little | Yes | Usually not | 2 to 3 words a night, with review |
| Screen-free for your child | Yes | Yes | Often an app | Yes, read aloud or printed |
Your first 7 nights are free
One child or the whole crew. Less than a coffee a week, for a story every night.
One child
That’s $6.58/mo, about 22¢ a night.
- A new story every night starring your child
- A lesson, new words, pillow talk and a parent note in every story
- Add a note about their day and the next story weaves it in
- A monthly progress report: skills practiced and every new word
- Every story saved in your child’s library, yours to keep
- Update favorites or pause anytime
Family, up to 4 kids
That’s $9.92/mo, about 33¢ a night for the whole family.
- A story for each child every night, or one sibling adventure starring them together
- A lesson, new words, pillow talk and a parent note in every story
- Add a note about their day and the next story weaves it in
- A monthly progress report: skills practiced and every new word
- Every story saved in your child’s library, yours to keep
- Update favorites or pause anytime
Free for 7 days, then billed yearly. Secure checkout by Stripe. We’ll remind you before your trial ends. Start with one child and upgrade anytime.
Love it or your money back within 30 days. Just reply to any story email.
Questions parents ask
How is this different from other AI story apps?
Most story apps write a story with your child’s name in it when you ask for one. Every Starring Tonight story is planned around a skill from a reading coach’s curriculum, focused on what you’re working on at home, with new vocabulary, questions to talk through, and a note for you on how to keep the lesson going. And it arrives on its own every night; there’s nothing to type.
Will the stories feel preachy?
No, and that’s on purpose. The lesson is never announced or explained to your child. The hero just uses a strategy in the middle of an adventure, and the story moves on. Kids hear a fun story; the teaching is in what the hero does. The talking-about-it part is yours, if you want it, with the pillow-talk questions and your parent note.
How will I know it’s working?
You’ll notice it first: a new word at breakfast, a deep breath before a meltdown. And once a month we email you a progress report showing every skill your child practiced, how far they’ve come with each one, and every new word they met.
Do we get to keep the stories?
Yes. Every story is saved in your child’s story library, where you can re-read old favorites, print them, search by lesson, and see every word they’ve learned. If you ever cancel, your library stays yours to keep.
What ages is this for?
Ages 2 to 9. Stories adjust to your child’s age: shorter with more repetition for little ones, longer with bigger words for older kids. You can also choose short, medium or long.
How are the stories made?
[Founder first name] designed the lessons, the vocabulary plan and the rules every story follows. The stories themselves are written by AI using that framework, then checked automatically for length, safety and your child’s avoid list before they’re sent. No two stories are ever the same.
Is it safe for my child?
Every story follows strict rules: no scary villains, no violence, nothing sad without comfort, and nothing from your child’s avoid list (like storms, monsters or the dark). Stories always end calm and cozy, ready for sleep.
What information do you collect about my child?
Only a first name, age and favorite things you choose to share. Never last names, photos, schools or addresses. We never sell data, and you can delete everything anytime by emailing us.
I have more than one child. How does that work?
The Family plan covers up to 4 children. Each child can get their own story every night, or you can choose sibling adventures where they star together. Start on One Child and upgrade anytime from your settings.
Isn’t this just more screen time?
The opposite. Your child never looks at a screen: you read the story aloud, from your phone in a dim bedtime mode or printed on paper (every story has a print button). Many families use it to replace the bedtime show. Pediatric guidance recommends screens off at least an hour before bed, and a story starring them makes that an easy sell.
Can I add something that happened today?
Yes. Lost a tooth? Starting a new school? Grandma visiting? Add a special note and the next story will weave it in.
What if we go on vacation, or want to cancel?
Pause stories for any dates you like. Canceling takes two clicks from the link in any story email, and you won’t be charged if you cancel during your 7 free nights.