Donkey Hodie Bedtime Stories

PBSKids.org

Fred Rogers Productions, Spiffy Pictures

In this series of shorts based on DONKEY HODIE, the preschool puppetry series on PBS KIDS, children’s favorite pals snuggle into bed, wind down, and read viewers a bedtime story before turning out the lights and saying goodnight.

With DONKEY HODIE BEDTIME STORIES, we embraced the opportunity to show our characters in quieter moments at home, doing the same things our audience might do for their bedtime routines. The series leans into the cozy nature of our huggable puppets in their handmade world. The calm energy contrasts the playful energy of the TV series, and the characters speak directly to the viewer for more intimate engagement.

We created the series to support children in the transition to sleep. It models routines for calming down before bed, such as breathing exercises or stretches, reading a story, and singing a bedtime song, and it also promotes literacy. The short format is intentionally designed to fit into preschoolers’ days flexibly – whether they’re home, in the car, at a grandparent’s, or on vacation.

Featuring original stories with diverse styles of illustrations, the eight whimsical read-alongs include an adapted nursery rhyme, a hide-and-seek picture game, and a comic book adventure. In this episode, Duck Duck reads a story about Fiona Froggy, who’s very tired but cannot fall asleep.