The Giraffe with Pocket-Sized Stars

Read-aloud note

Read slowly, soften your voice near the end, and leave a small pause before the final goodnight line.

Story

Everybody in the savanna knew that Giraffe had the longest neck around. But not everybody knew her secret. Tucked along the side of her neck, where the golden patches grew softest, were little pockets. And in those pockets were stars. Tiny ones, just the size of a plum, warm and gently glowing, like a nightlight you could hold in your hoof.

Each evening, when the sky turned orange and the grass went whispery and still, Giraffe walked slowly through the savanna. She was looking for animals who couldn't quite sleep. She always asked the same question, very softly. "Is somebody afraid of the dark tonight?" Little Rabbit heard her and peeked out from under a root. His ears were trembling. His eyes were wide. Giraffe smiled and reached one long neck sideways, nuzzled open the smallest pocket, and out tumbled a tiny star right into Rabbit's paws. It was warm. It smelled a little like hay and a little like toast. Rabbit held it close and felt sleepy almost right away.

On she walked. Tortoise had pulled into her shell and wouldn't come out. "Is somebody afraid of the dark tonight?" Giraffe asked, bending way, way down. A small eye appeared at the shell's opening. Giraffe rolled a pocket-sized star gently across the ground, and it nestled right against the shell, glowing soft orange. Tortoise poked her head out. She blinked. She yawned. She watched the little star flicker like a cozy candle and felt her shoulders go loose and warm.

Then Giraffe stopped. She reached into her last pocket and found it empty. She counted all the pockets with her chin, one by one. Every single star had been given away. The savanna was quiet now. Every small animal was curled up and glowing gently in the dark. And then something lovely happened, the thing that always happened when all her stars were gone. The sky above filled up with the real ones, hundreds and hundreds, bright and close and kind, as if they had been waiting just for her. Giraffe stood tall, her neck stretching right up toward them, and she smiled her long slow smile. Tomorrow she would wake up and her pockets would be full again. They always were. That is just how it works, when you are the kind of giraffe who gives your stars away.

Scenes

The Secret Pockets

Everybody in the savanna knew that Giraffe had the longest neck around. But not everybody knew her secret. Tucked along her neck, where the golden patches grew softest, were little pockets — and in those pockets were stars. Tiny ones, just the size of a plum, warm and gently glowing, like a nightlight you could hold in your hoof.

Little Rabbit's Star

"Is somebody afraid of the dark tonight?" Giraffe asked very softly. Little Rabbit peeked out from under a root, ears trembling and eyes wide. Giraffe smiled, nuzzled open the smallest pocket, and out tumbled a tiny star right into Rabbit's paws. It was warm. It smelled a little like hay and a little like toast. Rabbit held it close and felt sleepy almost right away.

Tortoise Comes Out

Tortoise had pulled into her shell and wouldn't come out. "Is somebody afraid of the dark tonight?" Giraffe asked, bending way, way down. Giraffe rolled a pocket-sized star gently across the ground, and it nestled right against the shell, glowing soft orange. Tortoise poked her head out, blinked, yawned, and felt her shoulders go loose and warm.

Every Star Given Away

Giraffe stopped. She reached into her last pocket and found it empty. She counted every pocket with her chin, one by one. Every single star had been given away. The savanna was quiet now. Every small animal was curled up and glowing gently in the dark.

The Sky Fills Up

And then something lovely happened. The sky above filled up with the real stars — hundreds and hundreds, bright and close and kind, as if they had been waiting just for her. Giraffe stood tall, her neck stretching right up toward them, and she smiled her long slow smile. Tomorrow her pockets would be full again. They always were.