April Eight Songs and Stories

Latest Episodes:

Ep 39 Song: "Sarah Shining" Feb 12, 2018

Show notes

Episode 39 is a song episode. Today's song is one of my favorites. Hmmmm, I think I say that every time don't I? Well my friends, I love to sing. I wrote this song for one of my listeners when she was 6 years old. Well, she must be 12 years old today! This song is about shining with your heart - no matter what! A great song for your kids at bath time, bedtime, car time, and family time.

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Sarah Shining by April Eight c 2012

Sarah it's a lovely day

The wind blows cold and the skies are grey

Even the flowers are hiding away

But who cares for we have you,

Shining through.

Sarah smile for us.

Share the spark that shines from your heart

There's nothing more that the world could hope for

Than the wonderful girl that is you,

Shining through.

Sarah happy birthday to you

Six years old, so much to be and do

Remember the light that shines in you

Can never go away,

Even on the greyest of days

You'll shine through

Oh oh

You'll shine through.

Happy 12th birthday, Sarah.

Today's episode is part of the All Kinds Of Love podcast series from Kids Listen. You can use the Kids Listen app or go to kids Listen dot org to find quality podcast shows for young listeners on this theme. Like Brains On. Their episode All Kinds of Love episode is about a snail named Sandy who looking for a snail partner who understands her. #AllKindofLove #kidsListen

Ep 38 "Story 2: The Two Sisters and the Wolf" Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

On their way through the snowy mountains of Way Over There, two sisters and their wolf encounter a magical creature who needs their help. But to step off the High Road to his aid means breaking the rules of the fearsome Giant King and risk everything. What will they do? A great story for your kids at bath time, bedtime, car time, and family time.

Loved this story? Find more and join the Gentlefolk community at https://aprileightuplate.substack.com/

Kids Listen: app.kidslisten.org Insta: instagram.com/aprileightsongsandstories Facebook: facebook.com/aprileight and I also mention Kids Listen friend Brains On in this episode. #AllKindsOfLove

Here is an excerpt from today's story:

The fairy sisters left the pixies far behind as they followed their wolf through the ancient snowy forest until it began to thin out and grow steeper. Haukka scouted up ahead. She called down to let them know that they were coming to the foothills of the mountains. The Mountains of Way Over There they were called, but the girls always thought of them as the Mountains of the Giants. They avoided them if they could. For giants had lived in these snowy peaks for uncountable centuries and giants well, they weren't always friendly.

As they hiked, the sisters could see a small village in the distance where gray smoke wsa curling up from stone chimneys to join the gray of the winter sky. Villagers often told tales of these giants as they sat around their fires at night. Oh, for giants are great fearsome creatures who rule their territories with such strength that all who pass through their mountains never ventured off the High Road, the one and only road that lead through these peaks. To wander off the High Road, well, that was just not done, for the price, oh the price, it was was much too terrible to pay. For giants in general were not, let us say, flexible thinkers. And the least flexible thinker of all was the Giant King himself, who loved his mountains and all of his animals that lived within their rolling borders. l, the price paid for such a venture was very steep, much steeper than the mountains themselves. For if you broke the rules and were caught, well, you might forever be a servant to the Giant King. Perhaps if you lived in the mountain's village you were safe, but a stranger, oh no. Don't go off the road!

And so the sisters and the wolf stayed on the High Road. It was long and winding as it swooped up steep mountain slopes and down long narrow ridges. The steady foot of the wolf never slipped, never stumbled. And these Earth fairies, they too walked with sure feet that no human possessed...

An original Fairytale by April Eight. c2018

Ep 37 Song: "The Wasssail Song" Dec 30, 2017

Show notes

Today's Episode is a song - "The Wassailing Song" - to welcome in the new year.

Hello and welcome. I'm so glad you are here. Have you been home for winter break? My whole family is home today, and they are little bit noisy. Of course, they are not as noisy as tiny little Roxie is all by herself because they don't bark, but you might hear them in the background. They are downstairs right now working on a puzzle and watching a soccer game - if someone scores a goal, oh, we'll all know about it, dear listener.

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Now, today I have an ancient song to sing for you in celebration of the new year and all the good that comes from kindness and wishing your neighbor well. I'm going to sing the Wassailing Song. Do you know it? Did you know that this song, some say, has been sung for over a thousand years? I hope you'll sing with me.

"The Wassail Song"

Here we come a-wassailing

Among the leaves so green,

Here we come a-wand'ring

So fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you,

And to you good wassail, too,

And God bless you, and send you

A Happy New Year,

And God send you a Happy New Year.

We are not daily beggers

Who beg from door to door,

But we are neighbors' children

Whom you have seen before

Love and joy come to you,

And to you good wassail, too,

And God bless you, and send you

A Happy New Year,

And God send you a Happy New Year.

God bless the master of this house,

Likewise the mistress too;

And all the little children

who round the table go.

Love and joy come to you,

And to you good wassail, too,

And God bless you, and send you

A Happy New Year,

And God send you a Happy New Year."

Love and joy come to you indeed, my dear listeners.

Spring Sprang Sprong, I hoped you liked my song and that you'll sing the wassail song to welcome in the new year.

Come back soon and I'll have more of the fairy story of the Two Sisters and the Wolf. There are going to be GIANTS in the next episode...

Thank you for listening to the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. For all things April Eight, please go to aprileight.com. And to support this show, please go to patreon.com/aprileight and choose what fun reward suits your family.

And until we meet again, remember, I love you and you are wonderful, just as you are right now.

Ep 36 "Story 1: The Two Sisters and the Wolf" Dec 29, 2017

Show notes

On their way through the winter forest, through enchanted kingdoms and realms, two sisters and their Wolf trek for days to the Fairy Ice Skating Ball to celebrate the new year, sleeping under the stars as they go. Will they get there in time? Who will they meet? And where is Haukka?

Oh, and there might just be a pixie snowball fight in this story....

Loved this story? Find more and join the Gentlefolk community at https://aprileightuplate.substack.com/ Kids Listen: app.kidslisten.org Insta: instagram.com/aprileightsongsandstories Facebook: facebook.com/aprileight

Here is an excerpt from today's story:

Walking into the sunlight and the snow, Sar following where the wolf lead, leaving wolf tracks behind them for Neiva to follow as they picked their way deeper and deeper into the depths of the winter forest. The watchful yellow eyes of the wolf, keen to keep Sar close, kept flicking back to make sure she was there. Of course, the wolf didn't need to look. He heard every noise that hung in the air. The almost imperceptibly silent sound of snowfall, of bird perched on the branches of the dark trees above, the swish of the wind breezing through the pines, and the breath of his dear Sar walking behind, her feet crunching through the drifts of whiteness.

Now you might be wondering what this girl is doing in the woods alone with a wolf. Well, if I weren't telling this story, I'd be wondering that too. But the answer is, they'd always been like this, wolf and girl, companions and friends, from the earliest the girl could remember. For Sar was the wolf and the wolf was Sar. Oh, and also...

An original Fairytale by April Eight. c2018 - This is a backstory for a novel I've been writing for a few years. I am so excited to share this tale with you, my dear listeners.

xxoxoxo April

Ep. 35 Song: For Hanukkah, "In the Window" Dec 17, 2017

Show notes

Today's Episode is called "In the Window" it is Episode 35!

I am so excited because today I have a Hanukkah song for you that I get to sing with my dear 7 year old nephew Sander, one of my favorite kids in the whole wide world. Now, some of you might be wondering if he is the same Sander who helped a giant in the Episode 20, "Sander and the Lost Giant'. Well, yes, in fact, he is. Only he might have just met that giant in my imagination… but Sander does have a fuzzy funny little dog named Birdie. That part is absolutely real!

Now, this is one of my favorite times of the year. Yes, it is so dark because it is almost the solstice, the longest darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, but that is why, have you noticed, so many different cultures and religions celebrate the light that we people can bring to each other. One of those celebrations is Hanukkah, a festival of lights that people of the Jewish religion observe. Each night they light one more candle on the menorah.

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This song goes like this:

In the window, where you can see the glow of my menorah on newly fallen snow, I will light you one little candle on this the first night of Hanukkah.

And then we add a candle until there are eight.

Are you ready? Here we go….

"In the Window"

In the window where you can see the light of my menorah on newly fallen snow, I will send you one little candle on this the first night of Hanukkah.

I'd like to thank my brother James for singing with us too, did you hear him? James has a wonderful band called Great Willow that lots of adults like. Maybe your folks would like his beautiful song, "Many Things".

Spring Sprang Sprong, I hoped you liked my song and, if you celebrate Hanukkah, I hope you enjoy it with your dearest ones.

Come back soon and I'll have a fairy story for you for the solstice and a Merry Christmas song too.

Ep 33 A Song Blessing of Gratitude for Thanksgiving Nov 22, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 33 of the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. Today's song is one of gratitude to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States. April Eight is great for your kids at while you are making dinner, at bathtime, bedtime, car time, and family time.

I learned this song from a Norwegian farmer named, Benta, who lives up in Wisconsin. She also taught me how to milk sheep and goats which was wonderful.

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It goes like this:

Bread is a lovely thing to eat,

God Bless the barley and the wheat,

a lovely thing to breath this air,

God bless the sunshine everywhere,

The Earth is a lovely place to know

God bless the folks that come and go

Alive is a lovely thing to be

Giver of life, we say thanks to thee.

Ep 30 STORY & SONGS: Charlie and Lucy on the Road, A Sing-Along Episode Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 27 of the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. Today's story is called "Charlie and Lucy on the Road, a Sing-Along Episode," a great story for your kids at bath time, bedtime, car time, and family time.

Now it is a Sing-Along Episode, so I hope you have your singing voice ready. Charlie and Lucy told me to tell you not to worry. They said that the more out of tune and goofy you are, the more fun everyone will have. So sing with all your heart and don't worry too much about the rest.

I'm so glad you are here, and I can't wait to tell you today's story.

Find more April Eight at

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Today's story references a few other great podcasts for kids as part of our Kids Listen "Hit the Road" Sweeps - you can find them all at app.kidslisten.org.

The podcasts I share are The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian Buttons & Figs Good Stuff Kids Podcast

and my story The Butterfly Adventurer - for the Wander Song....

Here is an excerpt from today's episode:

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Charlie and Lucy climbed into the rental car. Ugh. They were going to have to sit there in the back seat for HOURS! HOURS! They'd already been on a plane, which was pretty cool actually, soaring above the birds, above the clouds. They'd seen the tops of mountains covered in snow even in the summer-time and the patterns of rectangles that mom said were farm fields lying like a patchwork quilt across the Earth. Charlie watched as the fluff of white and gray clouds moved at their leisure, casting shadows across the countryside below. Lucy was fascinated by wanderings of the rivers as they wound themselves first one way and then another, never in a straight line, as they cut across the world below them. Lakes shimmered in the sun and looked like puddles from so far above. And then they'd seen the city, all gridded out, with buildings and busy cars, trains and trucks, all moving like tiny ants. And the airport with all of its flashing lights and runways and then they'd landed. Oh, it took forever for them to get their luggage and keys to the rental car and CHARLIE AND LUCY WERE SO HUNGRY!

Aunt Cookie and mom were taking them on a big adventure all along the coast of Maine. Charlie and Lucy were pretty excited. They'd been pouring over the map of Maine for weeks. And now here they were.

Hey, Wait a minute, Aunt Cookie? Charlie and Lucy have an Aunt Cookie? Well, yes they do. Her real name is Karen, but they've always called her Cookie.

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"The Rock Island Line" is a Leadbelly tune.

"The Happy Wanderer" was written by Antonia Ridge and Friedrich Moller in 1954

"Aikendrum" is a traditional Scottish folk song.

"Do Your Ears Hang Low" is a traditional English folk song.

Thank you for listening. If you've been enjoying these fairytales that I write for your children and for you, and for everyone who has an innocent heart. I'd love to hear from you – you can leave a comment below, on Facebook or send me an email. Or, leave a review on your favorite podcast venue and let everyone know. Spreading the word is a lovely thing to do.

April Eight has been cited as an expert by the Download on Podcasting. How fancy is that?

Ep. 29 Story 3: Quinn Quillow and the Blue Ribbon Jul 06, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 29 of the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. Today's story is "Story 3 - Quinn Quillow and the Blue Ribbon", a great story for your kids at bathtime, bedtime, car time, and family time. aprileight.com instagram.com/aprileightsongsandstories facebook.com/aprileight twitter.com/aprileightmusic

Quinn Quillow is a storycatcher. On his way to the Town Beside the River with the Leaning Clock Tower, he caught this tale, and he is now sharing it with the townspeople young and old. Today's we here the last part of the story, "Quinn Quillow and the Blue Ribbon." It made me laugh when I wrote it, and I hope it makes you laugh too. It is up to Stella Squirrel and her buddy

It is up to Stella Squirrel and her buddy Brizbane, a tiny mouse with a lot of attitude, to see if they can get the lost ribbon from Mrs. Robin's nest. Here is an excerpt from today's story...

Stella was pulled out of her chestnut stew reveries by the sound of a shrill small voice calling up to her, "Stella! Stella!"

And there on the ground, way, way, way below, almost just a tiny speck of trouble he was, a small mouse, the smallest mouse the Old Woman had ever seen, was calling up from the ground. He was waving his arms vigorously or she'd never even have seen him."Stella! Are you up there? Come down and get me, will ya?"

"Brizbane!" Stella called and she gave a "Chickory!" of delight at the sight of her wee friend. And with a flick of her tail, Stella Squirrel skittered down the oak and then right back up again with the small mouse riding astride her like a horse and holding tightly to the fur of her neck to keep from falling to the ground.

"What are we doing? Why did you call me? Is there danger maybe" he said hopefully, "Because I love danger... " Brizbane said jumping off of Stella's back and bowing grandly to the Alice and the old woman.

The Old Woman chuckled and smiled at Brizbane. "Thank you for coming to my home. It is nice to meet you, wee mouse."

"Who you callin' a mouse? I am not a mouse. I am Brizbane, the Conquer." said Brizbane, flexing his "muscles".

"Oh, yes, of course. Nice to meet you Brizbane the Conquerer," said the mourning dove. She seemed to be trying not to laugh….

Stella said to her friend, "Brizbane, thanks for coming. I am glad you are here because I need your help. Here is what's going on." and she explained the whole story to her jaunty friend.

Once he'd heard the details, Brizbane's eyes sparkled with glee. "Yeah, that sounds nice and terrifyingly dangerous what with the mama robin and her sharp beak, protecting her babies! Good thing I brought my sword!" he said, pulling out a tiny twig strapped to his waist that none of them had even noticed.

"I'm in! Let's go!" said Brizbane.

"I don't believe you'll be needing a sword." said the old woman gently.

Brizbane sighed and put his sword away.

Then he swung back up on Stella's back and off she flew as only a squirrel can do - sprinting across branches, scurrying up and down and around tree trunks, nimbly leaping from maple to elm, hackberry to birch. Brizbane was quite dizzy by the time they got to the foot of Mrs. Robin's tree, and he slid off of Stella's back to catch his breath.

"What's the matter?" asked Stella in confused and concerned.

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Now this story references a few other stories, including the return of Brizbane the Conquerer from Episode 6, "Thom and the Goblins".

Listeners, do you remember what other story Brizbane showed up in when he wasn't with his best friend, Thom Gnome?

Thank you for listening to the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. If you've been enjoying these tales, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you – you can leave a comment below, on Facebook or send me an email. And come be my friend on instagram.com/aprileightsongsandstories where I have so much fun. Or, leave a review on your favorite podcast venue and let other parents know you the value these stories have brought to your family. Spreading the word is the nicest thing you could do for this podcast. xoxo!

As Quinn Quillow says at the end of the story, "A tale I've told, a tale I shared, a tale that had never been told. But if I can tell it, it must come from somewhere. But where? We may never know. And I'll ask you, where did it go...?"

Ep. 28 SONG: A Little Minute about Us! Jun 14, 2017

Show notes

Today's episode is called "A Little Minute about Us!" because today's episode is the one-year anniversary of the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast! It is Episode 28! I called it a little minute about us because I love us, you and me together, so much! I have loved sharing my songs and stories and joy with you, my dear listeners. And we've been doing that for a whole year! Can you believe it? A whole year of fun for your kids at bathtime, bedtime, car time and family time.

Find more April Eight at

aprileight.com Instagram.com/aprileightsongsandstories YouTube.com/aprileightmusic Facebook.com/aprileight

If April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast was a one-year-old baby whale, it would be almost 43 feet long even though it is still practically a baby! (or 13 meters for those of you who measure that way). But instead of growing I've been writing! I've written 24 stories, shared 5 different little minutes with you, well six including this one, sung lots of silly and sweet songs and come up with as many different voices as I could think of for a whole bunch of characters I hope you've enjoyed, from opossums to fairy queens, gnomes to woodsman to falcons, grouchy brothers who turn into kind brothers, and a small mouse with a whole lot of attitude. Do you have a favorites character? Stop by my April Eight Facebook page and let me know. Oh, how I would love to hear about that!

So I'd like to send a big shout out of love to Sander and Emerson, Victor and Vivia and their Grandma Susan, to Bonnie, my mom, to Hunter and Mae and Elsie, to Griffin and Nathan and Jonathan, Neala and Taylor, Kaya and Shae, to Annarose and Elias, to Ethan and Verity, to Izzy and Liam, Summer and Annabel, Matia and Ezra, Carolyn and Ollie, Aliza and Nez, Noah, Liam and Theo, Noah and Audrey, Grace, Charlotte and Adelynn and Stone and Solen.

And a big thank you to the Cincinnati Waldorf School - you've been such a big inspiration to me. And to my kids-podcasting pals at KIDSLISTEN.ORG, I get to hang out with the coolest people in podcasting.

And all of you who have been listening in Iceland - I wrote a report on Iceland when I was in the 6th grade and I've been in love with it ever since, so HELLO! Ireland, and Scotland, Australia, Germany and Vive La France, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Japan and our neighbors from in Canada. My friends in India, Israel, and Spain, Hola Mexico! and The United Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Chile Bangladesh and Nepal, Bahrain and Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Brazil, Switzerland and here in the USA in Ohio and California, Tennessee and Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, New York and Michigan, Texas and Washington, and Washington DC, Oregon and Indiana, where I was born, Missouri, Massachusetts, Utah, Pennsylvania, Georgia and New Jersey, Iowa, Alabama, Arizona, Kansas and Wyoming, Rhode Island and Oklahoma, and NEVADA! Louisiana, Vermont, Florida, and Utah! Hi, Matilda and Ada! Minnesota, Colorado and Maryland, and oh my goodness, if I forgot your special spot on the globe, well, tell me about it and I'll give you a shout out next time. Send me an email at april @ aprileight.com.

I have a celebration of a song for you. I wrote it with a bunch of kids who called their band The Peaceful Narwhals at my April Eight Songs for Peace Camp. This song I'm about to play for you was the first song we wrote at my first camp, so it seems like a perfect one to sing hooray for the first year of the April Eight Songs and Stories Podcast.

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"Hello Friend" a song by April Eight and the Peaceful Narwhals c 2012

Here it is:

Hello good morning, good afternoon

It's good to see your smile, my friendMy best friend, forever and alwaysI haven't seen you in awhile, but your smile makes me happyMy friend

The way your eyes sparkle I can see you really shineWhen you share your heart with me and I can share back mine. It's your personality, your joy, your kindness and your laughterYour trust and your hugs keep us happily together, my friend!

I la la la la la la la la love being your friend, my friend!

Hello good morning, good afternoon It's good to see your smile, my friendMy best friend, forever and alwaysI haven't seen you in awhile, but your smile makes me happy,My friend.

I la la la la la la la la love being your friend, My friend!

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I guess that is all I really have to say to you today, I love being your friend. Thanks for listening to my podcast!

Fiddle Faddle Fee - that's a little minute with me.

Come back next time and I'll tell you a story right here on the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. I've been laughing the whole time I've been writing the next one, and I hope it will make you laugh too… that Brizbane!

Ep. 27 Story 2: Quinn Quillow and the Blue Ribbon Jun 10, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 27 of the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. Today's story is called "Quinn Quillow and the Blue Ribbon". This story is a continuation of the story we started at Episode 24, Quinn Quillow, Story Catcher" a great story for your kids at bath time, bedtime, car time, and family time.

I'm so glad you are here, and I can't wait to tell you today's story.

Find more April Eight at

aprileight.com Instagram.com/aprileightsongsandstories YouTube.com/aprileightmusic Facebook.com/aprileight

Today's story references a few characters from other stories I've told, and the most important ones are from the Jemi Series of the April Eight Songs & Stories Podcast. Here they are: Episode 1, Jemi and the Birthday Surprise, Episode 2, Jemi and the Lost Crown and Episode 3: Jemi and the Strawberry Moon. If you haven't heard those, well, it might be fun to go back and listen to them now while you listen to these stories too.

Here is an excerpt from today's story:

...

And so he began… and here is the story he told:

A tale I tell, a tale I know, a tale that's never been told. But if I can tell it, it must come from somewhere. But where? We may never know. Hmmmm….

There once was a wise old woman who lived at the top of an ancient oak tree. Now how could a person live in a tree? Well, I'm about to tell you, aren't I?

This oak had deep ridges in her bark that grew almost like a staircase that wound from way down at the roots and then all the way up, around and around, winding up the tree and then, there at the top, why, quite a fine spot for one table, one chair, one stove, one candle, one bed. What more could an old woman ask for? For she loved her tree and her tree loved her and that is all that matters, isn't it? In the mornings the birds were singing in the branches, in the afternoon the old woman was comforted by the shade of the leaves and the music of the breeze rustled through the branches like a song. And in the evening the owls stopped by to inquire about her day, "Whooo whooo whooo whoo?"

Now our old woman had many friends, both up in the tree and down upon the ground as you can imagine. And one of her particular friends was a...

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April Eight has been cited as an expert by the Download on Podcasting. How fancy is that?

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