Kids Sleep Story: Emmy The Axolotl & The Glitter-Apocalypse
Hold onto your fins, little legends… things are about to get very sparkly. In this hilarious new Steph and the Storytime Crew episode, we dive deep into Fish School where Emmy the Axolotl faces the loudest, wildest, most glitter-covered day of her life. Between a shouty teacher, a pufferfish who keeps exploding like a disco balloon, Koko the Koi Fish's questionable “extra sparkle spray,” and a glitter cloud so big it basically becomes a weather event… Emmy’s gentle heart hits its tipping point. This story is perfect for sensitive kids, deep feelers, anxious little ones and the mini-empaths who absorb everything. Through giggles and chaos and glitter in the most unexpected places (yes… even there), kids learn how to: • understand big feelings • reset when overwhelmed • build their own calm bubble • keep their sparkle for themselves first A funny, heart-squeezing, gently empowering story for every sensitive soul who’s ever felt like the world was a little too loud.
Transcript
Hey Storytime crew,
Welcome back.
I'm Steph and I am so glad that you're here.
In today's story we are heading under the sea to a very special place.
It's loud,
It's messy and it smells a teeny tiny bit like seaweed farts.
Yuck!
Welcome to Fish School guys.
Fish School has a little bit of everything.
Juggling clownfish,
Swordfish who definitely should not be trusted with rulers and an anxious pufferfish who inflates every time someone says the word maths.
And right in the middle of all of this chaos lives the star of our story.
Her name is Emmy and Emmy is an axolotl.
Pretty cool right?
Emmy is just about the sweetest most precious soul in all of the sea.
Emmy is kind and Emmy is very very caring.
And Emmy is so sparkly from head to tail.
Her gills shimmer,
Her cheeks glow and even her homework is covered in glitter.
Accidentally,
Mostly.
Her very best friend in the whole wide world is Coco the koi fish.
Coco is also sparkly and sweet and never ever ever stressed.
If Coco was any more relaxed she'd probably be asleep.
Coco has one main dream in her life.
Not to be the queen of the sea.
Not to find any treasure.
Nope.
Coco wants human legs for a day so she can climb a tree and yell I can see my house from here!
We'll come back to that a lot.
All right one more important character Mr Krabby Claws.
He's a very serious crab with very serious eyebrows and a voice so loud it could blow barnacles off the walls.
So it was Monday morning at fish school which meant everyone had far too much energy and hadn't switched their calm brains on just yet.
The clown fish were juggling pencils.
The swordfish were poking holes in their worksheets with their sharp pointy noses.
And our friend the puffer fish was already inflated and bobbing upside down near the ceiling like a shiny confused balloon.
And at the back of the class was an otter sliding across a kelp mat yelling That was Ollie the otter.
He was visiting just for the day.
He had proudly turned the reading corner into a slip and slide.
Of course he had.
Emmy sat at her coral desk carefully lining up her sparkly pens.
Her gills shimmered gently.
She liked things calm.
She liked things kind.
She did not like it when the classroom sounded like a herd of sea elephants tap dancing.
Coco floated in next to her humming happily and gently sprinkling glitter all over her own tail.
Is it so loud in here today?
Emmy said whispering to Coco.
My sparkles feel like they want to hide.
I think it's fun.
Coco said cheerfully.
Look at the puffer fish.
He's a balloon again.
Just then Mr.
Krabby claws slammed his claw on the old shell desk so hard.
Quiet!
The sound boomed through the water.
The windows rattled.
A row of tiny barnacles popped off the wall and floated away like no we're out.
Emmy's whole body flinched.
Her beautiful sparkles flickered and then they dimmed.
Ouch!
Emmy said in a tiny voice.
My insides feel like jelly.
Coco blinked.
Oh that was quite loud.
Wasn't it?
On a scale of one to mega loud that was my grandma just sneezed the roof off loud.
Ollie the oddest slid straight into the bookshelf.
Books rained down on his head.
I'm fine.
I'm fine.
It's all good.
I meant to do that.
Ollie said.
After roll call Mr.
Krabby claws announced.
Today class we are making posters about ocean safety.
Half the class groaned.
Oh that sounds so boring.
But he added you may use the special school glitter.
The class gasped.
Oh the special school glitter.
Oh it was kept in a locked treasure chest.
Legend said it once got into the principal's moustache and he was still finding sparkles in his soup a year later.
Mr.
Krabby claws opened the chest with a tiny little key.
And as he opened the lid slowly everyone stopped what they were doing and took the magnificence of the chest in.
Inside there were pots and pots of glitter in every color you can imagine.
Gold,
Silver,
Rainbow,
Mermaid,
Unicorn and even I stayed up too late blue.
Emmy's eyes shone.
Glitter was her love language.
Coco swam closer and whispered I bought something even better Emmy.
From her bag Coco pulled out a small bottle with a hand-drawn label that read super ultra extra maximum sparkle spray.
But probably don't shake me.
There was a stick figure fish on the label with an enormous lashes and glitter everywhere.
Coco Emmy said what is that?
I made it myself Coco said.
It will give you sparkles and extra sparkles on top of your sparkles like double sparkles maybe triple even sparkles.
I didn't actually measure it I just know there's lots of sparkles.
Both of the girls eyes twinkled but clearly Coco had not tested it properly.
Emmy looked at her poster and it said be kind to the ocean and also to axolotls.
She had drawn a smiling fish who was recycling a plastic bottle.
She stood back a moment to have a good look at her masterpiece.
I mean it looked nice she thought to herself but I want it to look fabulous.
Hmm Emmy was deep in thought maybe a teeny tiny bit of Coco's extra sparkle might jazz it up a bit.
She took the bottle it was warm in her hand.
Was that a good sign?
Are you sure this is safe?
Emmy asked her friend.
Very safe Coco said actually extremely safe.
I only blew up my coral collection twice Coco smiled.
Emmy paused.
Hmm I mean like it's fine now probably Coco said.
Emmy took a deep breath.
She usually wasn't one to take risks but what harm could a bit of extra sparkle do really?
She pressed the nozzle nothing happened.
She pressed a bit harder still nothing.
Hmm Coco frowned try giving it a tiny shake.
Emmy gave it a tiny shake still nothing.
Coco grinned all right maybe a medium shake.
Emmy gave it a medium-sized shake.
It was a faint gurgle.
The puffer fish was watching closely from his spot on the ceiling.
He whispered oh this is gonna be good.
Coco's eyes were sparkling now more than ever.
Okay Emmy give it one more big shake.
Emmy took a deep breath and she shook it as hard as she could.
The bottle made a suspicious fizzing sound.
Then it started to rattle and then it started to glow.
Coco!
Emmy's said her eyes so wide.
Uh-oh Coco said the puffer fish from his spot on the ceiling was like oh I regret nothing.
It was a tiny pause and then boom the bottle exploded into the biggest glitter cloud fish school had ever seen.
Glitter blasted across the room in a sparkling tidal wave.
Gold glitter covered the ceiling.
Pink glitter covered the desks.
Rainbow glitter covered the puffer fish who inhaled at exactly the wrong moment.
He inflated like a disco ball and shot across the classroom.
I sparkle!
He said.
A swirl of silver glitter landed on Mr.
Krabby Claws's head giving him what can only be described as a very fabulous wig.
Coco got so covered in glitter she looked like a floating sparkly potato.
Ollie the otter slid through the glitter on the floor and shouted best day ever!
It was an explosion of chaos and sparkle and sneezing and yelling.
Mr.
Krabby Claws tried to shout who did this but his voice came out only half normal and half sparkly squeaky because there was glitter in his mouth.
Clown fish were slipping on glitter puddles and the swordfish were trying to wipe glitter off their noses with their tails and just ended up spreading it everywhere.
And one lonely speck of glitter floated all the way to the back of the classroom and stuck itself to a single very confused barnacle.
And here is something you should probably know about glitter guys.
Once it arrives it does not leave politely.
The students would be finding glitter in their gills for weeks.
In their shoes,
In their lunch,
In very awkward places like their bum cracks.
Mr.
Krabby Claws would later discover glitter in his bedtime tea and no one could ever explain why.
At first everyone laughed even Mr.
Krabby Claws looked a little bit impressed but Emmy she did not laugh.
Her chest felt tight,
Her cheeks were burning and her sparkles well they were flickering and then they dimmed.
When the glitter cloud finally settled the classroom was a total disaster.
Posters were ruined and floors were sparkling and Ollie somehow had glitter on only one eyebrow.
Hmm.
Mr.
Krabby Claws took one deep slow breath and roaring from his desk he said,
Who is responsible for this glitter nightmare?
The sound crashed into Emmy like a wave.
Her eyes filled with hot tears.
She looked at the bottle in her hand.
It was me she said in a tiny voice but I did not mean to.
I am very very sorry.
The class went quiet even the pufferfish deflated a little.
Mr.
Krabby Claws' glitter wig wobbled when he spoke.
You could have hurt someone.
There is glitter in my eyes,
There is glitter in my mouth and there's glitter in my oh never mind.
Emmy shrank smaller and smaller.
Her sparkles almost disappeared.
Her heart whispered,
I broke everything.
I've made such a mess and I've made everyone so angry.
Her cheeks prickled,
Her chest hurt.
The room felt too loud and too bright and too much.
Suddenly a shiny sparkly glittery tear slipped out of her eye and floated up.
Then there was another and another and another.
Little glitter tears rising like tiny stars in the ocean.
Before anyone could see she turned and she swam out of the classroom.
Emmy swam as fast as she could and she didn't stop until she reached the quiet coral cave right behind the school.
In here it was soft and it was dim and nobody was yelling.
She curled up behind a big purple coral and hugged her tail.
Why am I so sensitive?
She thought to herself.
Why do I get scared when people shout?
Why do I feel bad even when something was an accident?
Her chest felt hollow like someone had scooped all the glitter out and left only heavy sand.
Something small and slow bumped gently into Emmy's side.
She had a look.
Oh it was Mrs.
Snail.
Her shell had tiny painted flowers on it and a single piece of glitter stuck right on the top.
Mrs.
Snail was a school counselor.
Oh hello Emmy dear.
I was wondering where you'd gone.
My goodness you look oh very beige.
Emmy sniffed.
I lost my sparkle.
I broke the class.
Mr.
Krabby claws is furious with me.
There's glitter in everyone's everything and it's all my fault.
Mrs.
Snail blinked slowly.
Hmm that is a lot of blame for one small axolotl to carry Emmy.
Emmy wiped her tears from her face.
I always feel everything so much.
When people shout my tummy flips.
When someone is sad I feel it in my chest.
Today was too loud and then the glitter exploded and now I feel I feel empty.
Mrs.
Snail nodded.
She took exactly three years to nod once because she was very serious and very very slow.
Emmy my dear she says that is not emptiness.
That is what happens when you use all of your sparkle on everyone else and forget to keep any for yourself.
Mrs.
Snail inched a little bit closer.
Have you ever heard of a bubble of fabulous calm Emmy?
Emmy blinked.
Is that soap?
Mrs.
Snail laughed softly.
No Emmy it is something much much better.
We all have an invisible bubble around us.
It is our calm bubble,
Our safe bubble,
Our I am okay even if the world is bananas bubble.
She lowered her voice.
For you I expect it also to be a very stylish bubble Emmy.
Emmy sniffled and had a tiny giggle but mine feels popped.
Mrs.
Snail then we must fix it.
Close your eyes Emmy.
Emmy closed her eyes.
The coral cave felt safe and still.
Take a big deep breath in through your nose Mrs.
Snail said or gills or wherever you keep your air.
Emmy breathed a deep breath in through her nose and breath breathe it out nice and slow said Mrs.
Snail.
Ah they did it again and again and again.
Now imagine a bubble growing around you.
It's the perfect size.
It feels just right.
It feels warm and safe.
What color is your bubble Emmy?
Mrs.
Snail asked.
Emmy thought for a moment.
In her mind a bubble formed around her.
It's pink and gold Emmy said with a little bit of glitter obviously.
Of course Mrs.
Snail said smiling inside your bubble no one is allowed to shout at you.
Inside your bubble you can still hear things but they feel softer.
Inside your bubble your sparkle belongs to you first.
Emmy breathed slowly.
In her bubble the memory of Mr.
Krabby Claws's shout felt further away.
The embarrassment shrank and her cheeks cooled.
She imagined her bubble getting a tiny bit thicker.
She didn't feel stuck in her bubble.
She knew it was just a boundary.
A gentle protective shield around her.
She could still be kind and she could still care but the world did not get to burst her bubble anymore.
As she sat there her skin began to glow softly again.
Not the frantic look at me sparkle from before.
A steady calm I know who I am kind of glow.
Oh it feels nice Emmy said.
I feel like me again but with less wobbles.
That is your nervous system finding its calm.
You aren't too sensitive.
You are perfectly sensitive.
You just need tools for the loud days Emmy like this bubble.
Emmy opened her eyes.
But what about everyone else Mrs.
Snail?
They are all still covered in glitter.
Mrs.
Snail chuckled to herself.
They'll survive Emmy.
Some of them will be sparkly for months possible years but that's their journey.
Emmy giggled properly this time.
It was pretty funny.
Emmy swam back to the classroom.
Her bubble of fabulous calm wrapped around her like an invisible hug.
When she swam in chaos was still happening of course.
The clownfish were trying to brush glitter off with seaweed now.
That only made them greener and even more glittery.
The pufferfish had deflated.
He was now stuck to the ceiling by static glitter.
Ollie the otter had discovered that if he slid on the glitter floor fast enough he left a trail of sparkly skid marks behind him.
Look he shouts I'm drawing with my butt and Coco was under the trying to put socks on her fins.
Coco what are you doing?
Emmy said.
Coco puffed.
Well if I wear socks maybe my legs will grow to match.
Then I could climb a tree.
Surely that's science right?
She had drawn little stick figure legs on the sides of her socks with a marker.
They had terrible knees.
Mr.
Krabby claws was desperately trying to wipe glitter off his face and somehow just moving it around.
Now he had glitter eyebrows,
A glitter mustache and glitter freckles.
It's in my claws.
It's in my shell.
I'll be sparkling into retirement.
Mr.
Krabby claws was muttering to himself.
Emmy took a deep breath in and her bubble it held and it held strong.
She swam to the middle of the room.
Everyone everyone stop just for a second.
Emmy said in a very calm and clear voice and to everyone's surprise they did.
Maybe it was the calm in her voice.
Maybe it was the faint golden glow around her.
Well maybe they were all just a bit tired.
I am really sorry for the glitter explosion.
Emmy said.
I didn't mean for it to happen.
I am going to help clean up but first can we try something that might make our brains feel less loud and shouty.
Ollie raised his paw.
Does it involve snacks?
Not yet Ollie.
Emmy said.
All right I'll accept it for now.
Emmy smiled.
All right guys close your eyes.
Take in a big deep breath.
You can pretend you're smelling your favorite food.
Maybe seaweed chips or jam donuts or maybe fish tacos if you're a bit weird.
Ollie snorted and then breathe out like you're blowing a bubble nice and slow.
Emmy said.
They all did it even Mr.
Krabby claws who accidentally spat a bit of glitter out of his nose when he exhaled.
Now Emmy says imagine there is a bubble around you.
Your own bubble of calm.
You get to choose the color and you get to choose what's inside.
Maybe there's fairy lights like mine.
Maybe there's a couch and maybe it smells like hot chips.
Coco shot her feet into the air.
Mine smells like hot chips and tree bar because I'm in a tree because I have legs now obviously.
And the class all giggled.
Emmy giggled too.
Inside their bubbles the classroom felt a lot softer and a lot gentler and a little less like everything was attacking their senses.
Inside your bubble you are safe.
Emmy tells the class.
The noise is not as loud.
The glitter is just glitter.
Your feelings are allowed.
You can still listen and you can still care.
But the world can't crash into you as hard.
Mr.
Krabby claws cleared his throat.
His glitter mustache sparkled dramatically.
I apologize for shouting so much he said.
This situation has like really ruffled my claws.
I will try using a quieter voice.
He attempted a whisper but it came out as a hoarse squeak.
The class tried very hard not to laugh but they failed.
This time it was a good belly laugh.
Warm wrinkly eyes belly laughter.
Not mean.
Not mocking.
Just relief.
The class spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning as much glitter as they could.
They didn't get all of it.
No one ever does.
Weeks later they would still find glitter in their lunch boxes,
In their drawers,
In their armpits,
In their math book and inside one extremely confused clam who wasn't even at school that day.
Mr.
Krabby claws would discover glitter in his sandwich one day and sigh,
Oh I guess this is my life now.
But something else stayed too.
The bubble of fabulous calm.
When things got loud some of the kids would put their fins on their heart and take a deep breath in and imagine their bubbles glowing brightly.
Coco's bubble sometimes had fake legs drawn on it too so she could practice climbing trees in her imagination.
Ollie's bubble had a mini water slide because of course it did.
And Emmy's bubble was pink and gold and warm and gentle with space for her big feelings and her beautiful sensitivity.
Her sparkles were back not just on the outside on the inside too.
She learnt something very important.
Her sensitivity wasn't a problem and her sparkle was never too much.
She just needed to keep her bubble strong so her heart did not get squished every time the world yelled near her.
So my little legends that is the story of Emmy Daxolotl,
Coco the completely leg obsessed koi fish and Ollie the glitter butt artist otter and one very sparkly school disaster.
But underneath the giggles and the glitter there is a really important secret.
You have a bubble too.
You might not be able to see it and you may not be able to feel it but it is definitely there.
You can close your eyes right now and take a big deep breath in and imagine your bubble all around you.
Your bubble of calm,
Your bubble of safety,
Your I get to be me bubble.
You get to choose the colour and you get to choose what's inside.
And you get to choose who is a lad close to your bubble and who isn't.
Your sensitivity isn't wrong little legends.
It's actually your superpower.
Your big feelings are not too much.
Your sparkle belongs to you first and foremost.
And when you look after your bubble every single day just like Emmy you can still be kind and caring and hilarious without losing yourself in the chaos.
All right bubble bosses it's time to go and shine and maybe try not to explode any maximum sparkle sprays in class anytime soon.
Okay if you do at least warn your teacher.
Thanks for joining me for another Steph and the Storytime Crew.
Until next time guys,
Bye.
