Created by Caroline M England, Featherbed Tales was set up in 2020 to help children connect with absent loved ones and to share the joy of storytelling.

When a close friend of Featherbed’s founder died in 2016 she left a little boy so young he might not remember his mother. She had, however, previously made a voice recording to welcome him into their family when he was adopted. At this point Caroline started to realise the importance of voice in creating bonds and memories. ​

Not long afterwards, whilst standing in Coniston Water about to enter a swimming event, Caroline found herself next to an old friend from 25 years previously. Not recognising the wet-suited,  hat-wearing friend until she spoke, her voice immediately transported Caroline back to the fun times they had together as teenagers. These two events started a thought process which would lead to the development of Featherbed Tales.

Featherbed Tales

How does it work?

Aiming to connect families who can’t be together, Featherbed Tales enable parents, grandparents and other loved ones to record themselves reading a story. The audio-recording is automatically embedded into a digital picture book, so that as a child turns a digital page, they can look at the pictures and read along whilst hearing their loved one reading them the story.

Research has shown that hearing a parent’s voice can be as good as receiving a hug, helping to reduce anxiety, stress and provide reassurance. Featherbed Tales allow multiple loved ones to record stories so that a child can choose who reads the story to them at times when they are missed.

Watch our short and fun video to see how it works: