Hear the Difference
Mia is 4, shy, and nervous about starting school. This is the first minute of her story — the night before, where the worry gets named and made okay. Narrated in a New Zealand accent; you can also choose British, American or Australian.
Mia's First Day
Her name, her worry, and a gentle way through it.
Your first story is free — ready in about two minutes.
A Story for Whatever They're Going Through
Stories where someone like them gets through it, never lessons in disguise — and that quietly changes how they feel about their own week.
The label on each card is the published research field that story type is built on. Read the research →
Their Stories, On Their Yoto
Sync approved stories straight to a Yoto MYO card — no other story app does this. No Yoto? Listen in-app or download the MP3 for the car.
1.Approve on your phone
Read the story, press approve, and the audio is produced.
2.Sync to their MYO card
One tap sends it to a Make Your Own card in their Yoto.
3.They press play
A story about them, in their hands, no screen anywhere.
Completely screen-free, exactly how Yoto families like it
From Idea to Story in Minutes
Choose a story
Browse hand-built themes like "new sibling", "first day of school", or "space adventure". Each one is designed for a specific age and purpose.
Make it theirs
Answer a couple of quick questions about what's happening in their life right now. The story is written around their world.
Their story comes to life
Written to a child development framework, narrated in your chosen accent, mixed with background music.
You approve every word
Read the full story before your child hears it. Edit anything, or start fresh.
Listen anywhere
In the app, as an MP3, or synced to a Yoto Player.
You read it before they hear it
Gently Told isn't an open prompt box for kids. It's a guided story-making tool for parents, and this is your review screen: read the story, change anything you'd like, then approve it to make the audio.
Nothing plays until you approve it
Read every word before your child hears it. Edit anything, or reject it and get your credit back. Topics are checked for safety before a word is written, and the language matches your child's age.
Each story follows a research framework
Bibliotherapy for the hard weeks, inquiry-based learning for curious ones, attachment theory for connection. Every story comes with a guide naming the studies behind it.
A note from the founder
I built Gently Told because I wanted bedtime stories that were actually about my daughter — her name, her world, whatever she's going through that week. Something that helps her feel understood.
So I read the research properly: bibliotherapy, attachment theory, social narratives. Every story is built on one of those frameworks, and the guide for each one names the studies. It's just me and my wife building this, and a very opinionated three-year-old who tells us when a story isn't good enough.
— Will, Auckland 🇳🇿
Read our researchFirst story free. Then buy credits.
No subscription to remember, cancel, or feel guilty about. Buy a pack when you need it. Credits never expire.
3 stories
US$4.99
Perfect for trying it out
10 stories
US$14.99
Best for regular bedtime stories
25 stories
US$29.99
Great for families with multiple kids
Prices shown in USD and processed securely by Stripe.
What you get in every story
- Narration + background music
- One illustration per story
- Parent discussion guide
- Downloadable MP3
- Optional Yoto MYO sync