A story and a song: musical stories for children

Send us Fan Mail It's the second instalment of our exciting Wonder Tale Helen the wise... Batt Lamb is very excited! In this episode we find out what happens to the soldier who has become enamoured with Helen the Wise and has flown to her castle. Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytel...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh from the Batt Cave this month comes part one of a three part 'Wonder tale' called "Helen the Wise".   This is the story from Russia that begins with a soldier who is guarding a prisoner but has no idea who it is. This sets a long train of exciting events in motion. Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.n...

Send us Fan Mail Batt Lamb does some serious helping out with this Batt Cave rendition of the classic story "Jack and the Beanstalk".... what more needs to be said! Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers Or if you are an educator...

Send us Fan Mail This month in the Batt Cave Tanya and Pete tell stories with Jack's in them... There are many stories and nursery rhymes  that feature a Jack as the main character, such as Jack and Jill, or Little Jack Horner. Today the Batt Team tell the story of Lazy Jack... a young man who sets out to find some work to support his Mother and himself. Support the show You can find our audi...

Send us Fan Mail This story comes from the Shona people of Zimbabwe and was collected by a UK storytelling friend and colleague, Helen East in her book 'The Singing Sack'. While Batt-lamb is uncertain about large snakes, this story celebrates the bravery of a group of children who have the courage to fetch Nyangara, a python with healing powers, to cure their ailing chief. Support the sh...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Batt Lamb has the seasonal sniffles. There's nothing like a story to make you feel better, epecially one about the origins of delicious kai. Tanya and Pete share a a pūrākau/a traditional Māori story from Aotearoa/New Zealand, from Ngāti Kahungunu about how the kūmara, or sweet potato, came to this land. Support the show You can find our audios and books to p...

Send us Fan Mail Bat Lamb notices an empty plate, and Tanya shares with her and the children a sharing song about their favourite foods. Then comes the Story of The Corn Mother from South America all about where the vital and delicious food Corn came from. Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave sto...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Batt Cave Bat Lamb helps Tanya write a song about the changing season ... If Bat Lamb can write a song then we all can!! Then Tanya Tells a Nigerian Story about why Sun and Moon are so far away from each other . Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytel...

Send us Fan Mail A gift of a magic wand led Tanya to remember a faery story that she created more than 30 years ago about a mischevious faery called Iddlebright. See how many old fairytales you can recognize in this porridgey story! Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https:...

Send us Fan Mail Cap O' Rushes is an English Cinderella variant where our heroine makes  her own good fortune through hard work and cleverness! There are over 800 known versions of the Cinderella story told around the world - we hope you enjoy this one! Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave s...

Send us Fan Mail This Bat Cave starts off with Pete singing a song from the Bat show that Tanya and Pete are touring round NewZealand at the moment. Then Tanya tells the exciting story of Molly Whuppie, a 'Jack in the Beanstalk' variant where Molly and her sisters set out to find their fortune and meet a ferocious giant along the way. As Molly sings, " Sometimes in life you have to...

Send us Fan Mail In this last story celebrating the New Year of the Fire Horse; Tanya and Pete tell the story of a poor man experiencing hard times who sets out to find something to feed his family with. He meets some difficult choices along the way. Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytell...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing the celebration of the horse for the lunar 'fire horse' year, Tanya talks about horses in mythology such as Pegasus, Sleipnir and the horse of power from Russian folktales. Tanya and Pete share a story from the First Nations Lakota people about the origin of the horse - known as Tashunka - a magical gift that was given and then taken away but returned many yea...

Send us Fan Mail It's the first Batt Cave of the New Year and the Batt Cave Team are Celebrating the coming Chinese New Year of The Fire Horse, beginning on Feb 17th. Batt Lamb is very excited! They also sing two songs. The first is a song to welcome a new ancestor building that Tanya and Pete have moved to their land. The second song is a well known Horse song fitting for the Fire Horse Year...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh from the Batt Cave comes the second and final part of the Hungarian Wonder Tale about the Three Brothers and the Golden Apples.... It's a long one... so Buckle up for adventure!! Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/...

Send us Fan Mail It's nearly New Year 2026.... and to celebrate the past twelve months, we've adapted the Twelve Days of Christmas, Batt Lamb - style, (with some help from Tanya and Pete) to sing about all the great stories (and songs) we've shared  from around the world in the Batt cave during the year. Thanks for tuning into the Batt Cave and Happy New Year from the Batt Cave!!!!!...

Send us Fan Mail For a treat today the Batt Cave has two stories to share about Golden Apples. First Tanya tells Batt Lamb all about the Ancient Greek story of Paris and the Golden Apple... of Gods and choices and all that great mythical stuff. Then Tanya tells the first part of a long Wonder Tale from Bulgaria about three brothers and a golden apple tree. Follow this exciting tale  and then join...

Send us Fan Mail Tanya tells Batt lamb the classic story of King Midas who's dreams come true when the Gods grant him one wish Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers Or if you are an educator for children 0 - 8 years subscribe to &apos...

Send us Fan Mail Pete has reached a golden milestone in November, turning 65! To celebrate, we've put together a collection of 'golden stories' to share. The first one is is from Ireland, and is aboutt a Leprechaun and his legendary pot of gold. Batt-lamb wonders about the rights and wrongs of taking things that don't belong to you but stealing a Leprechaun's treasure prov...

Send us Fan Mail This traditional story comes from the Lotha Naga people who originate from North East India. A gentle but  lonley farmer finds an exceptionally large pumpkin growing in his garden. While the other villagers are suspicious, the farmer lavishes attention on this pumpkin, resulting in its magical transformation. But not everyone is happy with the harvest. Support the show You can fin...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing with the theme of springtime in the Garden; Tanya and the Batt Crew tell a delightful musical story of a King who wants to give a gift to his three Daughters. The youngest asks for a Talking vine, a Smiling Apple and a Singing Ringing Pear... What a strange request? Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop...

Send us Fan Mail It's Halloween again and here in New Zealand it's springtime and that means lots of busy bees and other pollinators out and about pollinating all the flowers and plants in the garden. Tanya has lots of pumpkin seedlings to give away and we thought we'd celebrate with "Pollinator Power"... A song/action story the children can move too, all about the industr...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing The epic European adventure Our Heroes briefly pass through Norway on their way to Shetland. This is a re-telling of the Classic Norwegian story : The Three Billygoats Gruff...told with verve and panache by BattLamb and Tanya....While Pete joins in pluckin' on the Banjo. Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/s...

Send us Fan Mail During their big adventure, Tanya, Pete and Batt lamb were lucky enough to visit Papa Stour, one of the most westerly isles of  the Shetland Islands. One of the old stories connected to Papa Stour is about a fisherman who gets stranded on the Vee Skerries and the bargin he makes that saves with a seal/selkie that saves his life. Support the show You can find our audios and books t...

Send us Fan Mail At long last, Pete, Tanya and Batt Lamb are back from their epic adventure, with new stories and songs to share - this month the stories are from Thailand, Shetland and Norway. In celebration of spring, this episode begings with a Cuckoo song. Then Tanya shares a traditional Thai story all about planting seeds. Kasem is given some special seeds by his Grandfather, with instruction...