Shows
Little Kids, Big HeartsStorytime: Quessa's Big Camp OutWelcome to Storytime!In this original story by the team at Little Kids, Big Hearts, we join Quessa, Kalini, and Karva, and their class of Qook-a-leekies on their first overnight field trip. It can be scary to be away from home ... and as the qook-a-leekies practice climbing and cope with a big storm, nervous energy grows and grows. How will Quessa the Qook-a-leekie cope with all the big nervous feelings? The story is voiced by host Todd Loyd and Creative Producer Christy Pusz Decatur. Thanks for joining us for Storytime!V...2025-06-2008 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsStorytime: The Day the Songbook DisappearedWelcome to Storytime!In this original story by the team at Little Kids, Big Hearts, we learn the origin of the Qook-a-lacka song healer, Quasnick, who we first met in our episode "Moving Time" when Quasnick helped kids create a song to help a Qook-a-lacka family cope with their big feelings around moving. In this story, Quasnick has practiced and practiced for the Great Qooka Sing, but loses the all-important songbook the day of the performance! Quasnick is poised to apologize and call it a night, but a young friend gives an important re...2025-05-2308 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsStorytime: Quiggle's WheelsWelcome to storytime! This new fictional story, set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas, is about making sure that everyone has the opportunity to play. The main character is Quiggle, a little Qook-a-leekie who travels around the Land of Qook-a-lackas in chair with rainbow, sparkling wheels. When it's time for the annual tradition of climbing the Twisty Tree as a class, all the Qook-a-leekies have to come together to figure out a way to include ALL their classmates, including Quiggle!"Quiggle's Wheels" is read by our host, Todd Loyd, who is a teacher in Ne...2025-04-2804 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsStorytime: A Mistake Takes RootIn this original fictional story set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas, we learn the origin story of the qook-a-melos, one of the most popular treats in the Land. It turns out that the qook-a-melo tree stemmed from a MISTAKE...and that mistakes can actually help us to create great things! As Professor Quomelo — the accidental inventor — says, "Trust in yourself, trust in the process, and have the courage to make mistakes!" What great things will YOU dream up if YOU make more mistakes? "A Mistake Takes Root" is read by our host, Todd Loyd, w...2025-03-2109 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsStorytime: New Skies for LyraIn this original fictional story set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas, we learn the "history" of the Great Link-a-doo Flood, through the lens of Lyra — a little Link-a-deedle. In the story, Lyra and all the students at the Treetop School survive the Great Link-a-doo Flood and then escape with their parents to the Land of Qook-a-lackas where they are welcomed by the Qook-a-lackas. Lyra learns to cope — and move forward — with help from friends, neighbors, songs, and traditions. "New Skies for Lyra" is read by our amazing host, Todd Loyd, who is a teacher in New York City wh...2025-02-2111 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsThe Fairness Quest Mission & SongDuring the most recent adventure of Little Kids, Big Hearts, "Fairness with Vella Lovell and Meredith Holzman," three kids — Bodhi, Aubrey, and Will — travel with LKBH host Todd Loyd to the Land of Qook-a-lackas to help two Qook-a-lacka friends "qook-a-late" to retsore fairness to the Land. Today, we're back to challenge our listeners to go on their own FAIRNESS QUEST, inspired by the episode and the words/actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — whose legacy of justice, equality, and human rights we celebrated this week. Todd and LKBH Producer Christy Pusz Decatur issue our first-ever challe...2025-01-2205 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsCultivating Sweet Kindness — With Meredith Holzman, Matt Malloy, Pablo Castelblanco, and Nadiyah DorseyIn this special fictional episode we learn how one small act of kindness can spread through a whole community. The story is the origin story of gummy bears in the Land of Qook-a-Lackas. But it is also about community and inclusiveness! Every single person in a community plays an important role and has the power to help others.In this episode, LKBH Host, Todd Loyd, reads the parts of Kenley (a parent Qook-a-Lacka) and Qwintin (a neighbor Qook-a-Lacka). We were excited to be joined by real-life friends, who bring this special fictional episode to life. You'll hear...2023-01-1329 min
Little Kids, Big HeartsDreams & Nightmares with Christy Pusz DecaturWe all have dreams and nightmares, but they remain mysterious to most of us: Where do they come from? Why do we have them? How do they make us feel? How do we cope with the bad ones? In this episode, three of our friends — Isla, James, and Riya — share their dreams and nightmares, and then we meet up to go on an adventure to the Land of Qook-a-Lackas to visit DreamFest (a special Qook-a-Lacka dream ritual) to learn more about dreams. Two special guests join us in this episode, and we are so grateful to them: ...2022-10-0726 min