The Hunting of Bonkers Bits: a special kids storytelling podcast episode about where stories actually come from

People often ask Mr Morton where he gets his stories. Actually, that is not true. People mostly ask where the toilet is. But sometimes, after they have found the toilet, bought a book, and stopped their toddler eating the bookmarks, they ask about the stories.

And the answer is not what you might expect.

He does not write them. Not at first. He hunts them. He traps them. He tickles them out of hiding. He chases them through hedges and hooks them from holes and plucks them from peculiar places where sensible people never think to look.

In this special episode, Mr Morton opens the bookshop door and takes listeners along on a story hunt. There are accidental stories overheard in queues and bakeries where the buns gossip. There are family stories, chewier and older, that have picked up extra elbows and moustaches being passed from aunt to cousin to neighbour and back again. There are playground stories that must be caught early before they grow too many legs. There is a woman above a clock shop who reads six ancient languages and one sort of goat. There is a three-tailed cat sitting on a hidden book who charges one sandwich, one wrapper, and one button for the privilege of looking underneath it.

And then Mr Morton has an announcement.

The Barmy Book is feeling thin. The shelves need restocking. The stories need hunting. Which means the bookshop will be closing its doors for a short while, as Mr Morton heads out into the world with his purple coat, his torch, his notebook, and a sandwich for anything with teeth.

The sign on the door will read: CLOSED FOR STORY HUNTING. BACK ON THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER 2026 WHEN THE NONSENSE HAS BEEN NETTED.

This funny kids podcast episode is perfect for families who love fun children's stories about imagination, for audio stories for children that celebrate the magic of listening, and for anyone who wants to know what Mr Morton gets up to when he is not behind the counter. It is warm, funny, and quietly about something true. The best stories are not just for the eyes. They are for the ears. And if you listen hard enough, one day it will be your turn to catch one too.

• Episode length: approximately 10 minutes
• Ages: 4 to 400
• Best enjoyed: bedtime, car journeys, after school wind down

Mr Morton returns on the 1st of September 2026 with a fresh armful of brand new Barmy Books of Bonkers Bits. Hit subscribe now so you are first to know when the bookshop opens its doors again. And while you are waiting, plenty of stories are still on the shelves at MrMortonsBarmyBook.com.

In the meantime, if a rude spoon, a whispering bush, or a suspiciously well-informed goose offers you a story, write it down at once.