Tom the Pirate · The Map the Pelican Ate · pirate story for kids · treasure hunt story · screen-free audio story

An adventure story for children, and the very first episode of Tom the Pirate. On the bluest sea in the world lies the archipelago of the Thousand Coves, the kind of place you will not find on any grown-up's map. That is where the smallest pirate ship ever built sails: the Royal Sardine, so light that no wave can ever sink her. She simply dances on top of the waves. Her captain is Tom, the kindest pirate there is.

Tom never steals a thing. He hunts for lost treasures so he can give them back, and he keeps one small keepsake from each of them at the bottom of his chest. This morning he counts four. Right at the back waits his very first treasure map, drawn by a little girl, with a smiling sun and a big red cross. On board the Royal Sardine, maps are sung rather than read, and this one sings that a cuddly rabbit called Lapinou has fallen off Daddy's boat.

Tom weighs anchor with Moustache, the shy octopus who hides in the teapot and squirts ink whenever he gets scared. But on the way, a big greedy pelican swallows the map in one gulp. No map, no route, no idea where to go. Instead of getting cross, Tom tries to understand this bird who gobbles up everything, and discovers that he mostly does it because he is all alone on his rock.

So Tom invites him to join the crew. From high in the sky, the pelican can see the whole sea at once, and he is the one who spots Lapinou bobbing between the waves, near a rock shaped like a hat. The cuddly toy goes back to the little girl, who hands over a small blue ribbon for the chest: the fifth keepsake.

A gentle story, full of small mishaps, that slips your child one very simple idea. The finest treasure is never gold, it is the smile on the face of the person you give it back to. And the one who causes trouble often just needs a friend.

A screen-free adventure and bedtime story for children aged 3 to 5, good to share at bedtime, in the car, or before a nap. As always with Tilibou, the ending stays soft and quiet, with no music, so your child can drift towards sleep. This is the episode that opens the season and sets up the whole world of Tom the Pirate. 🌙

👉 All the Tilibou bedtime stories at tilibou.com

💡 Tip: to listen to one world back-to-back, choose its season (Noisette, Léo, Cassie, Marin, Tom the Pirate, or the Christmas, Halloween and School seasons).

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