Under the Moonlight with Penelope Willis

About Under the Moonlight with Penelope Willis

A gentle children's and family podcast by author Penelope Willis, featuring bedtime stories, read-alouds and calming emotional support. About love, family and the small moments that help us feel close, even when we’re far apart. Stories, soft parenting ideas and comforting reflections to settle the heart. If you’re looking for calm connection and warmth, you’re welcome here. We’re under the same moon. Hosted by children's author Penelope Willis, creator of 'Calming Stories for Little People.'

Publisher

Penelope willis

Category

kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Nov 2025

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

27 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Who Tucks the Grown Ups In? | Under the Moonlight with Penelope Willis 🌛

   Who Tucks the Grown Ups In? Under the Moonlight with Penelope Willis When we were little, there was something wonderfully comforting about knowing somebody was still downstairs. The quiet footsteps, the clink of a cup, the familiar sounds of someone taking care of the everyday, so that we could simply close our eyes and sleep. But somewhere along the way, we become the person downstairs. In this gentle, comforting podcast episode, author Penelope Willis reflects on the invisible mental load of everyday life, the emotional responsibilities of caring for others, and the small acts of kindness that remind us we deserve to feel loved, noticed and looked after too. From an unexpected cup of tea to a thoughtful message arriving at just the right moment, this heartfelt reflection explores family relationships, emotional wellbeing, the quiet exhaustion of always being dependable, and the importance of feeling appreciated. For parents, grandparents, carers, and anyone who spends much of their life looking after everybody else, Who Tucks the Grown Ups In? is a warm and reassuring conversation about love, connection, everyday kindness and the comfort of knowing somebody is thinking of you. A soothing, reflective podcast episode to listen to at bedtime, during a quiet evening, or whenever you need a little comfort and reassurance. About Penelope Willis Penelope Willis is the author of comforting stories for children, reassuring quotes and gentle reflections for grown ups. Through her children's books, reflective writing and Under the Moonlight podcast, she shares words of kindness, emotional comfort, love and connection for little hearts and grown-up hearts alike. Discover Gentle Words Gentle Words is a beautifully illustrated collection of comforting quotes and gentle reflections on childhood, motherhood, family, love and the little moments that stay with us. Discover Gentle Words, children's books and more comforting writing by Penelope Willis: https://www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk/

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   What If We Stop Worrying What People Think? With Penelope Willis

   What if we stopped editing ourselves for people who may not even be thinking about us at all? In this gentle, conversational episode of Under the Moonlight, children’s author Penelope Willis explores something so many of us do without even realising it, worrying about what other people might think before we have even given ourselves the chance to decide what we think. We hold back an idea. We change what we were going to wear. We talk ourselves out of trying something new, sharing something we have made, going somewhere alone or admitting that we really want to do something, because somewhere in the background is that little question: But what will people think? Penelope reflects on the quiet ways we can make ourselves smaller for an imagined audience, and how strange it is that somebody else may see one tiny moment of our life while we are the ones who have to live the whole thing. There is room here for the messy, absent minded, thirty tabs open parts of us too, alongside the thoughtful, creative, serious ones. We do not have to become a tidier version of ourselves before we are allowed to take up space. In this episode, you’ll hear reflections on: • Why we sometimes judge ourselves before anyone else has had the chance • The things we quietly stop ourselves from wearing, saying, making or trying • How other people only ever see fragments of who we are • Giving ourselves permission to be beginners, change our minds and follow the things that interest us • What might happen if we kept a little more of ourselves instead of editing bits away 📖 Gentle Words If you enjoy Penelope’s gentle reflections on childhood, family, love and the ordinary moments that stay with us, you may also enjoy Gentle Words: Comforting Quotes on Childhood and Love by Penelope Willis. Explore Gentle Words on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/03w8RA5N Or discover more about the book here: https://www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk/gentle-words-comforting-quotes-on-childhood-love 🌙 About Penelope Willis Penelope Willis is the author of comforting children’s books, gentle quotes and reflections for children and grown ups. Her work explores childhood, family, love and the ordinary moments we remember long after they have passed. Discover Penelope’s books, Under the Moonlight podcast and more at: www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk 🌙💛 Music by Andrii Hroza (https://pixabay.com/users/andriih-56549121/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=599243) from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=599243)

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   A Small Museum of Childhood | The Little Things We Keep and the Memories They Hold

   What if the smallest things we save are the ones that carry the most? In this warm storytelling episode of Under the Moonlight, children’s author Penelope Willis opens the door to an imaginary museum filled with the ordinary pieces of childhood that families cannot quite bring themselves to throw away. A small red welly. A drawing with somebody’s name written backwards. A first curl tucked carefully into an envelope. The tiny things may look unimportant to anyone else, but to the person who kept them, they hold an entire afternoon, a familiar little voice and a child who once fitted into the shoes. Along the way, you may hear childhood passing softly through the museum. Floorboards creaking. Small feet running along a hallway. Bathwater splashing onto the floor. A child laughing until the laugh becomes a hiccup. One question arriving before the last one has even been answered. This episode is for anyone who has ever opened a drawer and found something small that brought a whole part of their life rushing back. Because parents do not only keep things. They keep the child who once held them. In this episode, you’ll hear reflections on: • The little pieces of childhood we cannot part with • Why ordinary objects can hold such vivid memories • The familiar sounds that disappear as children grow • The strange and wonderful things parents save • Remembering the versions of our children who once filled our homes 📖 Gentle Words This episode shares its heart with Gentle Words: Comforting Quotes on Childhood and Love by Penelope Willis. Filled with illustrated reflections on childhood, motherhood, family and the small moments that stay with us, Gentle Words is a book to dip into whenever you feel like remembering, smiling or having a tiny cry into your cup of tea. Explore Gentle Words on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/03w8RA5N Or discover more about the book here: https://www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk/gentle-words-comforting-quotes-on-childhood-love 🌙 About Penelope Willis Penelope Willis is the author of comforting children’s books, gentle quotes and reflections for children and grown ups. Her work explores childhood, family, love and the ordinary moments we remember long after they have passed. Discover Penelope’s books, Under the Moonlight podcast and more at: www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk 🌙💛

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

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