Kids-safe bedtime stories: prompt recipes

The brief to paste

Make a 30-second counting rhyme for ages 2 to 5 with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "One duckling hops into the pond!"
Frame 1 is already moving: a yellow duckling mid-hop above a pond, ripples already spreading.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook: one duckling hops in.
2. Two ducklings hop in. The friendly frog counts.
3. Three, then four ducklings, a bouncy repeated chorus.
4. Five ducklings and the frog, everyone splashing.
5. Chorus once more, then a gentle goodbye.

Look of every image: soft, bright, colourful watercolour cartoon. Only animals and objects as characters: ducklings, a frog, lily pads, water. No people, no human-like faces, hands or bodies. No numbers or letters drawn in the images.
Ending: A calm goodbye line. New original words only, no existing song.
Narration is spoken in a bouncy rhythm. It is not sung: the product narrates, it does not generate music.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 70 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Visual direction for the images

• Describe the same duckling and the same frog in every scene: colour, size, one marking.
• Cast only animals and objects. Say "no people, hands or human faces" in every visual: the standard draft tools take no niche, so the kids lane's render-time people ban is not applied unless a niche is set.
• Ask for counted objects as groups ("three ducklings"), but never draw digits.
• Large, simple shapes read well on a small screen.

Two variations

Make a 15-second counting rhyme for ages 2 to 5 with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "One frog. Two frogs. Three frogs!"
Frame 1 is already moving: a green frog mid-leap onto a lily pad, water drops flying.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. One frog leaps.
2. Two frogs on two lily pads.
3. Three frogs and a happy splash.

Look of every image: soft bright watercolour cartoon, only animals and objects, no people, no human-like faces or hands, no digits or letters in images.
Ending: A calm goodbye.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 33 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Make a 30-second colour rhyme for ages 2 to 5 with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "A red bus. A blue boat. A yellow duck."
Frame 1 is already moving: a red toy bus rolling across a play mat, wheels turning.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. A red bus rolls.
2. A blue boat bobs in a bathtub.
3. A yellow duck floats beside it.
4. All three together, a happy chorus.
5. A calm goodbye.

Look of every image: soft bright watercolour cartoon, toys and animals only, no people or human-like faces, hands or bodies, no letters in images.
Ending: A calm goodbye.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 70 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Do not

• Do not cast children, parents or any person, even as a silhouette or hands. Kids-lane characters are animals and objects only.

  What we saw: Kids lane characters are animals, toys, vehicles, foods, shapes and colours only; never a child, parent, teacher or any human face, hand or body. (our note: kids-songs-niche.ts, line 274-279.)

• Do not rely on the kids lane's people ban: it is added at render time for that niche, and the draft tool takes no niche. Repeat "no people" in every visual.

  What we saw: The KIDS_SONGS lane re-adds the full people ban at render time (negativePromptForNiche), on top of the art style's own negative prompt. (our note: art-styles.ts, line 94-97.)

• Do not ask for digits or words in the images.

  What we saw: The long uppercase no-text block made the image model redraw garbage text on 3 of 11 trial videos; a short "Pure illustration with no writing in it." replaced it. (our note: howto.md, line 7.)

• Do not open on a wide establishing pond. Start on the hop.

  What we saw: A bedtime story opened on a wide establishing frame and a 16-plus-word "In a soft watercolour world..." first sentence. (our note: hook-first-2026-10-26.md, line 20.)

The brief to paste

Make a 60-second storybook mini-episode with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "A paper fox crosses a very wet garden."
Frame 1 is already moving: an orange paper fox mid-step on a wet leaf, raindrops hitting it.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook: Pip the fox steps out into the rain.
2. Pip sees a glowing window across the garden.
3. Pip tries the open path and gets soaked.
4. Moss the snail appears with a tiny lantern on its shell.
5. Moss shows a dry way under the leaves.
6. They walk it together, slowly.
7. They arrive at the window. A warm, cosy ending.

Look of every image: soft storybook watercolour. Character lock, repeated at the start of every scene visual: "Pip, a curious fox made of folded orange paper, sharp ears, white paper tail tip; Moss, a sleepy green snail with a tiny lantern on its shell". Exactly one or two characters per scene, never a third animal. No people, no writing in images.
Ending: A warm and cosy last line.
Keep both characters looking identical in every scene. If a scene visual would show a third creature, remove it.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 145 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Visual direction for the images

• Paste the same character description (colour, material, one marking) at the start of every scene visual. The visual limit per scene is 600 characters; keep the description to about 150.
• One subject per scene wherever the story allows it. Duos drift: name exactly who is in the frame.
• Ask for the pose you want ("on all four paws"), because models default to the pose they see most.
• Rain and lantern light give a continuous look; use them in every scene.

Two variations

Make a 45-second bedtime storybook episode with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "Pip the fox cannot sleep tonight."
Frame 1 is already moving: an orange paper fox turning over in a leaf bed, eyes wide open, a lantern glowing nearby.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook: Pip turns over again.
2. Moss the snail glides by with a lantern.
3. Moss shows Pip the slowest, calmest way to breathe.
4. They watch the rain on the window.
5. Pip falls asleep. Moss keeps the lantern low.

Look of every image: soft storybook watercolour, character lock "Pip, a curious fox made of folded orange paper; Moss, a sleepy green snail with a tiny lantern" at the start of every scene visual, no people, no writing in images.
Ending: A hushed last line.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 108 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Make a 30-second comedy storybook short with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "Pip tried to outrun the rain. The rain won."
Frame 1 is already moving: an orange paper fox sprinting along a garden path, raindrops splashing behind.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook: the sprint.
2. A puddle appears. Pip leaps. Pip lands in it.
3. Pip wrings out its tail.
4. Moss the snail passes, dry under a leaf.
5. Moss says nothing. Pip says nothing.

Look of every image: soft storybook watercolour, character lock "Pip, a fox made of folded orange paper; Moss, a green snail with a tiny lantern" at the start of every scene visual, no people, no writing in images.
Ending: A deadpan last line.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 70 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Do not

• Do not describe two animals as one character sheet or one scene when you can avoid it: a second, unrequested animal appeared in a shot and failed an episode.

  What we saw: Shot 4 showed a second, small capybara-like animal next to the main one and a distorted body; the episode failed QA and was not posted. (our note: qa-dumpling-ep4.md, line 29.)

• Do not leave the pose to the model: a character drawn upright in every view stood up whenever it was startled.

  What we saw: The animal was drawn upright in every reference view, so the model stood her up when startled; "on all four legs" is the fix. (our note: qa-dumpling-ep1.md, line 64.)

• Do not open "In a soft watercolour world..." on a wide forest group shot.

  What we saw: A bedtime story opened on a wide establishing frame and a 16-plus-word "In a soft watercolour world..." first sentence. (our note: hook-first-2026-10-26.md, line 20.)

• Do not let the look change between scenes: name the same style words and light in every visual.

  What we saw: The look drifted between realistic fur in some shots and cartoon in others. (our note: qa-dumpling-ep1.md, line 47.)

Related real videos (not made from this recipe)

• StoryShort fox bedtime story, watercolour, 25 Oct (sibling product, not this recipe)

  Made in our sibling product StoryShort, not through AutoShort. YouTube: 0 views at the 28 Oct read. Facebook Reel: 343 views, 3-second rate 9.9 %, biggest drop at 0:02. It opened on a wide establishing shot.

  Our note: measurements-2026-10-28-storyshort.md, line 11,31.

The brief to paste

Make a 45-second bedtime story for young children with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "The little owl could not sleep."
Frame 1 is already moving: a small owl in a hollow tree, wide awake, a firefly drifting past its beak.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook: the owl, wide awake.
2. The owl counts the stars through the hole in the tree.
3. A hedgehog passes below with a tiny lantern.
4. The hedgehog hums a slow hum. The owl's eyes get heavy.
5. The firefly dims. The owl tucks its head under a wing.
6. A hushed goodnight.

Look of every image: soft pastel watercolour. Character lock at the start of every scene visual: "a small round grey owl with big gold eyes", "a brown hedgehog with a tiny lantern". Only animals and objects: no people, no human-like faces, no hands, no bodies. No writing in images. One or two named animals per scene.
Ending: A calm, hushed last line. Narrated, not sung.
Short, soft sentences. No fear, no peril, no cliffhanger.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 108 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Visual direction for the images

• Name the same animals with the same colour and one marking in every scene visual.
• Say "no people, no human-like faces, hands or bodies" in every visual.
• Soft light only (lantern, firefly, moon); no dark or frightening scenes.
• A picture-book opening on a wide forest is the weak start: begin on the animal.

Two variations

Make a 30-second bedtime story for young children with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "One sheep. Then two. Then sleep."
Frame 1 is already moving: a fluffy white sheep hopping over a low gate under a moon.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook: one sheep.
2. Two sheep.
3. Three sheep, yawning.
4. Four sheep, curling up.
5. All asleep. A hushed goodnight.

Look of every image: soft pastel watercolour, only animals and objects, no people, no human-like faces, hands or bodies, no writing.
Ending: A hushed last line.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 70 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Make a 45-second bedtime story for young children with AutoShort. Art style WATERCOLOR, 9:16, English narration (language en).

Hook, my first spoken line and first caption: "The moon asked the rabbit to stay."
Frame 1 is already moving: a small white rabbit looking up at a big round moon, its ears twitching.

Scenes, one idea each:
1. Hook over the rabbit and the moon.
2. The rabbit says it must go home.
3. The moon lights the path.
4. The rabbit reaches the burrow.
5. The moon watches until the rabbit is asleep.

Look of every image: soft pastel watercolour, character lock "a small white rabbit with pink ears" in every scene visual, only animals and objects, no people, no human-like faces, hands or bodies, no writing.
Ending: A hushed last line.

Write the scenes yourself and show me the narration and the visual of every scene before anything renders. Keep the narration to about 108 words. Price it with autoshort_estimate_cost. Render only after I say yes.

Do not

• Do not put a child, parent, teacher or any human face, hand or body in the story: kids-lane characters are animals and objects.

  What we saw: Kids lane characters are animals, toys, vehicles, foods, shapes and colours only; never a child, parent, teacher or any human face, hand or body. (our note: kids-songs-niche.ts, line 274-279.)

• Do not rely on the kids lane's people ban: it is added at render time for that niche, and the draft and chat tools take no niche. Repeat "no people" in every visual.

  What we saw: The KIDS_SONGS lane re-adds the full people ban at render time (negativePromptForNiche), on top of the art style's own negative prompt. (our note: art-styles.ts, line 94-97.)

• Do not start with a wide establishing scene or a long "once upon a time" sentence.

  What we saw: A bedtime story opened on a wide establishing frame and a 16-plus-word "In a soft watercolour world..." first sentence. (our note: hook-first-2026-10-26.md, line 20.)

• Do not change an animal between scenes: a squirrel ended up in the hedgehog's hat.

  What we saw: Watercolour hedgehog story: in beat 4 the squirrel wears the hedgehog's hat (character drift). (our note: qa.md, line 12.)

• Do not publish with the default answer: YouTube's made-for-kids answer defaults to No except for the kids niche. Ask the audience question yourself.

  What we saw: madeForKids: omit to use the series answer, or the niche default (false except KIDS_SONGS). (our note: tools-workflow.ts, line 253.)

Related real videos (not made from this recipe)

• StoryShort owl and hedgehog bedtime stories, 27-28 Oct (sibling product, 40-credit still-image render)

  QA PASS for the owl (consistent owl, readable captions, no stray text) and the hedgehog (one beat where a squirrel wears the hedgehog's hat). Scheduled, not yet posted when we last read; no view numbers.

  Our note: qa.md, line 11-12.

• StoryShort fox bedtime story published as "made for kids", 25 Oct

  Posted with YouTube's made-for-kids answer set to Yes and the altered-content disclosure on. 0 views on YouTube at the 28 Oct read.

  Our note: published.md, line 56.