About Mr Morton
How Mr Morton Came to Run the Bookshop (A Mostly True Account)
Nobody agrees on exactly how Mr Morton ended up behind the counter of the Barmy Book of Bonkers Bits. But most versions of the story begin one ordinary Tuesday.
Up until that Tuesday, Mr Morton had been a perfectly ordinary man. Sensible coat. Reliable kettle. A job in an office where the most exciting thing that happened all week was when Gerald from accounts brought in a slightly unusual biscuit he’d practised cooking on the weekend.
He had been sent out to fetch milk. He took a wrong turn. Then another.
And there, wedged between a shop selling things nobody needed and another selling one very specific type of string, was a bookshop with a crooked sign, shelves that went up further than the ceiling should have allowed, and a bell that rang three times when you opened the door and once when you did not.
Behind the counter sat a very old man in a very large hat. He looked Mr Morton up and down as though measuring him for something, handed over the keys, picked up a bag that had definitely not been there a moment ago, and said: “About time.”
Then he left.
Mr Morton stood behind the counter. The books looked back. One of them gave a small wriggle.
He picked it up. Opened it. Started reading aloud.
And out tumbled the most BONKERS story he had ever read.
And so, he has been reading them aloud every Tuesday ever since. The stories are too lively to leave unattended, and somebody has to be there when the book cracks open.
Oh… And he never did get the milk. Gerald has not forgiven him.
The Bookshop
Mr Morton’s Barmy Book of Bonkers Bits is a weekly storytelling podcast for kids, packed with bold characters, playful twists, and magnificent nonsense. Each episode is performed like a one-man show, with warmth and theatrical flair, so it feels less like pressing play and more like stepping into a live performance.
These are short bedtime stories for kids that run between ten and eighteen minutes. Long enough to settle busy brains. Short enough for the school run.
Every Tuesday, Mr Morton opens the Barmy Book and out tumbles something gloriously ridiculous. The characters make spectacularly terrible decisions. The middle may be wonderfully unhinged. But the ending always lands somewhere warm.
The kind of funny kids podcast that sparks wild thinking, fuels big imaginations, and keeps parents quietly hooked until the very last line.
Free every Tuesday on your favourite podcast host
Press play and step into the bookshop.
Start Here (First Time Listeners)
If this is your first visit, start with the latest episode. It’ll give you the feel for the humour, pace, and bedtime-friendliness.
Choose your favourite app and start listening
Meet the Real Mr Morton
Shaun Morton has spent most of his life doing things with his voice. He trained as an actor, performed on West End stages, toured internationally, and worked as a voice artist across just about every medium going.
But the Barmy Book started much closer to home.
Making his kids laugh properly, the big helpless cannot-stop kind of laugh, is genuinely one of Shaun’s favourite things in the world. They are also, it turns out, his most ruthless critics and his best creative collaborators. Something ridiculous gets said at the dinner table, an utterly unhinged idea surfaces on the school run, and suddenly there is the seed of the next bonkers bit.
Shaun wanted to make a kids storytelling podcast that respects how brilliant children’s imaginations are. Something performed with real craft, with warmth and theatrical flair, not simply read aloud. Something that works as bedtime stories for kids, but is still genuinely enjoyable for the grown-ups listening nearby.
So he built a bookshop. Filled it with stories that refuse to behave. And opened it every Tuesday.
His kids think some episodes are very funny. Others, they feel, could use more work. He is working on it…
What is Mr Morton’s Barmy Book of Bonkers Bits
Mr Morton’s Barmy Book of Bonkers Bits is a weekly kids’ storytelling podcast of funny bedtime stories and silly adventures, told with wacky voices, British humour, and twisty tales that spark imagination. Pop it on for screen-free listening at bedtime, on car journeys, or any time you’re too tired to read but your little listener still needs a story — expect cosy chaos, big giggles, and the occasional gentle drift-off.
Who it’s for
- Children aged 4–9 (and grown-ups who enjoy a bit of daftness and a warm ending)
- Families who love funny stories for kids, playful characters, and theatrical storytelling
- Parents, carers and grandparents who want an easy, read-aloud alternative for bedtime, busy mornings, rainy days, car rides, or those “please keep them entertained for five minutes” moments
What it isn’t
- Not a scary horror show — no nightmares-by-design
- Not a shouty, hyper, overstimulating kids’ channel vibe
- Not a rigidly “educational” programme, though there’s plenty of imagination, wordplay, and gentle life lessons tucked inside the silliness
Available on your Favourite Podcast App
Find Mr Morton on your favourite podcast app.