Hi there! I’m Nancy Cartwright, and today I’m going to read you a fun story called “How I Met My Monster.” It’s written by Amanda Noll and has cool pictures by Howard McWilliam. Let’s dive into this exciting tale!
One night, I was reaching under my bed to grab my toy truck when I found a note instead. It said, “From the Office of Mr. Zee: Monsters! Meet here for final test. – Z.” I thought my parents were trying to trick me into staying in bed. I didn’t believe in monsters, so I crumpled the paper and went to play with my truck.
But then, I heard a voice under the bed say, “Stop that stomach rumbling! The child will hear you.” I peeked under the bed and saw five pairs of eyes looking back at me! Wow, there really were monsters under my bed!
A long-necked yellow monster came out, followed by four little monsters. The yellow one seemed to be their teacher. He said, “Rule Number 2: Never block the bed. All of you – scoot over!” I watched as the monsters shuffled around my room. It was like a monster parade!
The teacher-monster, Mr. Zee, asked, “Who knows Rule Number 3?” A purple monster named Genghis tried to roar but only let out a tiny burp! I laughed, and Mr. Zee said Genghis wasn’t the right monster for me.
Then, a green monster named Gabe looked at me. He stared at my toes and started drooling. I jumped into bed to keep my toes safe. Mr. Zee said, “Gabe, your stomach gurgles seem to be what this child needs.” Gabe was the perfect monster for me!
Mr. Zee asked, “Who can tell me Rule Number 4?” An orange monster named Morgan said, “Keep the child in bed until it falls asleep!” She tried making shadow puppets, but they just made me sneeze. Mr. Zee said Morgan wasn’t the right monster either.
After all the excitement, I got hungry and went to the kitchen for a snack. When I came back, Gabe was still there, and he was HUGE! He said, “People food makes monsters grow. Thanks for the crackers!”
I tossed him a stuffed monster toy, and he snorted happily. Gabe was the best monster for me. His snorts and drool were just right. I felt safe and fell asleep quickly. Gabe and I became great friends!
This story helps kids understand that they don’t have to be afraid of monsters. It shows that sometimes, things that seem scary aren’t so bad after all. It encourages kids to use their imagination and feel more in control at bedtime.
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Create Your Own Monster: Use your imagination to draw or craft your own friendly monster using materials like paper, crayons, or clay. Think about what makes your monster special. Does it have a funny voice or a silly dance? Share your monster with your family and tell them why it’s not scary at all!
Monster Rules Game: Just like the monsters in the story had rules, create a fun game where you make up your own rules for a monster. For example, “Rule Number 1: Monsters must always wear silly hats!” Play the game with your friends or family and see who can come up with the funniest monster rule.
Bedtime Imagination Adventure: Before going to sleep, think about what kind of friendly monster might be under your bed. What would it look like? What would it do to help you feel safe? Share your thoughts with a parent or sibling and see if they can imagine a friendly monster too. This can help you feel more comfortable at bedtime, just like in the story.
Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Nancy Cartwright, and today I’m going to read to you: “How I Met My Monster,” written by Amanda Noll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam.
One night, when I reached under the bed for my truck, I found a note instead: “From the Office of Mr. Zee: Monsters! Meet here for final test. – Z.” I thought my parents were trying to trick me into staying in bed. I didn’t believe in monsters, so I crumpled the paper, grabbed my truck, and zipped over to my garage. I heard some creaking and rumbling, but I wasn’t scared; our house always made noises at night.
But then a voice under the bed scolded, “Stop that stomach rumbling! The child will hear you.” Voices? Stomach rumbling? If this was part of my parents’ trick, it was pretty cool. I peered into the darkness and saw five pairs of eyes blinking back. “See? Now he knows we’re here,” the voice sighed. “One of you has broken Monster Rule Number 1: Maintain the element of surprise.”
This is no trick, I thought. There ARE monsters under my bed! A long-necked yellow monster slid out, followed by four little monsters. “Rule Number 2,” the yellow one instructed. “Never block the bed. All of you – scoot over!” I realized that one must be their teacher! I sat up straight, mesmerized by the monster parade shuffling across my bedroom.
“That’s better,” the teacher-monster said. “Access to the bed is clear. Now, who knows Rule Number 3?” The purple monster teetered on his tiptoes and gurgled, “Get the child into bed!” “That’s correct, Genghis. And how would you do that?” “Well, Mr. Zee, I would… roar my scariest roar!” “Alright, give it a go!” Genghis took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and let out a tiny burp!
“Stomach rumbling would have a better chance of getting me into bed than that funny little noise,” I laughed. “The child is right,” said Mr. Zee, shaking his head. “That was not sufficiently scary. Genghis, I’m sorry. You’re not the best monster for this child.” There was some creaking as Genghis slunk beneath the bed. Before I could investigate where Genghis had gone, Mr. Zee asked, “NOW who wants to try to get the child into bed?”
The orange monster looked at the ceiling, and the red monster looked at the floor. Only the green one looked at me. First, he stared at my toes and started drooling. Then he took a step toward me, and I heard that rumbling noise again. I sprang into bed so he couldn’t get my feet. Mr. Zee blinked. “Very unconventional, Gabe. Your stomach gurgles seem to be what this child needs.”
What I needed was to make sure this little Gabe-monster didn’t eat my toes! “Right, you three. The child is now in bed,” said Mr. Zee. “As every monster knows, the ultimate objective is Rule Number 4. Who can tell me what that is?” The orange monster bounced and squeaked, “Keep the child in bed until it falls asleep!” “Correct, Morgan. And how would you accomplish that?” “Shadow puppets! Shadow puppets!” she squeaked again.
Gabe whistled through his nose, and I snickered, but Mr. Zee said, “Interesting idea. Try it.” Morgan hopped onto my night table and flailed her arms near my lamp. Silly shadows blobbed onto the wall, and a cloud of fluffy fur tickled my nose. “AAAAACHOOOO!” “Morgan, stop at once,” Mr. Zee ordered. “You’re supposed to scare him – not make him sneeze! I’m sorry, but you’re not a match either.” Morgan’s arms flopped to her sides, and she scuttled under my bed.
After all that sneezing, I really needed a tissue. Suddenly, a huge shadow of uncut claws loomed across my room. Awesome! I thought. And kind of scary. I froze in place. “Powerful performance, Gabe,” said Mr. Zee, “but do either of you see a problem?” “Ooh, I know!” chirped the red monster. “The child is out of bed again!” “Correct, Abigail,” Mr. Zee continued, “and one of you must get him back in. Let’s revisit Rule Number 1: Maintain the element of surprise.”
All at once – POOF! – the monsters vanished. Then I heard more rumbling. Were they hiding in my closet making noises to scare me? Ha! No! It was only my stomach grumbling. All this excitement was making me hungry! I tiptoed past the closet and peeked out the door. So far, so good. No monsters. Then I stepped over the squeaky stair and sneaked down to the kitchen.
As I reached into the pantry, I heard some chattering behind me. I sure hoped it wasn’t that toe-loving Gabe. I yanked open the fridge. Ha! It wasn’t Gabe! It was just the red monster, shivering on the shelf. “Found you!” I laughed. “Nice try, Abigail,” said Mr. Zee, “but this isn’t working. You’re not the right monster for this child.” “But Mr. Zee,” she whined, “it’s not my fault he’s not scared of me.” “I’m sorry, Abigail. Let’s go.” Abigail clomped behind Mr. Zee. When I heard the creaking, I knew she was gone.
I grabbed some crackers and headed upstairs, wondering if Gabe was gone too. I munched all the way down the hall and then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth again. When I opened the door a minute later, Gabe was definitely NOT gone! He was right there – and he was HUGE! I charged into my room and slammed the door. When I leaped into bed, I knew my toes were safe. Whew!
I was surprised to hear breathing under my bed. Ragged breathing. And stomach rumbling. “Hey, kid,” Gabe growled. “Good to see ya.” I pulled my covers up tight. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to start the evening with an ominous puddle of drool.” I peeked over the edge of the bed. Green ooze spread soundlessly from underneath. Then the bed quivered as Gabe unfurled his spiked tail. “Well, this looks quite promising,” Mr. Zee noted. When I heard one more creaking, I knew Mr. Zee was gone. I was alone… with Gabe.
Gabe loomed over my bed and began sharpening his uncut claws on my bedpost. “H-How’d you get so big?” I gasped. “Rule Number 5, my friend,” he explained. “People food makes monsters grow. So thanks for the crackers. Got any toes I can munch?” I scrunched in my feet so Gabe couldn’t get them. This was WAY better than playing with trucks. “No toes tonight, but you can have this,” I offered, tossing a stuffed monster off the bed. Gabe dove for it. His soft, comforting snorts filled the room as he snuffled the toy.
I shivered. “Kid, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” “No other monster can scare me like you!” I giggled. Gabe was the monster for me. His snorts and ooze were perfect. I yawned, then shivered again. I was asleep in no time.
I’ll tell you what I really love about this book. Amanda Noll beautifully lays it out so a child can understand how to not be afraid. It empowers them so that if something is upsetting, they don’t have to let that bother them or get the best of them. It’s like these monsters under the bed; they’re not so bad. It puts the child more in control of their environment when trying to go to sleep at night. There’s nothing that beats a good story that encourages and inspires a child’s imagination.
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