Hi kids! Today, we’re going to read a fun story called “Unlike Other Monsters” by Audrey Vernick. It’s all about a monster named Xander. Let’s dive in!
Xander is a monster, just like his mom and dad. But guess what? His sister, Lilly Belle, is a fairy, and his pet dog is a skunk! Isn’t that funny?
Monsters like Xander don’t usually have friends. When they see each other, they just lift their chins to say, “I know you.” That’s it!
Lilly Belle, Xander’s sister, has lots of friends because she’s a fairy. Her friends are always flying around like little sparks of happiness. But Xander doesn’t mind not having friends. He loves doing monster things like scrapbooking, eating raisin bread, and surprising kids by popping up in unexpected places!
More than anything, Xander loves surfing. Riding the waves makes him feel happy and free, like he’s flying!
One day, while surfing, Xander noticed a bird watching him. Every time he looked, the bird was there. Xander wondered what the bird wanted.
After surfing, the bird nodded at Xander, and Xander nodded back. This happened again the next day and the day after that. Xander decided to make a circle in the sand for the bird to sit in. The bird landed right in the middle!
Other monsters noticed and asked Xander if the bird was his friend. Xander wasn’t sure because monsters don’t usually have friends. But he started to feel like something was missing.
Xander asked Lilly Belle what she did with her friends. She said they talked, ate, and shared secrets. Xander thought that sounded nice.
The next day, Xander asked the bird if it wanted to be friends. The bird nodded! Xander shared his love for surfing with the bird, and they even shared some raisin bread together.
Xander and the bird spent their days walking on the beach, sharing snacks, and enjoying the feeling of flying over the waves. They even scared kids by showing up in funny places!
Do you have a best friend? What fun things do you do together? We hope you enjoyed “Unlike Other Monsters.” Tell us about your best friend and come back for more stories. Bye-bye!
Friendship Circle: Just like Xander made a circle in the sand for the bird, let’s create a friendship circle in the classroom! Gather in a circle and take turns sharing one thing you like to do with your friends. This will help us learn more about each other and what makes friendships special.
Monster and Fairy Craft: Create your own monster or fairy using craft supplies like paper, markers, and stickers. Think about what makes your monster or fairy unique, just like Xander and Lilly Belle. Once you’re done, share your creation with the class and explain what makes it special.
Observation Walk: Go on a short walk around the school or playground and look for things that remind you of friendship, like two trees growing close together or birds flying in pairs. Draw or write about what you see and share it with the class. This will help us see how friendship is all around us, just like Xander and the bird found each other.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music] Hi kids! Welcome to the Storytime Family. Today we have “Unlike Other Monsters” by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Colin Jack. Let’s go!
[Applause]
“Unlike Other Monsters”
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Xander was a monster. This wasn’t strange, as Xander’s mother was a monster and his father too. Oddly, his sister was a fairy and his dog was a skunk. Like other monsters, Xander didn’t have friends. When he passed a monster he knew, Xander lifted his chin in a way that meant, “I know you.” The other monster would chin point back. That’s about how far it went for monsters.
Xander’s sister, Lilly Belle, had friends. It sort of went along with being a fairy. Lilly Belle’s friends flitted about Xander’s home like sparks of happiness, which was nice if you liked that kind of thing. Xander did not.
Luckily, Xander didn’t care about friends. Like other monsters, he enjoyed scrapbooking, raisin bread, and showing up in unexpected places to scare children. But more than anything, Xander loved surfing. There was nothing like that moment on a wave—power and joy, peace and thrill, water and flight.
Paddling out one day, Xander noticed something: a bird was watching him. Each time Xander peeked, there it was, watching. “What does he want?” he wondered. Who could tell with birds?
[Applause]
While Xander was packing up, the bird nodded at him. Xander chin pointed back. The next day, the same thing. The day after that too. A day later, Xander smoothed a circle in the sand next to him. The bird landed in the center.
Other monsters noticed. “Hey Xander,” Felix said, “is that your friend?” Monsters had never spoken long sentences, so Xander was surprised by what he wanted to say. “I don’t really see how a bird could be my friend, Felix, since monsters don’t have friends. It wouldn’t be very monster-like at all, would it?”
[Applause]
Instead, he just said, “No.” Did the bird look disappointed? “I think so. Who could tell with birds?” The monsters walked off to their scrapbook meeting. Xander knew the pages would all look alike because monsters did the same things, but Xander didn’t feel like doing the same old thing. He felt something like a hole inside his monster self.
[Applause]
At home, he asked Lilly Belle, “What do you and your friends do?” “We talk, eat, and hang out.” “What else?” “Share secrets, give money to kids who have lost teeth.” It was a lot to remember.
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“What do you do with your friends? Do you hang out, eat, play, make a mess?” The next day, Xander smoothed a circle in the sand, looked toward the sky, and waited. When the bird came back, he asked, “Are you looking for a friend?” The bird nodded.
“You should meet Lilly Belle,” he said. “She has friends.” The bird just stared. So Xander decided to tell the bird something he had never told anyone: “When I surf, I feel like I’m flying.” For the first time, the bird joined Xander on his board. She seemed a little wobbly and nervous. Xander offered her a bit of raisin bread. She grabbed it in her beak and nodded at him. Xander chin pointed back.
Other monsters noticed. “Hey Xander,” Felix said, “is that your friend?” Xander thought about Lilly Belle’s list: talk, eat, secrets, teeth, money. Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Wait—he and a bird had once given money to a kid who had lost teeth. Birds probably didn’t even know what money was or what teeth were. Was that a deal breaker?
[Applause]
“Do you give money to kids who have lost teeth?” “I don’t think so.” Of course it was. Everyone knew monsters didn’t have friends. The bird was just someone Xander looked forward to seeing every morning—someone to chin point at, someone who nodded back, someone to share food and secrets with, someone who understood the joy of flight, someone to say goodbye to, knowing that tomorrow they would be together again.
Xander hoped someday he and the bird might find a way to give money to kids who lost teeth. Until then, they spent their days together, walking the shore, sharing raisin bread, flying high above the sea, and scaring children by showing up in really unexpected places.
What do you and your best friend do? Do you have more than one best friend? Hope you liked “Unlike Other Monsters.” Why don’t you tell us about your best friend in the comment section? Give us a like and subscribe. Come back and see us again, and tap on the notification button for the next story. Take care now! Bye-bye!
[Music]
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