Hello there! I’m so excited to share a fun story with you. It’s called “Hey, That’s My Monster,” written by Amanda Knoll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam. Let’s dive into this monster-filled adventure!
One night, I looked under my bed to find my monster, Gabe, but instead, I found a note. It said, “So long, kid. Gotta go. Someone needs me more than you do.” Oh no! Gabe was MY monster! I needed him to help me sleep. But it seemed like my little sister, Emma, needed a monster too. She kept getting out of bed and playing at night. I knew a monster would help her stay in bed, but not MY monster! I had to get Gabe back.
I tiptoed to Emma’s room and found Gabe there! I asked him to come back, but he said I had three chances to get Emma to sleep. If I couldn’t, he would stay with her.
Emma needed a monster, so I helped her call one. First, a slime-covered monster named Agatha came out. But Emma wasn’t scared. She just laughed and wiped Agatha’s nose!
Next, a monster with claws named Cynthia appeared. I thought she might be the perfect monster, but Emma just decorated her tail with bracelets. Cynthia wasn’t happy and left.
Then, a monster with tentacles named Vladimir showed up. He tried to scare Emma, but she just giggled and played with him. Oh no, none of the monsters were working!
Just when I thought I would lose Gabe forever, he came back. He tried to scare Emma, but she wasn’t afraid. She called him “Fuzzy” and kept playing. Gabe decided to stay with Emma because he was the best monster for her so far.
Then, we heard a tiny noise. It was Gabe’s little sister, Stella! She had cute hiccups that Emma didn’t like. Stella loved toes and crept toward Emma’s feet. Emma giggled and hid her toes. Gabe laughed and said Stella was the perfect monster for Emma. Now, Gabe could come back to me!
I was so happy! Emma had Stella, and I had Gabe. Everything was back to normal. I snuggled into bed, feeling safe and ready to sleep.
I loved this story so much, and I hope you did too! Reading is like going on an adventure. You can imagine all the monsters and the fun noises they make. Every book takes you to a new world. Thank you for joining this monster adventure. Keep reading and exploring new stories!
Create Your Own Monster: Use your imagination to design your very own monster! Gather some craft supplies like paper, markers, glue, and scissors. Think about what makes your monster special. Does it have tentacles, fur, or maybe even wings? Once you’ve created your monster, give it a name and think about what kind of noises it might make. Share your monster with your family and tell them a story about how it helps you at night, just like Gabe and Stella in the story.
Monster Match Game: With a friend or family member, play a game where you match monsters to different bedtime scenarios. For example, if someone is afraid of the dark, which monster would be the best to help them feel safe? Use your imagination and think about what each monster’s special ability might be. This will help you understand how different monsters can help in different situations, just like in the story.
Monster Observation Walk: Go on a walk around your home or neighborhood and look for things that remind you of monsters. Maybe a tree has branches that look like tentacles, or a shadow looks like a monster’s face. Take notes or draw pictures of what you see. This activity will help you use your imagination and see the world in a new, fun way, just like the characters in the story.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
Welcome to Storyline Online. I’m Lily Tomlin, and today I’m reading “Hey, That’s My Monster,” written by Amanda Knoll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam.
Tonight, when I looked under the bed for my monster, I found a note instead. It said, “So long, kid. Gotta go. Someone needs me more than you do.” – Gabe
What?! Gabe was MY monster! Nobody needed him more than me! But someone sure did need a monster—my little sister, Emma. Now that Emma slept in a toddler bed, she liked to climb out, roam the house, and play noisy games at night. I knew a monster would keep her in bed so she could fall asleep. But not MY monster! I had to get Gabe back.
I tiptoed across the hall to Emma’s room. She wasn’t even there. But Gabe was! I gulped, zoomed across the carpet, and leaped onto Emma’s bed before Gabe could grab my toes. “Gabe,” I whispered. “Please go back to our room. I’ll get Emma to sleep.”
“You?!” he snorted. “You’re gonna get her to sleep? Ha! That’s a good one! But you know what? I like you, kid, so I’ll give you three chances. If she’s not asleep, I’ll be back!” And Gabe was gone.
Just then, Emma toddled into the room. She clearly needed a monster. Maybe she didn’t know how to get one. But I did. “Hey, Emma,” I said. “Let’s play. Can you knock on the floor?” Emma knocked—with a dinosaur. It worked. I heard some creaking under Emma’s bed. Then something sniffled. It squelched and dripped. So far so good, I thought. This monster sounds scary enough for Emma. But Emma kept on playing. A slime-covered monster slid out. It oozed toward Emma. “Icky!” she laughed, wiping one of the monster’s noses. “Icky! Wipe!” Emma wasn’t scared at all!
“Excuse me,” I said to the mucus monster. “I didn’t catch your name.” “My name is Agatha,” she said through stuffed noses. “Time for bed, Emma.” Emma giggled and wiped some more. I knew this wouldn’t work. “Thanks, Agatha. Nice try. But I think we need a monster with claws.” Agatha snuffled, and then she was gone.
“Emma,” I coaxed again, “knock knock.” She knocked on the floor—with a teapot this time—and I heard more creaking. Then a slippery tail slithered out from under the bed. The second monster rasped, “I’m Cynthia.” Much better, I thought when I saw the jagged claws. Cynthia might be the perfect monster for Emma. But Emma blinked and said, “Pretty!” Then she decorated Cynthia’s tail with bracelets. “Ugh,” Cynthia snarled. “I’m not here to play dress up! I’m here to scare you into bed!” Cynthia rattled louder, but Emma danced to the beat. “I’m sorry, Cynthia,” I said. “This isn’t going to work.” “Well, I never!” she sniffed, and then she was gone.
“Cynthia, come back!” Emma demanded, stomping on the floor. Excellent, I thought. Maybe that would summon the perfect monster for Emma. Tentacles swarmed from under the bed, and an icy voice called, “Whooooo…” I shrank back in horror, but Emma was enchanted. “Whooooo’s out of bed?” the monster continued. “Come to Vladimir…” Emma high-fived one of the tentacles, and the third monster emerged. I already had doubts about this one, but he was my last chance. “Vladimir,” I asked, “can you get Emma to sleep?” “Yes,” he hissed, reaching for Emma. “I can GET her!” Emma giggled and hopped over the tentacles like jump ropes. “Oh, no!” I blurted. “She’s not supposed to be having fun! This’ll never work!” Vlad’s tentacles drooped, he slunk under the bed, and he was gone. “Sorry, Vlad…” I called. Boy, was I sorry. I was about to lose Gabe—forever.
Now Emma was coloring and singing. “Vladimir, bla, bla, Cynthia, ya ya, Agatha, fa, fa…” Gabe must have heard her because he was back. “That’s it, kid,” he grunted. “You had your three tries. Now it’s MY turn.” Gabe’s green ooze sizzled across the floor as he growled, “Put. The crayon. Down.” Emma peered at my hulking, sharp-clawed monster and said, “Fuzzy.” “Hey, Gabe!” I cheered. “Emma isn’t afraid of you!” “WHAT?!!” Gabe burst out from under the bed and loomed over Emma. Steam spurted from his ears. “Get. Into. Bed!” Gabe thundered. Emma hopped up. But she kept singing, “Fuzzy, fuzzy monster.” “Gabe,” I said, “Emma’s not scared enough to fall asleep. Please, let’s go back to our room.” “No can do, kid,” Gabe growled. “I may not be the perfect monster for Emma, but I’m the best so far. At least she’s in bed now. I gotta stay here. You’re on your own.”
I knew Emma needed Gabe, but he was MY monster. How was I ever going to get to sleep without him? Just then, we heard a tiny noise. hic. hic. hic. Emma froze. Gabe and I peered under the bed. “Stella, what are you doing here?” Gabe asked. “Hi, Gabe,” Stella said, tugging on her tutu. “You forgot—hic—your snack. Mama thought—hic—you’d be hungry, so she—hic—sent this.” Who knew? Gabe had a little sister too! I thought Stella’s hiccups were cute, but Emma obviously didn’t. Stella sure noticed. She tiptoed closer, hiccupping with every step. hic. hic. hic. From under the covers, Emma squeaked, “SHOO!” “Shoo?” Stella repeated. “Oh! Shoe! That’s where toes go. I loooove toes.” Stella crept toward Emma’s feet. Emma squealed, scrunched in her feet, and giggled, “No toes, no toes!” Gabe laughed. “Stella, it looks like you’re the perfect monster for Emma. Now, if you don’t mind, you can get her to sleep while I get back to what I do best.” Stella nodded. “Hic!”
I sighed with relief and switched off Emma’s lamp. Then I ran to my room, leaped into bed, and scrunched in my feet so Gabe couldn’t get them. I shivered happily. Emma had Stella. I had Gabe. Everything was back to normal. I shivered again. We’d all be asleep in no time.
The end.
I enjoyed reading this book so much. It was so much fun. And I hope you enjoyed listening to it and that you enjoy reading it. That’s the most fun—if you read it yourself and then you imagine the monsters and all the noises they make and the “ooo’s” and the slithering. And that’s how it is when you read. Every book you read takes you into another world. Thank you for watching Storyline Online. Make sure you check out our other stories. And keep watching and keep reading.
—
Let me know if you need any further modifications!
