What do cats really see? What do trees talk about? Should you make funny faces on a windy day? Do worms rule the world? Do mothers always tell the truth? Do snails have nightmares?
Short Stories for Little Monsters
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Walk with Me
A deceptively simple, imaginative story depicting the complex emotional reality of a girl whose father no longer lives at home. The girl conjures up an imaginary companion, a lion, who will come with her on the long walk home from school. He will help her to pick up her baby brother from daycare and shop at the store (which has cut off the family’s credit), and he’ll keep her company all along the way until she is safe at home.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XI, Issue 2.
When An Elephant Falls In Love
When an elephant falls in love, he does many foolish things. He hides when the elephant-object of his affection is around. He writes dozens of letters that he will never send. And he tries to be healthy, but ends up finishing the cheesecake.
The Owl and the Lemming
As Owl swoops down and blocks the entrance to a lemming den, he is sure that he has a tasty meal in the little animal he has cornered. But this lemming is not about to be eaten! This smart little rodent will need to appeal to the boastful owl’s sense of pride to get away.
All the World a Poem
In Gilles Tibo’s wonder-filled tribute to poetry, poems bloom in fields, fly on the wings of birds, and float on the foam of the sea. They are written in the dark of night, in the light of happiness, and in the warmth of the writer’s heart.
Life According to Dani
It’s Dani’s first summer break, her best one ever! Dani is staying on an island with Ella, her best friend in the world. They play all day long. They build huts, fish, and spy on wild animals. They go swimming five, six, seven times a day.
Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 1.
French Toast
Phoebe half Jamaican, half French-Canadian hates her school nickname of “French Toast.” So she is mortified when, out on a walk with her Jamaican grandmother, she hears a classmate shout it out at her. To make things worse, Nan-Ma, who is blind, wants an explanation of the name.
Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas
One day Otto, an elfin adventurer, finds a postcard on the seashore showing pictures of beautiful sparkling lights in the night sky with the words, ‘The light of Christmas!’ If this ‘Christmas’ can brighten even the gloomiest Finnish winter, Otto decides he must find it.
What Dog Knows
When Wolf finds a fact-filled book in the library, he thinks he will at last outsmart his clever cousin Dog. Who knows more about robots, dragons, knights, and pirates? And what about setting traps, playing tricks, and chewing bones?
The Lonely Giant
In the middle of a vast forest lives a giant who spends his days hurling and heaving, smashing and bashing. Over time, the animals flee as their homes vanish, the birdsong dwindles away to silence, and, finally, the forest itself disappears.