Stories Ages 3–4 The Monster Who Was Scared of the Dark
Picture story · read aloud
The Monster Who Was Scared of the Dark
Ages 3–4 2-min read Friendly monsters
Zara hears a sniffle under her bed and meets Mopsy, a fluffy little monster who is afraid of the dark.
Zara was nearly asleep when she heard it. Sniff… sniff… sob.
“Who’s there?” whispered Zara. Two big eyes blinked from under the bed.
Out crept a small, fluffy, purple monster. “I’m Mopsy,” it sniffled. “And it’s very, very dark under there.”
“Aren’t monsters meant to be scary?” asked Zara. “Not me,” said Mopsy. “I’m scared of the dark!”
Zara thought hard. Then she switched on her moon night-light. A soft glow filled the room.
“Ooh,” said Mopsy. “The dark looks much friendlier now.”
Zara showed Mopsy her shadow puppets: a bunny, a bird and a big, silly dog. Mopsy giggled a fluffy giggle.
“Would you like to sleep up here?” asked Zara. Mopsy nodded and snuggled in next to Teddy.
And from then on, every night, Zara said goodnight to Teddy, goodnight to the moon light… and goodnight to Mopsy.
The End
Free printable mini-book
Print and fold this story
Turn The Monster Who Was Scared of the Dark into a little 8-page book to keep. Print one sheet, make one small cut and fold it up in about 3 minutes.
Saving ink? Printer-friendly version: A4 · US Letter
How to fold: fold guide (A4) · fold guide (US Letter) · watch the 50-second video
Print at 100% (“Actual size”), landscape, on one side. Full colour PDF · A4 1.0 MB · Letter 1.0 MB
For grown-ups
Talk about it
After reading, try one or two of these. There are no wrong answers.
- Why was Mopsy hiding under the bed?
- How did Zara help Mopsy feel better?
- What helps you feel cosy when it’s dark?
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