Penelope and the Monsters
Written by Sheri Radford, Illustrated by Christine Tripp,
Page 1
"I'm never, ever, not in a million trillion gazillion years
going to sleep," Penelope announced to her father as
he tucked her into bed.
Page 2
"You're going to be awfully tired if you stay up that long," her father said.
"But there are monsters in here."
"I don't see any monsters."
Page 3
"That's because they're hiding.
They only come out after you leave,"
Penelope explained.
Page 4
"There are no such things as monsters. Now go to sleep." Penelope's father turned out the light and shut the door behind him.
Page 5
Penelope looked around the dark room nervously. Suddenly, her dresser drawers started to bang.
Page 6
She pulled her quilt up over her chin. "If there are any monsters in there, you can just go away right now," she gulped.
Page 7
"No monsters here," said a tiny voice from inside the drawer.
"We're not monsters. We're gnomes," said another tiny voice.
"Shhhhh. We don't want her to know that," said a third tiny voice.
Page 8
"Aaaaahhhhh!" screamed Penelope.
Page 9
Penelope's father came running into the room and turned on the light.
"What? What is it?" he cried.
"There are gnomes in my dresser!" shrieked Penelope.
Page 10
Penelope's father walked over to the dresser. He opened each drawer and looked inside. "Nope," he said. "No gnomes."
"Of course not," said Penelope. "They only come out after you leave."
"Go to sleep," her father said.
"I'm never, ever, not in a million trillion gazillion years going to sleep," Penelope said. Penelope's father turned out the light and closed the door.
Page 11
"I'm never, ever, not in a million trillion gazillion years going to sleep," Penelope said. Penelope's father turned out the light and closed the door.
Page 12
As soon as he was gone, the doors to Penelope's closet started to rattle. Penelope pulled her quilt up over her nose.
"If there are any monsters in there, you can just go away right now," she gulped.
Page 13
"No monsters here," said a medium-sized voice from inside the closet.
"We're not monsters. We're trolls," said another medium-sized voice.
"Shhhhh. We don't want her to know that," said a third medium-sized voice.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" screamed Penelope.
Page 14
Penelope's father opened the door and turned on the light.
"What? What is it now?" he asked.
"There are trolls in my closet!" shrieked Penelope. Penelope's father sighed and opened the closet doors. "Look. No trolls."
Page 15
"Of course not,"
said Penelope.
"They only come out
after you leave."
Page 16
"Go to sleep," her father said.
Page 17
"I'm never, ever, not in a million
trillion gazillion years going
to sleep," Penelope said.
Penelope's father turned out
the light and closed the door.
Page 18
As soon as he was gone, Penelope's bed started to shake. Penelope pulled her quilt up over her eyes.
"If there are any monsters under there, you can just go away right now," she gulped.
"No monsters here," said a very large voice.
"We're not monsters. We're giants," said another very large voice.
"Shhhhh. We don't want her to know that," said a third very large voice.
Page 19
"Aaaaahhhhh!" screamed Penelope.
"Go to sleep!" Penelope's father yelled from down the hall.
"I'm never, ever, not in a million trillion gazillion years going to sleep," Penelope yelled back. She pulled her quilt up over her head.
Page 20
Penelope's bed kept shaking. Penelope stayed under her quilt. The dresser drawers started to bang. Penelope stayed under her quilt. The closet doors started to rattle. Penelope stayed under her quilt.
Page 21
Her teeth chattered, her knees clattered,
her heart fluttered and thumped.
She shivered and quivered. She trembled
and quaked. But the shaking and banging
and rattling went on and on...
Page 22
and on and on and on and on and on and on...
and on and on and on and on and on and on...
and on and on and on and on and on and on...
Page 24
"Enough!" Penelope shouted,
throwing off her quilt and turning on the light.
Page 25
"Hey, all you monsters! Why don't you stop hiding if you're so scary? Why don't you come out and scare me?" Nothing happened. "If you want to scare me, you'll have to come out and do it now," said Penelope. Nothing happened.
"I'm waiting," said Penelope.
Page 26
The dresser drawers opened, and three tiny gnomes hopped out. Three medium-sized trolls jumped out of the closet. Three very large giants crawled out from under the bed.
Page 27
They all stared
at Penelope.
Penelope stared
back at them.
Page 28
"You're not very scary at all," said Penelope.
The gnomes and trolls and giants all looked disappointed.
"You're actually pretty silly- looking," said Penelope. The gnomes and trolls and giants all looked insulted.
"In fact," added Penelope, "my father says you don't even exist."
Page 29
"What?"
The gnomes and trolls and giants all looked furious. They turned their backs on Penelope and held a secret meeting.
Page 30
Then, without even saying goodbye, they all walked out her bedroom door. Penelope turned off the light and crawled into bed. She smiled to herself.
Page 31
"I'm never, ever, not
in a million trillion
gazillion years
going to be afraid
of monsters
again," she said.
Page 32
The next night, Penelope's father's dresser drawers started to bang.
Page 33
(No monsters in there. But, shhh , we don't want him to know that!)
