Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

The Dinosaur Detective

Daisy the dinosaur detective and her mischievous sidekick Benny solve mysteries and teach valuable life lessons.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Long ago, there were dinosaurs everywhere. One smart little dino named Daisy loved to solve problems. A duck told her that someone took her eggs. Daisy wanted to help find them.

Daisy asked her neighbors if they saw the eggs. She asked a grumpy dino, a flying dino, and even a dino with plates on its back. They didn’t know where the eggs were. So, Daisy went to look inside a big volcano.

Inside, Daisy found a baby dino named Benny. Benny was playing with broken eggs. He thought they were just toys. Daisy found out Benny didn’t mean to be bad. She told him it was okay and they cleaned up the broken eggs.

Daisy and Benny became best friends. They played together and solved problems. They showed that being friends is the best way to fix things when they go wrong. Daisy became a famous helper, showing that small dinos can do big things with friends.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1dinosaursBig animals that lived a long time ago, before people
2solveTo find an answer to something hard
3neighborsPeople or animals who live near you
4volcanoA mountain that can get very hot inside and sometimes explodes
5eggsWhat baby birds come out of
6playingHaving fun with toys or games
7famousKnown by many people
8helperSomeone who helps others
9problemsThings that are hard to do or fix
10friendsPeople who like to be with each other and have fun together

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character in the story?
2. What did Daisy love to do?
3. Who told Daisy that someone took her eggs?
4. Did Daisy’s neighbors know where the eggs were?
5. Who did Daisy find inside the volcano?
6. What did Daisy and Benny do together?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Long ago, there were (1)______saurs everywhere. One smart little dino named Daisy loved to solve problems. A duck (2)______ her that someone took her eggs. Daisy wanted to help find them.

Daisy asked her neighbors if they saw the eggs. She (3)______ a grumpy dino, a flying dino, and even a dino with plates on its back. They didn’t know where the eggs were. So, Daisy (4)______ to look inside a big volcano.

Inside, Daisy found a baby dino named Benny. Benny was playing with (5)______ (6)______. He thought they were just toys. Daisy found out Benny didn’t mean to be bad. She told him it was okay and they cleaned up the broken eggs.

Daisy and Benny became best friends. They played together and solved problems. They showed that being friends is the best way to fix things when they go wrong. (7)______ became a famous (8)______, showing that small dinos can do big things with friends.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a dinosaur?
2. How would you feel if someone took your toys?
3. Do you like solving problems? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to have friends? Why or why not?
5. What would you do if you found broken toys?
6. How do you think Daisy felt when she found Benny playing with the broken eggs?
7. Why do you think Daisy and Benny became best friends?
8. Do you think small dinos can do big things? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. dinosaurs
2. solve
3. neighbors
4. volcano
5. eggs
6. playing
7. famous
8. helper
9. problems
10. friends

Meanings:
(A) What baby birds come out of
(B) People or animals who live near you
(C) To find an answer to something hard
(D) Things that are hard to do or fix
(E) Having fun with toys or games
(F) A mountain that can get very hot inside and sometimes explodes
(G) Someone who helps others
(H) People who like to be with each other and have fun together
(I) Big animals that lived a long time ago, before people
(J) Known by many people
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the smart little dino?
(a) Lily
(b) Rosie
(c) Daisy
(d) Molly

2. Who told Daisy that someone took her eggs?
(a) A cat
(b) A dog
(c) A mouse
(d) A duck

3. Who did Daisy ask if they saw the eggs?
(a) Her neighbors
(b) Her family
(c) Her friends
(d) Her teachers

4. Where did Daisy go to look for the eggs?
(a) Under the ocean
(b) Inside a big volcano
(c) In a tall tree
(d) Behind a rock

5. What did Daisy find inside the volcano?
(a) A treasure chest
(b) A magic wand
(c) A baby dino named Benny
(d) A big dinosaur

6. What was Benny playing with?
(a) Toys
(b) Broken eggs
(c) Books
(d) Flowers

7. Did Benny mean to be bad?
(a) Yes, he meant to be bad
(b) Maybe, he wasn’t sure
(c) I don’t know
(d) No, he didn’t mean to be bad

8. What did Daisy and Benny become?
(a) Best friends
(b) Enemies
(c) Strangers
(d) Neighbors

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Daisy went outside a big volcano to look for the eggs.
2. Daisy asked her neighbors if they saw the eggs, but they didn’t know where they were.
3. There were no dinosaurs a long time ago.
4. Inside the volcano, Daisy found a baby dinosaur named Benny.
5. Daisy and Benny became acquaintances and showed that being friends is not important when things go wrong.
6. A duck told Daisy that someone took her eggs.
7. Daisy was a smart little dinosaur who liked to solve problems.
8. Benny was playing with unbroken eggs because he thought they were toys.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this story in two sentences. Here are some hints:
Who are the main characters?
What happens in the story?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who was the main character in the story?
Daisy was the main character in the story.

2. What did Daisy love to do?
Daisy loved to solve problems.

3. Who told Daisy that someone took her eggs?
A duck told Daisy that someone took her eggs.

4. Did Daisy’s neighbors know where the eggs were?
No, Daisy’s neighbors didn’t know where the eggs were.

5. Who did Daisy find inside the volcano?
Daisy found a baby dino named Benny inside the volcano.

6. What did Daisy and Benny do together?
Daisy and Benny became best friends and played together.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) dino
(2) told
(3) asked
(4) went
(5) broken
(6) eggs
(7) Daisy
(8) helper
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. dinosaurs
Answer: (I) Big animals that lived a long time ago, before people

2. solve
Answer: (C) To find an answer to something hard

3. neighbors
Answer: (B) People or animals who live near you

4. volcano
Answer: (F) A mountain that can get very hot inside and sometimes explodes

5. eggs
Answer: (A) What baby birds come out of

6. playing
Answer: (E) Having fun with toys or games

7. famous
Answer: (J) Known by many people

8. helper
Answer: (G) Someone who helps others

9. problems
Answer: (D) Things that are hard to do or fix

10. friends
Answer: (H) People who like to be with each other and have fun together
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the smart little dino?
Answer: (c) Daisy

2. Who told Daisy that someone took her eggs?
Answer: (d) A duck

3. Who did Daisy ask if they saw the eggs?
Answer: (a) Her neighbors

4. Where did Daisy go to look for the eggs?
Answer: (b) Inside a big volcano

5. What did Daisy find inside the volcano?
Answer: (c) A baby dino named Benny

6. What was Benny playing with?
Answer: (b) Broken eggs

7. Did Benny mean to be bad?
Answer: (d) No, he didn’t mean to be bad

8. What did Daisy and Benny become?
Answer: (a) Best friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Daisy went outside a big volcano to look for the eggs. (Answer: False)
2. Daisy asked her neighbors if they saw the eggs, but they didn’t know where they were. (Answer: True)
3. There were no dinosaurs a long time ago. (Answer: False)
4. Inside the volcano, Daisy found a baby dinosaur named Benny. (Answer: True)
5. Daisy and Benny became acquaintances and showed that being friends is not important when things go wrong. (Answer: False)
6. A duck told Daisy that someone took her eggs. (Answer: True)
7. Daisy was a smart little dinosaur who liked to solve problems. (Answer: True)
8. Benny was playing with unbroken eggs because he thought they were toys. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

The Enchanted Forest

Once upon a time there was an enchanted forest full of magical creatures. All the animals lived in harmony and

Oliver, the tiniest elf, surprises everyone with his clever strategies and magical find at the Great Elf Games.

The Littlest Elf

Oliver, the small elf, showed everyone that being small doesn’t stop you from doing great things.

A young boy's discovery of a mysterious fossil leads to a village's newfound fame and unity.

The Fantastic Fossil

Max finds a special bone, but decides it should stay in his village instead of going to a museum.

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