Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

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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?

 

In a place where dinosaurs lived, there was a smart little dinosaur named Daisy who could solve hard puzzles. She was like a detective! One day, a worried duck told her that its eggs were missing and thought another dinosaur took them.

Daisy went around asking dinosaurs like the grumpy triceratops and the sneaky stegosaurus if they knew where the eggs were. Nobody knew. So Daisy went to look in a volcano. Inside, she found a secret room and a baby dinosaur named Benny with the broken eggs. Benny thought they were toys to play with!

Daisy was kind and taught Benny he should have asked before taking the eggs. They cleaned up the mess together. After that, Daisy and Benny became best friends. They had lots of adventures and always helped each other.

Daisy became famous for solving problems and helping other dinosaurs. She showed she was small but very smart and brave. She also taught all the other dinosaurs that it’s okay to make mistakes and make new friends.

If you ever have a puzzle to solve, think of Daisy and Benny. Use your curiosity, be nice to others, and trust in friendship and saying sorry. Maybe you can be a great detective too!

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1detectiveSomeone who finds out information and solves mysteries
2puzzlesGames or problems that make you think hard to solve them
3worriedFeeling nervous because you think something bad has happened
4grumpyIn a bad mood and easily annoyed
5sneakyDoing things quietly and often not honestly
6volcanoA mountain that can explode with hot liquid rock
7secretSomething that is not known by many people
8brokenSomething that is damaged or in pieces
9adventuresExciting experiences or journeys
10famousKnown by many people
11curiosityWanting to learn about things and asking questions
12trustBelieving in someone or something

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What was Daisy good at?
3. Who told Daisy that the eggs were missing?
4. Where did Daisy look for the eggs?
5. What did Daisy teach Benny?
6. What did Daisy become famous for?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______ where (2)______s lived, there was a smart little dinosaur named Daisy who could solve hard puzzles. She was like a detective! One day, a worried (3)______ told her that its eggs were missing and thought another dinosaur took them.

Daisy went around asking dinosaurs like the grumpy triceratops and the sneaky stegosaurus if they knew where the eggs were. Nobody knew. So Daisy went to look in a volcano. Inside, she found a (4)______ room and a baby dinosaur (5)______ Benny with the broken eggs. Benny (6)______ they were toys to play with!

Daisy was kind and taught Benny he should have asked before (7)______ the (8)______. They cleaned up the mess together. After that, Daisy and Benny became (9)______ friends. They had lots of adventures and always helped each other.

Daisy became famous for solving problems and helping other dinosaurs. She showed she was small but very smart and (10)______. She also taught all the other dinosaurs that it’s (11)______ to make mistakes and make new friends.

If you ever have a puzzle to solve, think of Daisy and Benny. Use your curiosity, be nice to others, and trust in friendship and saying (12)______. Maybe you can be a great detective too!
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a detective? Do you want to be a detective? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if someone took your toys without asking? Why?
3. Do you think it’s important to clean up after making a mess? Why or why not?
4. Why do you think Daisy and Benny became best friends?
5. Have you ever made a mistake? How did you feel? What did you do to fix it?
6. Do you think it’s important to help others? Why or why not?
7. What do you think it means to be brave? Can you give an example of when you were brave?
8. How would you feel if you found a secret room? What would you do inside?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. detective
2. puzzles
3. worried
4. grumpy
5. sneaky
6. volcano
7. secret
8. broken
9. adventures
10. famous
11. curiosity
12. trust

Meanings:
(A) Known by many people
(B) Games or problems that make you think hard to solve them
(C) Doing things quietly and often not honestly
(D) Someone who finds out information and solves mysteries
(E) In a bad mood and easily annoyed
(F) Feeling nervous because you think something bad has happened
(G) Wanting to learn about things and asking questions
(H) Something that is damaged or in pieces
(I) Exciting experiences or journeys
(J) Believing in someone or something
(K) A mountain that can explode with hot liquid rock
(L) Something that is not known by many people
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

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

2. Who told Daisy that the duck’s eggs were missing?
(a) The grumpy triceratops
(b) The sneaky stegosaurus
(c) The friendly T-Rex
(d) The worried duck

3. Where did Daisy find the broken eggs?
(a) In a cave
(b) Under a tree
(c) In a river
(d) Inside a volcano

4. What did Benny think the eggs were?
(a) Rocks
(b) Toys to play with
(c) Food
(d) Books

5. What did Daisy teach Benny?
(a) He should never play with eggs
(b) He should hide the eggs better next time
(c) He should have asked before taking the eggs
(d) He should never make mistakes

6. What did Daisy become famous for?
(a) Solving problems and helping other dinosaurs
(b) Being the fastest dinosaur
(c) Eating the most leaves
(d) Sleeping the longest

7. What did Daisy teach all the other dinosaurs?
(a) It’s okay to be grumpy all the time
(b) It’s okay to take things without asking
(c) It’s okay to make mistakes and make new friends
(d) It’s okay to be mean to others

8. What should you use when solving a puzzle, according to the story?
(a) Strength and speed
(b) Curiosity, being nice to others, and trust in friendship and saying sorry
(c) Shouting and yelling
(d) Being sneaky and hiding information

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Daisy is a foolish little dinosaur who avoids solving difficult puzzles.
2. Daisy is unknown for her detective skills and is unlike a detective in the dinosaur world.
3. Daisy goes around asking other dinosaurs if they know anything about the missing eggs, including a grumpy triceratops and a sneaky stegosaurus.
4. Nobody knows where the eggs are, so Daisy decides to search inside a volcano.
5. Inside the volcano, Daisy discovers a secret room and finds a baby dinosaur named Benny playing with the broken eggs, mistaking them for toys.
6. A confident duck approaches Daisy and tells her that its eggs are gone, suspecting another dinosaur took them.
7. Daisy kindly teaches Benny that he should have asked before taking the eggs and they clean up the mess together.
8. Daisy and Benny become casual acquaintances and have few adventures together, rarely helping each other and teaching the other dinosaurs unimportant lessons about friendship, making mistakes, and solving puzzles.
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 is the main character in the story?
Daisy is the main character in the story.

2. What was Daisy good at?
Daisy was good at solving puzzles and being a detective.

3. Who told Daisy that the eggs were missing?
A worried duck told Daisy that the eggs were missing.

4. Where did Daisy look for the eggs?
Daisy looked for the eggs inside a volcano.

5. What did Daisy teach Benny?
Daisy taught Benny that he should have asked before taking the eggs.

6. What did Daisy become famous for?
Daisy became famous for solving problems and helping other dinosaurs.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) place
(2) dinosaur
(3) duck
(4) secret
(5) named
(6) thought
(7) taking
(8) eggs
(9) best
(10) brave
(11) okay
(12) sorry
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. detective
Answer: (D) Someone who finds out information and solves mysteries

2. puzzles
Answer: (B) Games or problems that make you think hard to solve them

3. worried
Answer: (F) Feeling nervous because you think something bad has happened

4. grumpy
Answer: (E) In a bad mood and easily annoyed

5. sneaky
Answer: (C) Doing things quietly and often not honestly

6. volcano
Answer: (K) A mountain that can explode with hot liquid rock

7. secret
Answer: (L) Something that is not known by many people

8. broken
Answer: (H) Something that is damaged or in pieces

9. adventures
Answer: (I) Exciting experiences or journeys

10. famous
Answer: (A) Known by many people

11. curiosity
Answer: (G) Wanting to learn about things and asking questions

12. trust
Answer: (J) Believing in someone or something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the smart little dinosaur?
Answer: (a) Daisy

2. Who told Daisy that the duck’s eggs were missing?
Answer: (d) The worried duck

3. Where did Daisy find the broken eggs?
Answer: (d) Inside a volcano

4. What did Benny think the eggs were?
Answer: (b) Toys to play with

5. What did Daisy teach Benny?
Answer: (c) He should have asked before taking the eggs

6. What did Daisy become famous for?
Answer: (a) Solving problems and helping other dinosaurs

7. What did Daisy teach all the other dinosaurs?
Answer: (c) It’s okay to make mistakes and make new friends

8. What should you use when solving a puzzle, according to the story?
Answer: (b) Curiosity, being nice to others, and trust in friendship and saying sorry
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Daisy is a foolish little dinosaur who avoids solving difficult puzzles. (Answer: False)
2. Daisy is unknown for her detective skills and is unlike a detective in the dinosaur world. (Answer: False)
3. Daisy goes around asking other dinosaurs if they know anything about the missing eggs, including a grumpy triceratops and a sneaky stegosaurus. (Answer: True)
4. Nobody knows where the eggs are, so Daisy decides to search inside a volcano. (Answer: True)
5. Inside the volcano, Daisy discovers a secret room and finds a baby dinosaur named Benny playing with the broken eggs, mistaking them for toys. (Answer: True)
6. A confident duck approaches Daisy and tells her that its eggs are gone, suspecting another dinosaur took them. (Answer: False)
7. Daisy kindly teaches Benny that he should have asked before taking the eggs and they clean up the mess together. (Answer: True)
8. Daisy and Benny become casual acquaintances and have few adventures together, rarely helping each other and teaching the other dinosaurs unimportant lessons about friendship, making mistakes, and solving puzzles. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

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