Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Sleepy Snowman

A sleepy snowman named Frosty embarks on a quest to find his missing carrot nose.

Try this story at a different level?

 

There was a magical land covered in snow where a snowman named Frosty lived. Frosty wasn’t like the other snowmen who liked to play all day; he always wanted to sleep. His friends would have snowball fights and build forts, but Frosty would be taking naps. The others laughed and talked about Frosty behind his back, but he couldn’t help it — he was just very sleepy all the time.

One day, while Frosty was sleeping again, a squirrel named Nutty saw him and decided to have some fun. Nutty climbed on Frosty’s head and tickled his nose with a carrot. This made Frosty sneeze so hard that his carrot nose flew off! Nutty grabbed the nose and ran away. Frosty woke up and didn’t know where his nose went.

Frosty felt tired but decided he needed to find his nose. So, he left on an adventure to look for it. On his journey, an owl named Oliver saw him and said that he should look everywhere because lost things are often in places you don’t expect. Frosty felt better after hearing this and kept searching for his nose.

On his adventure, Frosty met other animals who had also lost things. A hare couldn’t find her earmuffs, a bear was looking for his fish, and some penguins were searching for their scarves. Meeting them made Frosty understand that everyone has problems, and it’s important to stay happy and not give up.

At the end of his journey, Frosty found Nutty playing with other squirrels on a snowy hill. Frosty walked up to them bravely. Nutty felt sorry for taking the nose and gave it back to Frosty. As he put his nose back on, Frosty felt warm and happy inside. After that, he started staying awake more and enjoying time with his friends.

In the end, Frosty realized that even a very sleepy snowman can have great adventures and make friends. You just have to be open to new things and always wear a smile.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1magicalHaving special powers or creating a feeling of enchantment
2fortsStrong structures built for play or defense
3sneezeTo suddenly blow air out of your nose and mouth in an uncontrollable way
4adventureAn exciting experience where you do or discover something new
5journeyA trip from one place to another, often with a specific purpose
6owlA type of bird that is known for being wise
7searchTo look carefully for something or someone
8hareA small, fast animal that hops and has long ears
9earmuffsThings you wear over your ears to keep them warm
10penguinsBirds that live in cold regions and waddle when they walk
11scarvesPieces of cloth worn around the neck for warmth or fashion
12bravelyDoing something with courage and without fear
13apologizedTo say you’re sorry for something you’ve done
14realizedTo come to understand something after a period of time
15openWilling to try new experiences or accept different ideas

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character in the story?
2. Why did Frosty’s friends laugh and talk about him?
3. What did Nutty do to Frosty while he was sleeping?
4. What advice did the owl, Oliver, give to Frosty?
5. What other animals did Frosty meet on his adventure?
6. How did Frosty feel after getting his nose back?
7. What did Frosty learn at the end of his journey?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There was a magical land covered in snow where a snowman named Frosty lived. Frosty wasn’t like the other snowmen who liked to play all day; he always wanted to sleep. His friends would have snowball (1)______ and build forts, but Frosty would be taking naps. The others laughed and talked about Frosty behind his back, but he couldn’t help it — he was just very (2)______ all the time.

One day, while Frosty was (3)______ again, a (4)______ named Nutty saw him and decided to have some fun. Nutty climbed on (5)______’s head and tickled his nose with a carrot. This made Frosty (6)______ so hard that his carrot nose flew off! Nutty grabbed the nose and ran away. Frosty woke up and didn’t know where his nose went.

Frosty felt tired but decided he needed to find his nose. So, he left on an adventure to look for it. On his journey, an owl named (7)______ saw him and said that he should look everywhere because lost (8)______ are often in places you don’t expect. Frosty felt better after hearing this and kept searching for his nose.

On his adventure, Frosty met other animals who had also lost things. A hare couldn’t find her earmuffs, a bear was looking for his fish, and some penguins were searching for their (9)______. Meeting them made Frosty (10)______ that everyone has (11)______, and it’s important to stay (12)______ and not give up.

At the end of his journey, Frosty found Nutty playing with other (13)______ on a snowy hill. Frosty walked up to them bravely. Nutty felt sorry for taking the nose and gave it back to Frosty. As he put his nose back on, Frosty felt warm and happy inside. After that, he (14)______ staying awake more and enjoying time with his (15)______.

In the end, Frosty realized that even a very sleepy snowman can have (16)______ adventures and make friends. You just have to be open to new things and always wear a smile.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a snowball fight? Have you ever had one?
2. How would you feel if your friends laughed and talked about you behind your back? Why?
3. Do you think Frosty should have stayed asleep all the time? Why or why not?
4. What would you do if you found something that didn’t belong to you? Would you keep it or give it back? Why?
5. How do you think Frosty felt when he couldn’t find his nose? Why?
6. Have you ever lost something important to you? How did you feel? Did you find it?
7. Do you think it’s important to stay happy and not give up when you have problems? Why or why not?
8. How do you think Frosty felt when he found his nose and put it back on? Why?
9. Have you ever had an adventure like Frosty? What happened?
10. Do you think it’s important to be open to new things and always wear a smile? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magical
2. forts
3. sneeze
4. adventure
5. journey
6. owl
7. search
8. hare
9. earmuffs
10. penguins
11. scarves
12. bravely
13. apologized
14. realized
15. open

Meanings:
(A) Strong structures built for play or defense
(B) To say you’re sorry for something you’ve done
(C) An exciting experience where you do or discover something new
(D) A small, fast animal that hops and has long ears
(E) To come to understand something after a period of time
(F) To look carefully for something or someone
(G) Having special powers or creating a feeling of enchantment
(H) A type of bird that is known for being wise
(I) Things you wear over your ears to keep them warm
(J) A trip from one place to another, often with a specific purpose
(K) To suddenly blow air out of your nose and mouth in an uncontrollable way
(L) Willing to try new experiences or accept different ideas
(M) Doing something with courage and without fear
(N) Birds that live in cold regions and waddle when they walk
(O) Pieces of cloth worn around the neck for warmth or fashion
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did Frosty’s friends laugh and talk about him behind his back?
(a) Because Frosty didn’t like playing in the snow
(b) Because Frosty always wanted to sleep
(c) Because Frosty was always grumpy
(d) Because Frosty was a bad snowman

2. What did Nutty do to Frosty while he was sleeping?
(a) Built a fort around him
(b) Threw snowballs at him
(c) Tickled his nose with a carrot
(d) Covered him in snow

3. Who gave Frosty advice on his journey to find his nose?
(a) Oliver the owl
(b) Nutty the squirrel
(c) The hare
(d) The penguins

4. What did Frosty learn from meeting other animals on his journey?
(a) That he should give up searching for his nose
(b) That he should be grumpy all the time
(c) That he should sleep even more
(d) That everyone has problems

5. Where did Frosty find Nutty playing with other squirrels?
(a) In a snowball fight
(b) In a cave
(c) On a snowy hill
(d) In a tree

6. How did Frosty feel after putting his nose back on?
(a) Tired and grumpy
(b) Warm and happy inside
(c) Sad and lonely
(d) Angry and frustrated

7. What did Frosty start doing after finding his nose?
(a) Sleeping even more than before
(b) Building forts and having snowball fights
(c) Hiding from his friends
(d) Staying awake more and enjoying time with his friends

8. What did Frosty realize in the end?
(a) That even a sleepy snowman can have great adventures and make friends
(b) That he should never leave his house again
(c) That he should always be grumpy
(d) That he should never smile

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Frosty’s enemies make fun of him behind his back because of his sleepiness.
2. Along his journey, Frosty meets other animals who have also lost things and learns the importance of staying happy and not giving up.
3. Frosty is a snowman who lives in a magical land covered in snow.
4. After getting his nose back, Frosty feels warm and happy inside, and starts staying awake more and enjoying time with his friends.
5. Eventually, Frosty finds Nutty playing with other squirrels and bravely confronts him to get his nose back.
6. When Frosty wakes up, he realizes his nose is missing and decides to stay put and not search for it.
7. One day, a well-behaved squirrel named Nutty tickles Frosty’s nose and steals his carrot nose.
8. Like other snowmen, Frosty prefers to play rather than sleep.
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?
– The main character in the story was Frosty, the sleepy snowman.

2. Why did Frosty’s friends laugh and talk about him?
– Frosty’s friends laughed and talked about him because he was always sleeping and didn’t like to play like the other snowmen.

3. What did Nutty do to Frosty while he was sleeping?
– While Frosty was sleeping, Nutty climbed on his head and tickled his nose with a carrot, causing Frosty to sneeze and lose his carrot nose.

4. What advice did the owl, Oliver, give to Frosty?
– The owl, Oliver, advised Frosty to look everywhere because lost things are often in unexpected places.

5. What other animals did Frosty meet on his adventure?
– Frosty met a hare who had lost her earmuffs, a bear who was looking for his fish, and some penguins who were searching for their scarves.

6. How did Frosty feel after getting his nose back?
– After getting his nose back, Frosty felt warm and happy inside.

7. What did Frosty learn at the end of his journey?
– At the end of his journey, Frosty learned that even a very sleepy snowman can have great adventures and make friends. He also learned the importance of staying happy and not giving up.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) fights
(2) sleepy
(3) sleeping
(4) squirrel
(5) Frosty
(6) sneeze
(7) Oliver
(8) things
(9) scarves
(10) understand
(11) problems
(12) happy
(13) squirrels
(14) started
(15) friends
(16) great
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magical
Answer: (G) Having special powers or creating a feeling of enchantment

2. forts
Answer: (A) Strong structures built for play or defense

3. sneeze
Answer: (K) To suddenly blow air out of your nose and mouth in an uncontrollable way

4. adventure
Answer: (C) An exciting experience where you do or discover something new

5. journey
Answer: (J) A trip from one place to another, often with a specific purpose

6. owl
Answer: (H) A type of bird that is known for being wise

7. search
Answer: (F) To look carefully for something or someone

8. hare
Answer: (D) A small, fast animal that hops and has long ears

9. earmuffs
Answer: (I) Things you wear over your ears to keep them warm

10. penguins
Answer: (N) Birds that live in cold regions and waddle when they walk

11. scarves
Answer: (O) Pieces of cloth worn around the neck for warmth or fashion

12. bravely
Answer: (M) Doing something with courage and without fear

13. apologized
Answer: (B) To say you’re sorry for something you’ve done

14. realized
Answer: (E) To come to understand something after a period of time

15. open
Answer: (L) Willing to try new experiences or accept different ideas
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did Frosty’s friends laugh and talk about him behind his back?
Answer: (b) Because Frosty always wanted to sleep

2. What did Nutty do to Frosty while he was sleeping?
Answer: (c) Tickled his nose with a carrot

3. Who gave Frosty advice on his journey to find his nose?
Answer: (a) Oliver the owl

4. What did Frosty learn from meeting other animals on his journey?
Answer: (d) That everyone has problems

5. Where did Frosty find Nutty playing with other squirrels?
Answer: (c) On a snowy hill

6. How did Frosty feel after putting his nose back on?
Answer: (b) Warm and happy inside

7. What did Frosty start doing after finding his nose?
Answer: (d) Staying awake more and enjoying time with his friends

8. What did Frosty realize in the end?
Answer: (a) That even a sleepy snowman can have great adventures and make friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Frosty’s enemies make fun of him behind his back because of his sleepiness. (Answer: False)
2. Along his journey, Frosty meets other animals who have also lost things and learns the importance of staying happy and not giving up. (Answer: True)
3. Frosty is a snowman who lives in a magical land covered in snow. (Answer: True)
4. After getting his nose back, Frosty feels warm and happy inside, and starts staying awake more and enjoying time with his friends. (Answer: True)
5. Eventually, Frosty finds Nutty playing with other squirrels and bravely confronts him to get his nose back. (Answer: True)
6. When Frosty wakes up, he realizes his nose is missing and decides to stay put and not search for it. (Answer: False)
7. One day, a well-behaved squirrel named Nutty tickles Frosty’s nose and steals his carrot nose. (Answer: False)
8. Like other snowmen, Frosty prefers to play rather than sleep. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

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

The Dinosaur Detective

Daisy, a small and smart dinosaur, solves mysteries and makes friends with Benny, a young dinosaur who made a mistake.

Jack and Emma's lives are forever changed when they discover a tiny dinosaur in an enormous egg.

The Dinosaur Egg

Jack, Emma, and Biscuit the tiny dinosaur prove that size doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship.

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