(peppy music)
- Hi, I'm Michelle Obama.
And welcome to
"Monday's With Me",
a series of stories with PBS
Kids and Penguin Random House.
I'm delighted to
share today's book,
"The Gruffalo", by Julia
Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
This is a book
about a little mouse
who uses his wit and imagination
to outsmart a snake, an
owl, and a hungry fox,
on his stroll through
a deep dark wood.
A mouse took a stroll
through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse and
the mouse looked good.
"Where are you going
to, little brown mouse?
Come and have lunch in
my underground house."
"It's terribly kind
of you, Fox, but no.
I'm going to have
lunch with a gruffalo."
"A gruffalo, what's a gruffalo?"
"A gruffalo, why
didn't you know?
He has terrible tusks,
and terrible claws,
and terrible teeth in
his terrible jaws."
"Where are meeting him?"
"Here, by these rocks.
And his favorite food
is a roasted fox."
"Roasted fox, oh my!" Fox said.
"Good-bye, little
mouse," and away he sped.
"Silly old Fox, doesn't he know?
There's no such
thing as a gruffalo."
On went the mouse through
the deep dark wood.
An owl saw the mouse and
the mouse looked good.
"Where are you going
to, little brown mouse?
Join me for tea in
my treetop house."
"It's frightfully nice
of you, Owl, but no.
I'm going to have
tea with a gruffalo."
"A gruffalo, what's a gruffalo?"
"A gruffalo, why
didn't you know?
He has knobbly knees,
and turned out toes,
and a poisonous wart at
the end of his nose."
"Where are you meeting him?"
"Here by this stream.
And his favorite food
is owl ice cream."
"Owl ice cream?
Too-whit, too-who?
Good-bye, little mouse."
And away Owl flew.
"Silly old Owl, doesn't he know?
There's no such
thing as a gruffalo."
On went the mouse through
the deep dark wood.
A snake saw the mouse and the
mouse looked (slurps) good.
"Where are you going
to, little brown mouse?
Come for a feast in
my log-pile house."
"It's wonderfully good
of you, Snake, but no.
I'm having a feast
with a gruffalo."
"A gruffalo, what's a gruffalo?"
"A gruffalo, why
didn't you know?
His eyes are orange,
his tongue is black,
he has purple prickles
all over his back."
"Where are you meeting him?"
"Here, by this lake.
And his favorite food
is scrambled snake."
"Scrambled snake?
It's time I hid!
Good-bye, little mouse,"
and away Snake slid.
"Silly old Snake,
doesn't he know?
There's no such
thing as a gruffalo."
Whoa, uh oh!
But who is this creature
with terrible claws
and terrible teeth
in his terrible jaws?
He has knobbly knees
and turned-out toes,
and a poisonous wart
at the end of his nose.
His eyes are orange,
his tongue is black,
he has purple prickles
all over his back.
"Oh help, oh no!
It's a gruffalo."
What's he gonna do?
"My favorite food,"
the gruffalo said.
"You'll taste good
on a slice of bread."
"Good?" said the mouse.
"Don't call me good.
Why I'm the scariest creature
in this deep dark wood.
Just walk behind me
and soon you'll see,
everyone is afraid of me."
"Oh sure," said the gruffalo
bursting with laughter.
"You lead the way and
I'll follow after."
They walked and walked
'til the gruffalo said,
"I hear a hiss in
the grass ahead."
"It's Snake," said the mouse.
"Why Snake, hello."
Snake took one look
at the gruffalo.
"Oh dear," he said.
"Good-bye little mouse."
And slid right into
his log-pile house.
"You see," said mouse,
"I told you so."
"Amazing," said the gruffalo.
They walked some more
'til the gruffalo said,
"Hm, I hear a hoot
in the trees ahead."
"It's Owl," said the mouse.
"Why Owl, hello."
Owl took one look
at the gruffalo.
"Boo-hoo," he said.
"Good-bye, little mouse."
And flew right up to
his treetop house.
"You see?" said the
mouse, "I told you so."
"Astounding," said the gruffalo.
They walked some more
'til the gruffalo said,
"I hear some paws
on the path ahead."
"It's Fox," said the mouse.
"Why Fox, hello."
Fox took one look
at the gruffalo.
"Oh help!" he said.
"Good-bye little mouse."
And ran right into
his underground house.
The mouse said,
"Gruffalo, now you see.
Everyone is afraid of me.
But now my tummy is
starting to rumble.
And my favorite food
it gruffalo crumble."
"Gruffalo crumble,"
the gruffalo said.
And quick as the wind,
he turned and fled.
All was quiet in
the deep dark wood.
The mouse found a nut
and the nut was good.
The end.
I hope you enjoyed today's book.
And I can't wait to
see you next week.
Bye-bye.
(upbeat music)
