Hi, there I'm Rove McManus, and I love reading, just like you
I'm sure.
Reading is so much fun because books
can take you anywhere at all.
And thank you very much to my friends at Sesame Street
and Big W for giving me the opportunity today to share
my love of reading with you.
I'm so glad you're here to share with me one
of my favorite Sesame Street books.
It's called The Monster at the End of this Book.
Have you read this one before?
Look, it stars, as it says here, the lovable, furry, old Grover.
There he is.
And it's by Jon Stone, and illustrated by Mike Smollin.
Look at Grover.
(GROVER VOICE) Hello, everybody.
I won't do the voice the whole way through.
Don't panic.
Let's see what happens.
The Monster at the End of this Book it says.
"This is a very dull page.
What's on the next page?"
Grover says.
[GASPS]
He looks very scared.
"What did that say?"
What did that say?
"Did that say there will be a monster
at the end of this book?
[GASPS]
It did.
Oh, I'm so scared of monsters."
Grover does not want us to read this book.
That's the big message I'm getting so far.
"Ssh, listen, I have an idea."
[WHISPERING] OK, guys, huddle up, huddle up.
"If you do not turn any pages, we will never
get to the end of this book.
And that is good because there is a monster
at the end of this book.
So please do not turn the page."
I mean, I'd love to Grover, but that's
kind of part of the fun of reading is getting to the end.
Sorry.
[GASPS]
He's onto us.
"You turned the page!
Maybe you do not understand.
You see, turning pages will bring us
to the end of this book, and there was a monster
at the end of this book.
But this will stop you from turning pages.
See?
I am tying the pages together so you cannot."
Look, I'll give him that.
He has done an amazing job of getting all this rope
and tying it into some very strong knots
so that we can't turn the page.
Well, I wonder if we can.
Ah!
"You turned another page.
You do not know what you are doing to me.
Now stop turning pages!"
Wow.
Oh, look at this now.
He's building something out of wood
with a hammer and some nails.
Lots of sounds here.
Boom, bang, bink, bonk, clunk.
"There, I, Grover, am nailing this page to the next one
so that you will not be able to turn it,
and we will not get any closer to the monster
at the end of this book."
Now, I have never heard of anybody
nailing a page to another page.
Grover is really, really trying to make sure we do not
get to the end of this book.
Oh, looks like we broke through it though.
"All right!
All right!
Do you know that every time you turn another page you
not only get us closer to the monster
at the end of this book, but you make a terrible mess?"
Look, that is true.
Look at all the dust, ripped pages, bits of wood and rope.
We are getting a bit messy.
Fair enough.
Aha.
"This will stop you from turning pages,
a heavy, thick, solid, strong brick wall.
I would just to see you try to turn this page."
Oh, there goes the wall.
"Do you know that you are very strong?"
He's in there still.
You'll be right, Grover.
"The next page is the end of this book,
and there is a monster at the end of this book.
Oh, I am so scared."
Look, he really is.
Look at that face.
He's pleading, guys.
"Please do not turn this page.
Please, please, please."
I think we should.
What's going to happen?
The monster.
[GASPS]
Can I look?
Wait.
"Well, look at that.
This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me.
I, lovable, furry old Grover and the monster
at the end of this book.
And you were so scared.
I told you and told you there was nothing to be afraid of."
That's not how I remember it.
What about you?
Yeah, I think we all know Grover was pretty scared,
and it was him all along.
"Oh, I am so embarrassed."
See?
That was a funny book.
I like Grover.
He cracks me up.
The Monster at the End of this Book, why don't you
grab this book for yourself, and you
can read it whenever you choose, and have a great time.
Otherwise, just grab any book.
They're awesome, and so much fun.
Happy reading, and thanks for joining me today.
See you.