Jonathan Cleaned Up Then He Heard a Sound
What a way to explain away a mess! Just tell your mom that a subway is running through and dropping off passengers in your living room.
Every parent has heard a story or two about a rhinoceros or elephant or some other large enough sized animal to blame for the terrible mess that kids are known to make - and every kid has told a story or two.
Jonathan is no exception, only his story might be true, although his mess is blamed on an entirely different "animal", a subway train. Jonathan's living room seems to be a subway stop and what a mess those subway riders keep leaving when they get off the train and trample through his living room and out his front door. His mother would never believe him until she happens to come home during her living room "rush-hour."
I read the story to my three children, ages 9, 5 and 31/2. My nine year old laughed and I could see that he was already turning his bedroom into a subway station in case his mother happened to notice a mess in there. He mentioned that it was a neat story and that it was a fun read.
My 5 year old loved the mess they made and the people from the subway that slept on the couch. Davey (3 1/2) giggled and was obviously impressed by the fun repetition in the story which made it more memorable and pleasant for his age to grasp. We were really engaged in the story and as I read my children would comment on the funny parts. You know a story is a hit when there's a little commotion from the audience.
