Welcome to Storytime with Dad! Today, we will be reading Pizza Monster. On the bustling corner of 6th and Marsh stood a cozy little restaurant known as Frank and Stein's Pizza. With its bright green awning and the irresistible aroma of freshly baked pizza, it was the heart of the town. Families gathered there after soccer games, friends celebrated birthdays, and everyone agreed that Frank made the best pizza they'd ever tasted. One sunny afternoon, Frank decided to create his most ambitious pizza yet—a gigantic, triple-layered cheese pizza with all the toppings imaginable. The townspeople were thrilled and gathered around to watch him prepare this colossal treat. As the pizza baked in the enormous oven, dark clouds began to roll in unexpectedly. The wind picked up, and the sky turned a peculiar shade of purple. Frank looked out the window nervously. "Uh oh, looks like a storm's cookin'," he muttered. Suddenly, a brilliant flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a thunderous BOOM! A bolt struck the rooftop of Frank and Stein's Pizza, sending a jolt straight into the oven. Frank and the onlookers gasped as the oven door burst open. The pizza inside began to rise—and not just a little bit. It grew bigger and bigger, spilling out of the oven and oozing onto the kitchen floor. "What's happening!?" Frank exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. The pizza continued to expand, pushing its way out of the kitchen and into the dining area. The customers scrambled to their feet. "Everyone outside!" Frank shouted. They poured out onto the street, watching in disbelief as the giant pizza squeezed through doors and windows, spreading into the road. A lady walked by, pointed, and yelled, "It's alive!" The massive pizza crept down 6th Street, turning at Marsh, enveloping everything in its path with gooey cheese and toppings galore. Cars were stuck, street lamps were decorated with strings of melted mozzarella, and the town was in chaos. "What are we going to do?" cried one woman as she rescued her cat from a grease puddle. Amidst the confusion stood a brave young boy named Max. With bright eyes and a head full of ideas, Max loved two things more than anything: adventures and pizza. He watched the unfolding scene and then shouted, "Everybody, listen up!" The frightened townspeople turned toward him. "If we all start eating the pizza, we can stop it from taking over the whole town!" Max declared. There was a moment of silence, then murmurs of agreement. "He's right!" said Frank. "It's just pizza after all!" Inspired by Max's idea, the townspeople grabbed forks, plates, and even takeout boxes. They waded into the cheesy mess, laughing and cheering as they took big bites. Kids slid down pepperoni slices like slides, giggling all the way. Families picnicked right there in the streets, turning the disaster into a delightful feast. News spread quickly, and people from neighboring towns came to join the impromptu pizza party. Musicians played lively tunes, and the atmosphere turned festive. Max grinned as he saw everyone coming together to defeat this giant pizza. Bit by bit, slice by slice, the enormous pizza began to shrink. The streets cleared, the buildings reappeared from under layers of cheese, and the town was saved. As the last piece was devoured, the crowd erupted into cheers. Frank hoisted Max onto his shoulders. "Three cheers for Max, the hero of the day!" he shouted. "Hip-hip, hooray!" the townspeople chanted. And then, none other than the mayor himself stepped forward, wiping sauce from his chin and breathing deeply. "From now on, this day will be known as Pizza Day in honor of Max's quick thinking and the community spirit we all showed - hic." Everyone clapped and laughed, already looking forward to next year's celebration. That evening, as the sun set and the sky turned a gentle orange, Max's parents tucked him into bed. "You were very brave today," his mom said, kissing his forehead. Max smiled sleepily. "I just did what anyone would do when faced with a giant pizza." They all laughed. "Well, not everyone thinks as cleverly as you," his dad replied. As Max drifted off to sleep, he imagined new adventures and maybe, just maybe, wondered what would happen if dessert went haywire next time. And so, the town of Crustville (formerly known as just a regular town) became famous for its annual Pizza Day, all thanks to a boy with a clever idea and a big heart. The End. ----- Yum, I liked that story! A big thanks to Hudson for requesting a story about a pizza monster. I hope that one qualifies as a monster of a tale. Now, aside form the delicious pizza, I liked a few things about this story. The first thing I liked is that the situation went from terrible to amazing just by reframing the situation. Reframing means to turn a situation from bad to good, just by thinking on the bright side. When Max had the idea to eat the pizza, nothing really changed did it? The pizza was still growing out of control, but instead of every person thinking they're going to get crushed by a giant pizza (a bad thing), they realized they could work together to eat it! That's good, and yummy. The giant pizza went from a problem to an opportunity, just by thinking about it differently. What's cool is that real life problems are just like this. That's my second big takeaway. Trying to fix things on our own is sometimes impossible - like Max couldn't eat that whole thing by himself and it was growing out of control! But, when he asked for help, everyone could do a small part and support each other to solve the problem. When you have a problem that feels too big for you, you can always get help from a parent or a friend to fix things. It doesn't just make the problem go away, but it also makes people feel good that could help you. So, everybody wins. A great story with some great lessons. Thanks again for your messages and story requests! Please feel free to suggest more at: storytimewithdad.com Thank you for listening and I'll see you again next time.