[upbeat cheerful music] - Hi friends, it's Isabel, and welcome to my reading nook.

Today, we're going to be reading the story "El Cucuy is scared too".

It's a story about a little boy named Ramon who starts a new school tomorrow.

And the things that he's worried about are keeping him up.

He's nervous, and I think he might be just a little bit more than nervous.

But he is not the only one.

El Cucuy, the monster that lives in his flower pot is scared too.

Story by Donna Barbara Higuera.

Pictures by Juliana Perdomo.

[gentle music] "Go to bed Ramon or El Cucuy or will come get you."

Ramon can't sleep.

El Cucuy can't sleep either.

Toc, toc, toc.

Tin, tin, tin.

"Ibuum, you are not scared of me?

"You were always terrified of me before."

Scared and terrified are words that are like nervous, but way more intense.

"Other things are scarier to me now."

El Cucuy sighs, "Yo tambien."

- "I miss our old [speaking Spanish]," Ramon says.

"Yo tambien," El Cucuy's shoulders sag.

"I miss our old home too.

"I miss the desert wind and the coyotes singing."

Uuu, uuu.

"Dios mio, what is that?"

"Esta bien," Ramon reassures El Cucuy, "It is only the new sounds of where we live now.

"We will get used to it.

"But," Ramon worries, "this new school is much bigger.

"What if the library doesn't have a quiet corner "where I can read?"

"You are right, everything here is larger and lighter.

"There are so few small, dark places where I can hide."

"Don't be nervous.

"You'll learn where things are.

"If you are scared, I can ask a teacher "or a librarian where there is a safe place for you to go."

Did you notice that when Ramon helps El Cucuy, he helps himself too?

"But now I am thinking the kids at my new school "might not be like my old friends," Ramon says.

"What if my clothes are not like theirs?

"What if they make fun of the way I speak?

"Maybe I should not talk at all."

El Cucuy sighs.

"I don't have any amigos here either.

"I don't feel like growling or howling.

"No one will even know to be afraid of me."

How can Ramon help El Cucuy feel better?

Ramon pats El Cucuy on the shoulder.

[speaking Spanish], that means you are strong and brave.

"You'll make new friends.

"They might even be afraid of you.

"You'll have to show them that you are strong and valiente.

"Think of all the times I knew you'd crawled under my bed "just waiting to frighten me," Ramon says to cheer El Cucuy up.

"You were brave too.

"You jumped up and down on the bed, "so I ran back to my pot."

"Yes, and do you remember the time you howled outside "and scratched on my window "to keep me awake [speaking Spanish]?"

El Cucuy smiles, "And you didn't even listen.

"You sang [speaking Spanish] "to drown out my screeches until you fell asleep."

Ramon nudges El Cucuy.

"Or the time you made your eyes glow "from inside the closet [speaking Spanish]."

[uplifting music] "And you grabbed a flashlight and shined it right at me, "so I had to hide my eyes.

"You really think I am strong and brave?

", El Cucuy asks.

Ramon grins, "Yes, we are."

Did you see how helping El Cucuy helped Ramon?

And the same advice that Ramon gave El Cucuy, he could give himself?

Oh, what a beautiful story.