Animal Books for 1st Graders
Grab the Grub!
High in a sunny tree, a proud mother crow has three hungry chicks yelling for breakfast - and nothing, not shiny buttons or sparkly beads, will fill their bellies! Can she swoop down and snatch a silvery fish before anyone notices? And when rival crows come screeching from the sky, will she hold on tight to her prize? A lively decodable reader practising CCVC/CCVCC blends through words like ‘grab,’ ‘snap,’ ‘flap,’ ‘spins,’ and ‘stop.’
That's My Hot Drink!
Rain is drumming on the roof, and Sam just wants hot coffee and a good book - but have you ever tried to keep one quiet cup away from a muddy bull, a nosy cat, and a whole gang of soggy animals? When the puddles call and the rain won’t stop, what is a boy with a cold coffee supposed to do? This decodable reader practises the ’ng’ sound in words like ‘bang,’ ‘sing,’ ‘song,’ ‘strong,’ and ’thing.’
My Mum Has a Bub!
From the cosiest spot in the whole rainforest - Mum’s pouch - one little joey spies butterflies, berries, and blue feathers floating by. But what happens when Mum suddenly won’t let him climb back in? Could there be a secret tucked inside her pouch? Follow along as a curious kangaroo discovers that the best treasures sometimes come in very tiny packages. This decodable reader practises open syllables in words like ‘my,’ ‘go,’ ‘she,’ ‘shy,’ and ‘fly.’
That's Not a Horse!
Ned thinks he’s the greatest miner ever - but his pockets are tiny and his gold pile is HUGE! What happens when he spots a white, four-legged creature on the plains and decides it MUST be a horse? And when The Book tells him to wrap gold around carrots, could something truly magical be about to hatch? Saddle up for a silly, sparkly adventure! This decodable reader practises the ch phonogram with words like ‘chomps,’ ‘catch,’ ‘bunch,’ ‘chase,’ and ‘ranch.’
Try, Try Again!
Little Toman Fish is ready to catch the biggest dinner anyone has ever seen - easy, right? But what happens when his hiding rock stands up and stomps away? And when a sneaky kingfisher swoops in after the very same dragonfly he’s been eyeing? Can a fast, impatient little fish learn to wait, watch, and maybe even share the river with a feathered rival? This playful decodable reader practises open syllables in words such as ‘go,’ ’try,’ ‘fly,’ ‘shy,’ and ‘we.’
Just Find Her, Pup!
Spot is the world’s greatest finder of things - so when he loses his girl Jane at the zoo, how hard can it be to track her down? He spots long brown hair around the corner… but is that really Jane, or something much bigger? Can a little dog sniff out his favourite person in such a huge, busy place? Join Spot’s wild zoo hunt! This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jump,’ ‘just,’ ‘vest,’ and ‘yuck.’
Not My Home!
Poor Bee is lost! Can Elephant, who once found a peanut under a rock, help him find his way back to his buzzing friends? First she pops him in a bird’s nest - yikes! Then a dark cave full of glowing eyes - eek! Will these two mismatched pals ever track down the cozy golden hive Bee calls home, and what happens when the helper gets lost too? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘brave,’ ‘chase,’ ‘home,’ ‘hive,’ and ‘smiles.’
Run, Din, Run!
Prince Din wants the biggest leaf ball in the kingdom - but the best leaves grow in the wild forest, where dangerous creatures are said to lurk! When a huge striped cat comes bounding out of the bushes, Din bolts deeper into the trees and gets horribly lost. Is that tiger really chasing him, or could something stranger be going on? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jumps,’ ’luck,’ ‘plums,’ and ‘stuck.’
The Big Honk
Jack is stuck in the grumpiest funk ever, and nothing - not the sun, not the flowers, not even a perfectly nice butterfly - can pull him out of it. But what happens when his friends Skel and Zom drag him into a bamboo forest and spot something huge in the grass? Could a baby panda, a sneaky cake, and one enormous sneeze be the cure? This decodable reader practises the ’nk’ sound in words like ‘funk,’ ‘blink,’ ‘chunk,’ and ‘honk.’
The Big Bad Dog!
Rabbit thinks his cozy farm is the best place in the whole world - but what happens when Farmer heads off with a big basket, and a curious bunny hops in for the ride? When Rabbit tumbles out into the wild, he discovers new smells, a big red barn, and one very unfriendly dog! Will being an explorer turn out to be as easy as he hoped? This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words such as ‘farm,’ ‘fast,’ ‘past,’ and ‘romp.’