Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Group 5, w /w/

A girl digs deep into the hillside, chasing a feeling that something special is buried below. She sets a strange snack to cook by the fire and heads back underground, boots crunching on gravel with every step. What could possibly go wrong while she’s gone? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wet’, ‘wag’, ‘swift’, ‘week’, ‘wimp’.

Pip spots a house on stilts and wants it, but the road ahead is full of even better houses. Will he ever find the one he wants most? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wants’, ‘swift’, ‘wafts’, ‘wags’, ‘wins’.

Zom’s pumpkin patch grows the biggest, sweetest crop he’s ever seen, but one morning a pumpkin has simply vanished from between the vines. More disappear every night, no matter how hard Zom and Skel wait and watch, until only one is left. What can possibly be sneaking through the patch without leaving a single track? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘sweet’, ’twigs’, ‘wait’, ‘week’, ‘wilts’.

Leopard traps a spider in his rocky den and promises to eat him that evening. While Leopard blocks the only way out, the spider spots a bundle of sweet-smelling pepper tucked in a crack and starts spinning a swift plan. Will he find a way past Leopard before the trap closes for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘sweet’, ‘web’, ‘swift’, ‘waits’, ‘between’.

Jed peeps through the gap in the fence to watch Ben, who can kick and run fast. Jed wants to play too, but keeping up with someone this swift will not be easy. Can Jed hold his own against Ben, or will he just wilt trying? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swift’, ‘wait’, ‘sweet’, ’twists’, ‘weekend’.

Ada’s mother never came back from the well, only her empty water jug left in the sand. A wise old man presses a strange rattling seed pod into Ada’s hand and tells her sound can be a door, or a wall. Can Ada outwit an ogress whose one great ear hears everything for a hundred miles around? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘went’, ‘wept’, ‘swift’, ‘sweet’, ‘dwelt’.

Brat Cat has a busy list: feed the chickens, brush the sheep, fix the fences. But when an arrow whizzes past and a pillager appears on the hill with a crossbow, will she finish her jobs before he finishes her? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘waits’, ‘swift’, ‘wimp’, ‘winks’, ‘wisp’.

Ned has rowed for days to find the perfect spot to build a house, but the moment he lands, he finds a strange book lying in the grass, all alone. When he picks it up, it winks at him and starts talking. What will this odd little book get him into next? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wends’, ‘waits’, ‘swat’, ‘wink’, ’twists’.

Ned has a talking Book, an enchanting table, and one big dream: becoming a real wizard. But first he must grow sugar cane, gather leather, and craft book after book, all without a single mistake. Can Ned survive the wait, the work, and whatever waits for him once darkness falls? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wait’, ‘swift’, ‘wets’, ‘sweet’, ‘west’.

Dot never goes anywhere without her big red umbrella, not even in the rain. But one drippy morning, it’s gone, and outside the rain just won’t stop. Dot has to hunt through the wet park, asking a squirrel on a twig, a frog by the pond, and a wee mouse with a tin hat if they’ve seen it. Could one of them know where it went? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wet’, ’twig’, ‘wee’, ‘wets’, ‘wilts’.

A girl loves watching the birds fill the tree each spring morning, but a certain black cat has other plans. When the cat makes a break for it, can she catch it before disaster strikes? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ’tweet’, ‘sweet’, ’twig’, ‘wait’, ‘wafts’.

A young boy waits at the water’s edge as fishing nets come back empty night after night, and the men whisper of something huge moving beneath the lake. When he sees a strange shape swim up from the deep, he knows he has to find out what it wants before the whole village goes hungry. Could the answer be something as simple as a song? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘waits’, ‘swims’, ‘wet’, ‘wafts’, ‘wins’.

Chui the leopard is fast, fierce, and completely sure he’s the most beautiful animal on the savanna. There’s just one problem: his plain gold coat gives him away every time he hunts. Hungry and desperate, he sneaks up to a painter’s rock and lies down beside her pots. Could staying perfectly still be the answer he needs? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘waits’, ‘swift’, ‘wends’, ‘wins’, ‘winks’.

Kalulu the Hare is wee, but the big animals never let him forget it, especially Ngombe the Buffalo, who blocks the best field and says the biggest animal keeps it. Kalulu challenges him to a race to settle it, and everyone gathers to wait and watch at dawn. Can such a small hare really out-race a buffalo twice his size? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wee’, ‘swift’, ‘wait’, ‘wails’, ‘wilts’.

Rabbit thinks the farm is the best spot in the world, with sweet snacks and no one to chase him off. But when a farmer’s basket tumbles him out onto the open track, curiosity turns to trouble the moment a big dog spots him. Can a swift rabbit outrun trouble and make it back home before it’s too late? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swift’, ’twists’, ‘waits’, ‘wends’, ‘wins’.

Cam lives at the edge of the woods, where the dark is deep and complete. Every night his good little lamp keeps him safe, lighting his book and standing guard by his bed. But when a bright new streetlight arrives, Cam starts forgetting his old friend altogether. What happens to the little lamp when nobody needs it anymore? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wick’, ‘wink’, ‘wait’, ‘weeks’, ‘wafts’.

Ned finally puts down his heavy armor and decides to become a baker instead, chasing a herd of cows home for milk. But when night falls and his new cow pen still has a gaping hole in the fence, will Ned’s peaceful new life have to wait? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘waits’, ‘swift’, ‘week’, ‘wins’, ‘wags’.

Dot’s new cat won’t eat a single thing she offers, not bread, not apples, not eggs. She’s sure fish must be the answer, so she grabs her rod and heads to the dock. Will she finally figure out what her fussy cat really wants? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wags’, ‘wet’, ‘sweet’, ‘wilts’, ‘wins’.

Pat has a big, stinky question: where does poop really go? When he takes the plunge into the toilet, he twists and swirls through pipes until he swims right into Sewer Rat, a grinning stranger who wets him with a bucket and calls this dirty tunnel his kingdom. Can Pat wait long enough to find out what Sewer Rat wants to show him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wet’, ‘swim’, ‘wait’, ’twists’, ‘swift’.

Zom adores his chickens, but a hungry fox keeps sneaking into the pen and stealing them away. He builds fences, gates, and locks, yet somehow the fox always gets in. Determined to end it, Zom hides in the weeds one night with a daring plan, but will he finally catch her, or is she after something he never expected? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘waits’, ‘sweet’, ‘win’, ‘swift’, ‘weeps’.

A puppeteer promises the audience nothing will go wrong tonight, as her rich, fancy lady puppet gazes calmly at the stars. But when the wrong backdrop drops and a tiger appears behind her, will the lady finally run? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ’twins’, ‘wails’, ‘waits’, ‘wimp’, ‘winks’.

Jack thinks caring for Meow will be easy, just like his other pets. But Meow just sits and stares, giving nothing away, so Jack must puzzle out what she actually wants. What will it take to make this wee cat happy? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wee’, ‘swift’, ‘wags’, ‘wins’, ‘wait’.

Leopard has finally cornered Hare on a narrow path, with nowhere to run and no clever trick in sight. Hare’s mind races for an escape, and there is only one thing on the whole veld he seems truly afraid of. Will Leopard fall for the wee hare’s desperate act, or is he too swift to be fooled? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘waits’, ‘swift’, ‘wails’, ’twists’, ‘between’.

High on the great kopje, a troop of greedy baboons hoards all the sweet marula fruit for themselves, snarling at any creature who dares come close. A tiny hare named Tsuro thinks he has a clever trick to win the fruit back for everyone, but Gudo the baboon boss is sure a creature so small could never outsmart him. Can Tsuro’s plan really work against a whole troop? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wee’, ‘sweet’, ‘swift’, ‘wafts’, ‘wilts’.

Obiora is a swift lad who loves telling tales, so when he finds a talking skull by the road, he can’t wait to share the news. He races west to tell the king, but will anyone believe him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swift’, ‘went’, ‘wait’, ‘west’, ‘wail’.

Gĩcere the hyena never waits his turn, and when a rabbit named Mwĩrĩ seals up a pot of sweet potatoes by the river, his mouth waters something fierce. She warns him the pot must never be opened early, or the flavor flies away. Can his greedy paws really hold still until it’s ready? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘sweet’, ‘wet’, ’twists’, ‘wails’, ‘wait’.

Saba tends a sad, silent boy who won’t touch the food she makes him. A healer says there’s only one cure: a whisker plucked from a wild lion. Can Saba get close enough to a lion to pull it free without being harmed? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘week’, ‘waits’, ‘swift’, ‘sweet’, ‘wink’.

A girl insists she’s a tree, and trees don’t take naps. She zips down the street with leaves for hair, hides in a bush, and bosses a row of real trees into leaning and shaking with her, laughing the whole time. But when the trees thin out and the path turns steep, her legs grow heavy and her eyes grow heavier. Will she make it home before she finally admits she’s tired? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swift’, ’twigs’, ‘waits’, ‘wilts’, ‘wisps’.

A girl finds a boy crying on the pavement, his toy stolen by a mischievous dragon dangling it high in the sky. She grabs the dragon’s mane, he grabs her hoodie, and up they soar to get it back, but this dragon never slows down. Will they ever catch that toy? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swift’, ’twist’, ‘wails’, ‘wet’.

Sam sails a toy boat every morning, reading the waves for stories of far-off places. But one day, dark muck starts oozing from a factory pipe straight into the sea, turning bright coral to gray bones and driving the fish away. Can a girl with a stick and three letters in the sand get anyone to listen? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swim’, ‘wet’, ‘wilts’, ‘wafts’, ‘sweet’.

A girl waits in the sun with her wee pig, watching her mom and dad set off between the trees. Then a white deer steps out, swift and silent, and slips away before she can stop herself from following. What is it trying to show her? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wee’, ‘swift’, ‘wends’, ‘white’, ‘will’.

A hen darts off through the village garden, and a girl named Amara chases it straight into the great forest, where the tall trees hide the sky and the path disappears. She stops to help a wee tree that wilts in the mud, and a green spirit appears between the trunks. Will Amara find her way home, and can she help the forest too? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wee’, ‘wilts’, ‘swift’, ‘wafts’, ‘between’.

Zebra was plain white on a scorched savanna, and only one waterhole was left, guarded fiercely by Baboon. As the other animals grew weaker and thirstier by the day, Zebra began watching Baboon’s fire each evening, waiting for the one moment his guard dropped. Could a clever plan and a bundle of charcoal sticks be enough to win the water back? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘swig’, ‘waits’, ‘wet’, ‘wilt’, ‘water’.

Deb hollers for her cat, but Biscuit never comes for dinner. She finds him crouched beside a huge hole in the yard, and something inside is moving. What has the cat dug up? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wee’, ‘swift’, ‘wails’, ‘sweet’, ’twist’.

Pep has three days to build a float for the Great Village Parade, and he’s determined to make it the most spectacular thing the village has ever seen. When his paint cans tip over in a giant splat, will Pep’s wet, wild plan turn into something wonderful, or a total disaster? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wet’, ‘swift’, ‘sweet’, ’twist’, ‘wends’.

Sal has a big plan: she will be the magic queen, with Kip as her best pal and assistant. But she has no hat, no cape, and no tricks, just a dog who wags his tail and waits by the tree. Can Sal turn junk from around the house into a real magic show? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘wags’, ‘sweet’, ‘swift’, ’twists’, ‘wins’.

Ned needs a diamond for the best gear ever, and The Book says he’ll find one deep underground. Down they go, past flickering torches into a tunnel that splits two ways, one path thick with cobwebs and something moving behind them. Will Ned pick the right way through the dark? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 5: w /w/), this book practices words like ‘webs’, ‘swift’, ‘wend’, ‘wits’, ‘wins’.