Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck

A big black Enderman is hiding in the rock den, and it does not look happy at all. Fig Pig will not look away, no matter how much a player begs him to. When the Enderman picks up a block and vanishes into the dark, what could it possibly want with it? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘block’, ‘rock’, ‘stack’, ‘check’ and ‘picks’.

Crow is exhausted but sure he has a genius plan: wow a rabbit, a rooster, and a lizard with his singing and make some pals. His new friends stay quiet through his first big note, so Crow takes that as a yes and belts out his loudest, proudest song yet. Will they stick around to hear more, or bolt the moment he opens his beak? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘crack’, ‘shock’, ’luck’, ‘pecks’, ‘rock’.

Zap, Yan and Zen swoop down to a gray, paint-less land with one job: color it in, without ever mixing all three colors together. But when the first splash of paint flies, will they stick to the plan? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘flicks’, ‘checks’, ‘crack’, ‘kicks’ and ‘sack’.

Anansi the trickster loves figs, but a swarm of hornets has claimed every single one on the village’s grandest tree. With the whole village hungry and no plan of their own, can a clever spider outwit a furious swarm before anyone else gets stung? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘pick’, ‘quick’, ‘stack’, ’trick’, ‘sack’.

Kim just wants to learn the loom like her mother, but a mysterious tapping noise won’t leave her alone. It leads her out into the street and through a dusty door to an ancient, dust-covered loom that seems to be alive. When Kim rests her hands on it, what will happen next? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘click’, ‘clacks’, ‘stuck’, ‘quick’, and ‘shock’.

A boy spots a giant cloud man waving in the sky, and soon a cloud lady joins him for a dancing, singing show that pulls in every kid, pet, and bird nearby. But when the cloud band starts to drum louder and louder, the sky turns dark. Will the fun turn into something stormier before everyone can dash inside? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘kick’, ‘rock’, ‘black’, ‘quick’, ‘struck’.

Skel keeps his brick house spotless, but Zom and Jack think dirt is just fine. When Skel finally quits cleaning and walks out the door, the two of them flop in the sun with no chores at all. What could possibly go wrong with a house nobody mops? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘muck’, ‘brick’, ‘crack’, ‘kick’, ‘snack’.

A girl chops trees for wood, but thick, dark forests hide dangers, and cutting too much leaves the land bare. Can she pack a sack, stock up, and help the forest come back? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘stack’, ‘pack’, ’thick’, ‘flock’, ’luck’.

Rooster arrives in town with three rules and no farm, but rules don’t fill an empty stomach on a cold street corner. When a kind man and his wife offer him corn and a home, will a rooster with pride finally accept help? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘cluck’, ’luck’, ‘peck’, ‘stuck’, ‘black’.

Deep in the wood, a big red plant named Dot has spots, a booming voice, and a smell nobody else wants to admit they’ve noticed. The other plants turn up their noses, but Dot just grins under the moon and waits for morning. When the bees zip right past her without stopping, will Dot ever find friends who love her exactly as she is? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘flock’, ‘mock’, ‘pick’, ’thick’, ‘black’.

Ned is the only miner in the whole world, and his pockets are already bursting with gold and gems from the cave. He needs a big, strong helper to carry it all, so he sets off across the plains looking for a horse. But what he finds waggling its ears in the distance might not be a horse at all? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘kick’, ‘buck’, ’luck’, ‘snack’, ‘stick’.

Dad is back with a sack of food, but a girl doesn’t want dinner yet, she wants to draw. She checks the food, picks colors, and gets to work, until it’s Cat’s turn to sit still for a portrait. Cat won’t stop moving, and the drawing turns into a stuck, muck-covered mess. Can a girl find another way to capture her wriggly pet? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘pick’, ‘stick’, ‘stuck’, ‘check’, ‘quick’.

Red has made himself a promise: walk through town without covering his ears, not even once. But horns honk, drills rattle, and the noise crashes in faster than he can handle it. Then he spots something red bobbing through the crowd. Could it be his friend, right when Red needs him most? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘block’, ‘stuck’, ‘quick’, ’truck’, ‘shock’.

A speckled hen keeps hearing about a strange black mark near the coop, and every animal on the farm has a different idea about what it might be. From the guard dog on the wicker fence to the quick little pet that checks every corner, no one can agree, so what is really out there? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ‘checks’, ‘quick’, ‘peck’, ‘muck’.

Brat Cat runs a tight farm: hens locked in, chick counted, nobody gets in or out. But when a storm cracks the sky and a lone horse appears in the trees, Brat Cat spots the perfect new addition to her pen. What she finds waiting on the track is far stranger than any horse she’s met before. Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘click’, ‘crack’, ’track’, ‘shock’, ‘black’.

Ned is lost in the dark woods, and things are about to get much worse. When a skeleton’s arrow whistles past his ear, there’s only one thing to do: grab a bow and fight back. But can one perfect shot really be enough to survive the night? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ‘click’, ‘pack’, ‘pick’, ‘attack’.

A boy has finally saved enough coins for his very own magic wand, but the shopkeeper hands him a worn, bent, old thing with a chipped gem instead of the shiny wands in the window. It sparks and pops and turns his simple wishes into cars, ribbons and mountains of candy, never quite the train or ball he asked for. Will this strange old wand ever get anything right? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ’luck’, ‘crack’, ‘quick’, ‘stuck’.

When Starfang the spider slips out of the barn one night, the wide world outside is bursting with flavors he’s never tasted before. But juicy berries and sweet blooms aren’t the only things hiding in the dark, and one wrong turn leads him somewhere with glowing red eyes and no easy way out. Will his farm friends find him before it’s too late? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘stuck’, ‘rock’, ’track’, ‘quick’, ’luck’.

Boma taps rhythms on logs, on fabric, on his own bruised knees, but he has no drum, and Elephant guards the only one in the forest, never lending it to anyone. He watches her walk her track to the salt-lick each day and forms a plan that has nothing to do with taking. Could a sweet gift for Elephant be the key to a drum of his own? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ‘snack’, ‘pick’, ‘click’, ’track’.

Zintle spends her days by the deep green river, helping the creatures no one else stops for. But when the water rises overnight and sweeps away her family’s seeds and supplies, she must face the river’s hidden king and find a gift worthy enough to win everything back. Will she pick the right one? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘stuck’, ‘kick’, ‘pick’, ‘quick’, ’thick’.

Tsuro the Hare is quick, clever, and much too curious for his own good. When all the animals gather at the great rocks to receive gifts from Mwari, Tsuro can’t resist creeping to the back of the rock den and pressing his ear to a crack, desperate to hear secrets meant for someone else. What will he hear, and what will it cost him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘crack’, ‘check’, ‘stick’, ‘snuck’, ‘quick’.

Owino is sure his loud, quick rain-calling trick will save the dry fields, but the sky stays silent. His sister has spent two days quietly reading the land instead, watching the ants, the birds, and the wind. When Owino’s confident plan hits a setback, will anyone listen to what she has found? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘quick’, ‘check’, ‘rock’, ‘stuck’, ’luck’.

A girl keeps the tidiest garden on the hillside, until one morning she finds a thick, coiled snake watching her from the grass. Her grandmother says it brings good luck, but her brother wants it gone, and the whole village is about to find out. Will the snake stay, or will it slip away for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘rock’, ’thick’, ’neck’, ’luck’ and ‘shock’.

Fisi the hyena wants every last pod from the baobab tree, and he isn’t willing to wait his turn or ask nicely. When a girl named Mwanajuma comes to collect her family’s share, Fisi charges up the path to grab it all for himself. Will the tree let him get away with it? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘pick’, ‘kicks’, ‘sticks’, ’trick’, ’luck’.

Lion makes every animal take turns offering itself as his next meal, and this week it’s Hare’s turn. Hare shows up late with a wild story about another lion who’s taken over and mocked Lion’s crown, daring Lion to come see for himself. Will Lion catch on before his temper gets the better of him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘rock’, ‘quick’, ‘stuck’, ‘duck’, ‘snack’.

A pangolin is tangled in a net by the river, small and frightened and rolled tight into a ball. When a girl carefully unties every knot to set it free, the grateful creature offers her a strange gift and one firm rule to follow. But when a jealous neighbor tries to copy the trick without listening to the rule, what will she find growing outside her own door? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘stuck’, ‘block’, ‘crack’, ‘flock’ and ‘mock’.

Zom decides to become a farmer, planting a perfect garden by torchlight. But when he wakes up, a noisy flock of chickens has trampled everything, pecking and kicking up the soil. Can Zom lock up the chickens and save his crops before something even stranger creeps in? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘cluck’, ‘chickens’, ‘flock’, ‘pecks’, ‘stuck’.

A girl is desperately thirsty, and every drop of water in her whole town seems to have vanished. She checks the pump, the tank, and the creek, but finds nothing except cracks and dust. Will one lonely cloud in the sky be her last hope? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ’luck’, ‘picks’, ‘slack’, ‘checks’, ‘crack’.

Shawn’s pencils have a secret: they wake up the moment he falls asleep. One quick shadow sends them scrambling back into the box in a panic, but a curious peek at Shawn’s drawings reveals something surprising. Could a plain pencil sketch be hiding a colorful secret? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ‘quick’, ‘stick’, ‘click’ and ‘pick’.

The Mage has a secret spell he can’t resist trying, so he sneaks out under cover of darkness with his staff and book. Boom! Crack! Sparks light up the sky, and it’s more fun than he imagined. The next morning Jill spots him with a plan of her own for the village. What is she about to ask him to help build? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘crack’, ‘pick’, ‘stack’, ‘back’.

A cat gets stuck in a tall tree, and it takes a ladder, a hammer, and a whole lot of chaos to bring her down. Between the noisy rescue and the mess that follows, one kid ends up with a very strange story to tell. Will anyone believe what really happened today? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘stuck’, ‘crack’, ‘quick’, ’luck’ and ‘black’.

Zom is glum. His zombie neighbors only ever groan about brains, so he sets off to find a real friend and stumbles on a buzzing beehive full of them. His first attempt to say hello goes badly wrong, and the bees are not impressed. Can Zom find a better way to win them over? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘check’, ‘quick’, ‘rocks’, ‘shock’, ’luck’.

Deep in the forest, a clever tortoise crosses paths with a hungry leopard who has had no luck hunting all day. Quick thinking is his only defense: he taps his hard back and claims it hides a magic secret. Will the leopard believe a story clever enough to save the tortoise’s life? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ‘quick’, ’trick’, ’luck’, ’neck’.

Dibs the dragon has one thing he loves more than anything: the golden bell on his tail. When it bounces away into the Dragon School, he chases after it, waiting in line, dodging big dragons, determined to get it back. But just as he grabs it, a quick dragon swoops down and snatches it right out of his paws. Will Dibs ever get his bell back? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘back’, ‘stuck’, ‘quick’, ‘rock’, ’luck’.

Zom and Skel have one rule: check the door before bed. Tonight, neither one did. Now their house is crawling with monsters, and it’s up to Zom, Skel, Bones, and Starfang to kick them all back out before things get worse. Will their team be quick enough to fight back the pack? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 3: ck as in duck), this book practices words like ‘kick’, ‘smack’, ‘stuck’, ‘rock’, ‘crack’.