Animal Books for Kids

What happens when the greediest hyena on the veld meets a very patient hare? Hyena, a hungry ‘heavyweight’, gobbles every scrap of sweet marula fruit she can find, including Hare’s share. But quiet little Hare has a clever plan brewing, one that involves a hollow log, a buzzing bees’ nest, and a lesson about who really eats best. Will Hyena ever figure out what went wrong? This Bookbot level practises the ’eigh’ sound with ‘heavyweight’, ’eighty’, ’neighbours’, and ‘weighs’.

Sungura the Hare has the quickest wits on the savanna, and he is not shy about saying so. But when a hungry leopard with spots on his shadow decides the little hare is exactly the right size for breakfast, can cleverness really beat claws and speed? What daring plan could a small creature dream up when a great hunter is closing in? Race along to find out. This Bookbot level practises words of three or more syllables, like ‘absolutely’, ‘adventurous’, ‘delicious’, and ‘accidentally’.

Everyone on the veld knows Lion’s terrible rule: each week, one animal must offer itself as his meal. Now the turn falls to clever little Hare, who is barely a snack for a beast that outweighs him a hundred times over. Can a creature so small outwit the mightiest hunter on the land? What secret is waiting for Lion down by the old well? This Bookbot level practises the ’eigh’ sound with words like ’eight’, ‘weighs’, ’neighbour’, and ‘outweighs’.

The Hare and the Moon are the very best of friends, yet every night the Moon shines far away across the dark sky. What happens when the Hare decides he simply must sit right beside her? Will leaping to the top of a hill or building a tall tower ever carry him close enough? And when clouds swallow the Moon whole, has he lost his dearest friend forever? A gentle tale about friendship, patience, and quiet wonder. This Bookbot book practises soft ‘c’ words like ‘once’, ‘face’, ‘race’, ‘chance’, and ‘silence’.

Kofi is fifteen and the best tracker in his village, or so he says. Sharp of vision, he sets out to hunt Nkosi, the great silverback gorilla no one dares approach. But when a rotted vine snaps and his bow is lost, who becomes the hunter now? As Kofi lies trapped and afraid, a huge shadow falls over him. This gentle, surprising tale practises the /ʒ/ sound in words like ‘vision’, ‘confusion’, ‘decision’, ‘composure’, and ‘unusual’.

Greedy Gĩcere the hyena eats everything before it’s even cooked, so how can clever Mwĩrĩ the rabbit ever hope to enjoy her sweet potatoes in peace? When she seals the shared clay pot and whispers a brand new rule, will the hungry hyena be patient enough to wait, or will his greed finally get the better of him? Find out who outsmarts whom by the river! This Bookbot level practises the ‘ough’ phonogram with words like ’though’, ‘rough’, ’through’, ’enough’ and ’thought’.

When the great dry season leaves only one well in the village, greedy Bouki decides to sit on top of it and charge for every drop. But can a clever girl named Aissatou find a way to outsmart him before the whole village goes thirsty? What secret does the old cracked stone hold? This story practises the /ʒ/ sound in words like ‘casually’, ‘measuring’, ‘pleasure’, ’treasure’, and ‘closure’.

Three predators bring down a fat wildebeest on the open veld, but no one trusts anyone to split the kill fairly. When Lion orders clever little Jackal to divide the meat, will he grab the juiciest cut like the others and risk a beating, or has he spotted a smarter trick? This Bookbot level practises the ‘ui’ sound with words like ‘juiciest’, ‘bruised’, ’nuisance’, ‘pursuit’, and ‘suits’.

The King of the Waters flows deep and green along the Thukela River, and everyone says a king lives at its bottom, watching all who pass. When most children throw stones and run, a quiet girl named Zintle sits by the bank and wonders what the king eats. So what happens when the river rises and sweeps her family’s seeds away? Could three small kindnesses change everything? This Bookbot level practises the ‘augh’ sound with words like ‘caught’, ’taught’, ‘distraught’ and ’laughter’.

At the edge of the great forest lives Agbe, a heavy old ram who has never run from anything and does not plan to start now. So when a hungry, clever leopard named Ekun creeps close and growls his very best growl, why does Agbe barely lift his head from the grass? Can a calm face and two curved horns really turn a hunter into the hunted? This Bookbot level practises the /ʒ/ sound with ‘usually’, ‘composure’, ‘measured’, ‘occasions’ and ‘pleasure’.