Animal Books for Kids

Bird has waited three long weeks for her eggs to hatch, but when hunger pulls her off the nest, a curious dog comes sniffing around the leaves. Will she make it back in time? And what will her chicks do when they tumble out and meet the wrong mum first? This decodable reader practises le/al/el/il words such as ’little,’ ‘gobbles,’ ’tremble,’ and ‘huddle.’

Zom and Skel have raced to the top of a hill - but what is that strange, glowing egg Zom has found at the bottom? Nobody seems to want it. Not a hen, not a squid, not even a dragon! Will Skel ever find out what laid this odd egg, and what sort of creature might hatch out of it? This decodable reader practises the ‘kn’ phonogram in words like ‘knew,’ ‘kneel,’ ‘knocking,’ and ‘unknown.’

A long line of ants is marching straight across the yard, and they look hungry - very hungry! Where are they going, and how much food is enough for so many tiny mouths? From roller skates to a picnic blanket, from the kitchen cupboards to a sweet surprise on the counter, these tough little workers will not stop searching. Will they find the perfect snack? This decodable reader practises the ‘ough’ sound in words like ’thought,’ ’enough,’ ’tough,’ and ‘brought.’

Rose the sheep is finally heading home after a long summer on the hill - but wait, what’s this? A brand-new gate, and it’s far too small for a big, woolly sheep! Can yoga shrink her down? Will running do the trick? What about swimming? After three weeks of trying, Rose has one last, brilliant idea. This decodable reader practises the ‘kn’ sound in words like ‘knew,’ ‘kneel,’ ‘knots,’ and ‘knuckles.’

Who took a huge bite from the ripest guava on the tree? Kina and Kale are on the case! Was it a hungry caterpillar, a sneaky grasshopper, or even a magic pixie? When every guess turns out wrong, the brave detectives set up camp under the tree to catch the mystery biter. Could the culprit only come out at night? This decodable reader practises soft g words such as ‘giant,’ ‘magic,’ ‘orange,’ and ‘huge.’

Poor Caterpillar has lost his favourite shoe, and with so many feet to cover, one bare foot just will not do! Was it stolen? Did it wiggle away on its own? He asks Frog, Grasshopper, and Crab for help, but every shoe they offer is wrong in a new and wobbly way. Will he ever find the perfect fit? This decodable reader practises 3+ syllable words such as “caterpillar,” “yesterday,” “fortunately,” and “butterfly.”

Why does Tortoise have a cracked shell? Long ago he had the smoothest shell in all the land, but he could never stop talking, not even when he should. So when the birds fly off to a great feast in the sky and clever Tortoise begs a ride, will he keep the one promise that could save him? Soar high above the clouds in this warm African folktale. This Bookbot level practises the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ‘being’, ‘ceiling’, ‘height’, ‘receive’, and ‘weird’.

Tik the mouse has found the perfect empty house - no cats, no dogs, no people. But when he bites a strange rubbery rope on the desk, a very angry voice shouts back! Who is Klik, the round little creature who claims to be a mouse but has no whiskers, no paws, and no snout? And when a huge cat comes prowling, can this odd new friend really save the day? This decodable reader practises the ‘kn’ sound in words like ‘knew,’ ‘knot,’ ‘knees,’ and ‘knucklehead.’

Zom is sure the husks will be the best desert neighbours ever - after all, they have their own little village, so they must have manners, right? But what happens when his friendly hello gets no reply? What about a cactus gift, or a ride on a freshly tamed camel? And when the husks suddenly lurch off toward the beach, what could possibly have grabbed their attention? This decodable reader practises the ’eigh’ phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ’neighbours,’ ‘weighing,’ and ‘weight.’

Anansi is caught, and Leopard means to eat him at dusk. But how does one small spider outwit a hungry leopard guarding the only way out? When Anansi finds a bundle of fiery pepper in the den, a clever idea begins to spin. Can a whisper about seasoning and a leopard’s proud reputation buy enough time to escape? This Bookbot book practises reading longer words of three or more syllables, like ‘unfortunate’, ‘reputation’, ‘magnificent’, and ‘satisfaction’.