Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels

Bones is the best hunting dog in the valley, brave about everything from snakes to river crossings. But when a storm sends him running scared through the dark, he ends up lost in a strange forest, far from Skel and everything he knows. Will he find his way home? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ’trot’, ‘dog’, ‘red’, ‘mud’, and ‘runs’.

A girl treks across the sun-scorched desert, watching a husk nap in the shade of a big cactus and a rabbit dart between hot sand and cool shelter. With no pond or river in sight, she must pack a bag and a jug, check her map, and plan her route carefully. What will she find as she digs through the flat, dusty land? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘hot’, ‘sand’, ’trek’, ‘plan’, and ‘dusty’.

Gran has a big plan: grow the best coconuts and turn them into bars. Pip helps water the plants and hops from tree to tree, cheering them on. When it’s time to harvest, Pip cranks a lift high into the branches while Gran gathers the fat coconuts above. But the tough husks won’t budge without a real fight. Will Pip stick with the job long enough to taste the reward? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘plan’, ‘hop’, ‘grips’, ’thunk’, ‘snack’.

Anansi the spider is stuck in his web, watching the village children eat while his stomach grumbles, when a parrot tells him about a tiny fairy with a magic spoon that fills any pot with food. Anansi has to have that spoon for himself, but the fairy only shares with a giving hand, so what happens when a hungry, greedy spider tries to make magic work his way? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘bit’, ‘gets’, ‘grabs’, ‘plan’, ‘upset’.

Two villagers are stuck in a dark, wet cave, and their calls for help go nowhere. A zombie lunges from the shadows, and green spots creep across a villager’s skin. Can anyone fix this bad spot before the sun traps them forever? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘bad’, ‘spot’, ’trap’, ‘hot’, and ‘zap’.

A boy finally has one thing that’s just his: a little toy tractor, all to himself while his brother naps. Then something enormous appears in the yard, and he sneaks off for an adventure of his own. But when he spots his brother far out on the plain, everything changes. Can he get back in time to help? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ’tugs’, ‘sprints’, ‘grips’, ‘gasps’, ‘hush’.

A scout prides himself on being the bravest in all the land, unafraid of the dark or danger. But when he spots a village under the big moon and finds every hut empty and dark, he starts to wonder what happened here. Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ’trek’, ‘panic’, ‘grim’, ‘gasps’ and ‘fast’.

Dot is a big, soft sheep who loves life with the flock on the land. But when it’s time to head home, she gets stuck fast in the gate, and no amount of bumping or pushing can budge her. Her friends have ideas: stretch, run, swim, shrink down small. Will any of them help Dot fit? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘stuck’, ‘bumps’, ‘grin’, and ‘fix’.

Max sits with a rock and a feather, sure the rock will win the drop. But when Dad shows up with a strange balance tool, Max starts to wonder: is a big lump always heavier than a big pile of little ones? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘rock’, ’lump’, ‘sits’, ‘grins’, ’thinks’.

A big rex bursts out of the plants, sure he’s the greatest dinosaur ever, and he’s ready to prove it to a crowd of unimpressed dinosaurs. He blinks at the giants towering over him and the tiny hunters that dash past faster than he can, but is he really the biggest and best around? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘dash’, ‘grin’, ‘stand’, and ‘fast’.

Don finally finds the perfect cap at the market, and it’s the best thing he’s ever owned. But one gust of wind sends it spinning up, up, and out of reach, landing high where no one can grab it. Can Don ever get his cap back? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘cap’, ‘gust’, ‘grabs’, ’lost’, ‘sad’.

Pip and Tom spot painters brightening the garden wall and beg for a turn of their own. When a kind painter hands them brushes for the garden gate, the pair can’t believe their luck. Can two kids really handle a big job like this? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘job’, ‘grin’, ‘splash’, and ‘quick’.

Tim never stops. He stops to watch bugs, stops to sing to butterflies, stops for anything sparkly. So when his flock flies off without him and dusk turns to dark, can Tim reach them before something with a net does? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘stop’, ‘flap’, ‘bug’, ‘grips’, and ‘dusk’.

Lex loves quiet reading on the shelf, but his little brother Tang would rather eat books than read them. When their mother says Tang must learn to read too, Lex leaps off the shelf with a book held over his head, and the two find a spot to practise, right in the same room as a sleeping cat. Can Tang stay quiet long enough to learn his letters? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘cat’, ‘sits’, ’nap’, ‘big’, and ‘grins’.

The Mage wakes to find every golem in the village gone, leaving nothing to guard against the monsters that come out at dusk. With his friends, he sets off to hunt for the fat plants needed to mend them before dark falls. Can they gather enough in time? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘spot’, ‘mend’, ‘hunts’, and ‘plants’.

A hen keeps watch from the farm roof while a frog sits low in the plants below, both waiting, waiting, still. Down the dusty path, a man on a rig grins as he passes, and a big cow just munches on and on without a glance. Could something out there really be looking back? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘cat’, ‘frog’, ‘hen’, ‘big’, and ‘fast’.

Hippo splashes and struts through her river, chasing every animal from the bank with one enormous splash. But Tortoise sits quietly on the mud, watching, and he has noticed something Hippo has never had to think about: a hippo’s mouth just can’t stay shut for long. Can Tortoise use that one small fact to win the whole river back for everyone? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘bet’, ‘shut’, ‘mud’, ‘hot’ and ‘plan’.

Wasp zips over the pond looking for a sweet snack, but hungry Frog has other plans. One snap of his tongue and Wasp is trapped, kicking and yelling for Frog to let her go. Could this tiny wasp really turn the tables on a frog twice her size? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘zip’, ‘grips’, ‘stuck’, ‘snack’, and ‘plan’.

Ned has a big plan: never munch another loaf of bread again! With help from his best friend, a magical talking Book, he grips a homemade fishing rod and sprints for the sand, sure that catching a fish will be easy. But when he casts and the string drops with a plop, will Ned have the patience to stand and wait for something to tug? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘plan’, ‘grips’, ’tugs’, and ‘snap’.

A girl’s morning by the red pool turns upside down when a spotted stranger’s shadow falls across the grass. Leopard hasn’t eaten since yesterday, and he thinks she looks just the right size. She runs, she dodges, she zigzags past rocks, but can she outrun a hunter who is faster than her over open ground? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘zigzags’, ‘quick’, ‘plan’, ‘stops’, ‘grand’.

Njoki treks to the dry riverbed every morning to find water for her sick mother and hungry brothers. One day she digs up a strange, fat gourd hidden in the sand. It pours out more water and milk than it should ever hold, but she senses it has a secret rule she must not break, so what happens when someone else finds out? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘drip’, ‘gushes’, ‘cup’, ‘fit’, and ‘sad’.

Three animals fight over a big kill, and no one trusts anyone to split it fairly. When it’s a small jackal’s turn to divide the feast between two furious, much bigger animals, can he find a plan that keeps the peace and still gets him a share? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘split’, ‘grab’, ‘plan’, ‘mad’, and ‘fret’.

The land is cracked and dry, and a girl’s family has no water left. When her father tries to reach the deep pool that could wake the sleeping Rain Bull, thick thorns block his path and he comes home scratched and sad. Watching him, she picks up some reeds by the sand and starts to think. Could she find a way through where he could not? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘crop’, ‘sad’, ’thick’, ‘plan’.

A player has a big plan to find rare treasure deep underground, but the path is hot, dark, and blocked by dangerous mobs. He digs through rock, dodges bubbling danger, and fights his way forward, chunk by chunk. Will he gather enough to finally go home? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘big’, ‘plan’, ‘hot’, ‘rock’, ‘chunk’.

Sam is sent to bring the calf home before dark, but his friends are playing a game just up the path, and he cannot resist joining in. The calf trots along happily at first, then plants its feet in a patch of grass and refuses to budge no matter how hard Sam tugs. Will Sam get the calf home before dusk falls? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘sits’, ‘munches’, ’trots’, ’tugs’, ‘quick’.

Every evening Auma fills her water container at the great silver lake, until a green hand rises from the water with a strange gift. She keeps the small feather safe and dry, not knowing why, until a storm traps her dad’s boat far from shore. The men say to wait, but Auma remembers a promise. Will she dare the waves to call the spirit’s name? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘dad’, ‘runs’, ‘wet’, ‘grabs’, ‘hums’.

Thabo has never crossed the stepping stones his village warns him about, until a strange, low moan calls him toward the deep water. When he finds a crocodile trapped and gasping under a boulder on the sandbar, will he risk everything to help the creature everyone fears? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘croc’, ‘big’, ‘stuck’, ‘fit’, and ‘rash’.

Ned is glum. Every monster fight leaves him covered in bumps, and his magic Book has a plan: real armour, made from cow leather. But the herd won’t stand still, and each attempt to sneak up on them goes wrong in a new and messy way. Can Ned get quick and quiet enough to grab what he needs before dark? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘bumps’, ‘munch’, ‘grins’, ‘quick’ and ‘swift’.

Ned stands at the edge of a shed-building afternoon when The Book has other plans: time to explore a cave. Torch in hand, Ned steps into the dark, unsure what waits below. What will he find when the ground gives way beneath his feet? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘pit’, ‘grips’, ‘mob’, ‘gap’, and ‘plank’.

A giraffe lives with his mum in a little yellow house on a hill, and every morning she says the same thing: be good, and do not be daft. Mum works hard at the farm, but the sun gets hotter and hotter until her smile wobbles. What can a small giraffe do to help his mum? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘hot’, ‘plan’, ‘munch’, ‘grins’ and ‘stop’.

It is hot, hot, hot, and the land can not nap. A sad kid gets mad, and a mum pats his back, but the kid must rest! The Moon asks The Sun to stop and let the land nap too, but he mocks her and gets hot, hot, hot. Can the Moon find a way to bring cool, dim rest to the land at last? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘can’, ’nap’, ‘hot’, ‘sad’, ‘mad’.

Leuk the hare is small, but he’s quick, keen, and always thinking. When Bour the Lion loses his shiny wrist band and promises the finest farm to whoever finds it, greedy Bouki dashes off at once, sure he’ll win, while Leuk just sits under a tree and thinks. Can wit beat speed and grab the prize first? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘plan’, ‘quick’, ’thinks’, ‘grin’ and ‘strong’.

Mama Bear runs as fast as she can every day at three o’clock, but every single parent zooms right past her, and Baby Bear is always the last one waiting in the schoolyard. What could possibly help Mama Bear keep up? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘fast’, ‘dad’, ‘bag’, ‘hot’, ‘run’.

A dog waits by the window every morning, watching for her chance to escape. The second Mum’s car turns the corner, she leaps the fence and races off with her best friend Pal for wild yard romps and secret songs with a new furry pal next door. Can she make it home before Mum ever finds out she was gone? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘zips’, ‘jump’, ‘grin’, ’tugs’, ‘snug’.

Ned’s little wheat farm is finally sprouting, but night is falling fast, and he knows better than to stay outside once the sun goes down. Something is already creeping closer in the dark, waiting in the tall stalks. Will Ned’s crop survive till morning? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 2: short vowels), this book practises words like ‘crop’, ‘glad’, ‘sit’, ‘fast’, and ‘grim’.