Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)

Ned’s shed is home, but it’s drab and dull, and The Book has a plan to fix it. First they need blue clay from the beach, then bricks from the blaze, then pots for flowers, lots and lots of flowers. But when Ned races through the flower field and grabs a big fistful, will he be safe, or will he hear a buzz he should have listened to? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘shine’, ‘safe’, ‘bakes’, ‘chase’, ’time’.

Jade swears curly is always better than straight, and her hair proves it with every bounce and shine. But when she meets a horse, a cow, and a lion with tails that hang perfectly straight, and finds a staircase that twists all the way up, will anything change her mind? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘shine’, ‘smile’, ‘wide’, ‘safe’, and ‘pride’.

Five kids and a dog make up the squad, and they’re sure nothing can stop them from winning the big game. But when a bus pulls up and a much bigger, tougher team steps off, the squad can only stop and gaze. Can this small squad really beat opponents twice their size? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘game’, ’nice’, ‘gaze’, ’takes’, ‘wise’.

Anansi the spider has a big plan: gather all the wisdom in the world and hide it inside one pot, so everyone must come to him for answers. He hugs the heavy pot to his chest and tries to climb a tall tree to hide it, but his legs slide right back down every time. Will he ever find a way to get his pot to the top? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘slide’, ‘wise’, ‘gripe’, ‘glides’, ’takes’.

Pip the mouse finds a big, empty house and thinks he has it all to himself. But when he tugs at a strange rope on the desk, it turns out to have a mind of its own. Could this odd little “mouse” actually help him hide from the giant cat prowling the house? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘hope’, ’nose’, ‘smile’, ‘gazes’, ‘chases’.

Fig Pig marches into the old mine with his pickaxe and lamp, sure he’ll find the finest coal ever. But the tunnels hide old chests, a sleeping spider, and a path across a fiery blaze. Will he make it back outside safe? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘brave’, ‘blade’, ‘safe’, ‘mistake’, ‘outside’.

A kid loves the wide, flat Minecraft plains, where cows, pigs, and chickens graze in the lush grass. Fishing in the lake, exploring the sunny fields, and watching the herd by the gate fill each day. But when too many big mobs pack into the same place, the grass starts to disappear. Can the kid find a way to keep this fine, wide home safe for every mob? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘safe’, ‘graze’, ‘wide’, ‘gate’, ’lake’.

Skel is jolted awake by booming music shaking his room, and outside he finds llamas dancing across the farm, refusing to budge no matter how he shoos them. More arrive every sunup, munching crops and filling the yard, until Skel is desperate for a plan. Can he and Zom find a way to make peace with a farm full of llamas? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘wakes’, ‘gaze’, ‘safe’, ‘home’, ‘joke’.

Meg loves peeking at Ben’s shiny pen from close by, and one day she finally gets to hold it while he’s away from home. But stuck to its side is a strange black block that does something no pen ever has. What will happen when Meg tests it on everything inside the house? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘side’, ‘close’, ‘inside’, ‘safe’, ‘wide’.

Ned’s shed is finally finished, with four walls, a roof, and windows that gaze out at the darkening sky. But when The Book points out something missing, Ned’s smile fades. Could one forgotten hole leave him wide open to whatever comes next? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘home’, ‘close’, ‘safe’, ‘wide’, ’time’.

The spirits hide beneath the river, watching with quiet eyes. When a flash flood destroys her father’s bridge, a girl vows to fix it herself, wading in to clear the water and befriending the current. But the spirits point to a rubbish pile, the broken bridge, and a distant hillside without saying a word. What are they trying to tell her? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘brave’, ‘gazes’, ‘hikes’, ‘safe’, ‘shade’.

A boy has one job tonight: keep his beloved white calf calm during the noisy New Year march. Lanterns shine, crowds close in, and the calf grows scared as hands reach for his tail. Can the boy stay brave and keep his promise never to leave his friend’s side? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘shine’, ‘brave’, ‘chase’, ‘close’, ‘safe’.

Nell gazes at her new school shirt, but the buttons look impossible. She tugs, twists and races around the house asking Mum, Dad, Gramps, Gran and Tim for help, and every single one is too busy. Will Nell ever get her shirt on in time for her very first day of school? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘gazes’, ‘hopes’, ‘races’, ‘gapes’, and ‘smiles’.

Hen has settled onto her nest, determined to be the best mum in the whole wide land, and she will not budge for breakfast, lunch, or even her favourite show. But one quiet morning brings a tiny tap from inside an egg. What is about to hatch? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘gazes’, ‘hikes’, ‘shakes’, ‘smiles’, ’time’.

At the campsite, Naru sits with her grandmother, gazing up at a sky full of stars. When the rains fail and the elders argue over which way to trek, Grandmother shares a tale of a star that rises over hidden water. Can Naru find its faint shine before the band runs dry? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘shine’, ’tale’, ‘brave’, ‘wake’.

Remi loves the sound of the Oba’s magic drum more than anything in the world, the way it fills the whole town with a feast whenever it’s beaten with a giving heart. But when a greedy merchant sneaks close to the palace gate and the drum vanishes from its cushion, tracks in the red dust are all that’s left behind. Will Remi catch him before he’s gone for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘close’, ‘gate’, ‘safe’, ‘brave’, ‘races’.

A purple towel takes off in the wind, and everyone seems to want it: a girl at the tub, a man in the yard, an old man on the porch. Will it ever make it back home? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘fine’, ‘smiles’, ‘close’, ‘dozes’, ’time’.

Cuckoo can dive, glide, and zip through the sky better than any bird around, but there is one thing she cannot do, and it is the one thing a cuckoo absolutely must do. Her call has gone missing, and no matter where she looks, it stays lost. Will Cuckoo ever find her voice again? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘dive’, ‘glide’, ‘wide’, ‘hope’, and ‘shine’.

Fish is fed up with being wet all the time, so he tries life as a rabbit, then a bird, wobbling and flopping with no luck. When a smiling cat calls out that she’s his biggest fan, Fish is thrilled, until her claws come out! Will Fish ever find someone who truly likes him just as he is? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘dive’, ‘hides’, ‘safe’, ’nice’, ‘brave’.

Meg the vet has fixed every hurt paw and wing in the forest, but her precious medicine jar is nearly empty. She sets off deep into the woods to find the rare herb she needs, helping a itchy monkey and an injured bird along the way. But when a hungry baby fawn gets tangled in vines, will there be any medicine left by the time Meg makes it home? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘brave’, ‘smiles’, ’takes’, ‘gazes’, ‘safe’.

Pip is new here, with no pals and no home yet. When four animals nearby all seem to have a problem, Pip decides to help, one by one. Will Pip’s plan finally earn him some friends? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘ace’, ‘smiles’, ‘brave’, ‘close’, ‘safe’.

Hope has a big plan: fly through the garden and pick just one favourite flower. Easy, right? But between chatty bees, curious birds, and rows of beautiful blooms all begging to be “the one,” how will she ever choose? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘hope’, ‘gazes’, ‘close’, ‘fine’, and ‘shine’.

Indlovu is the biggest, proudest elephant on the hillside, and she is sure the whole land should bow to her. But when she boasts to a storm cloud that she does not need rain, the water stops coming, the ground cracks wide, and a small calf grows too weak and unsafe to stand. Can Indlovu learn to be humble before it is too late? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘wide’, ‘pride’, ‘safe’, ‘brave’, ‘strides’.

Siyanda tends his family’s cattle alone on the hills, and when the smallest, oldest cow falls in the riverbed and hopes fade, he stays close, pouring water and comfort. Will his kindness be noticed by anyone at all? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘gazes’, ‘hopes’, ‘safe’, ‘brave’, ‘wise’.

When the Moon vanishes from the night sky for months, the world grows dark and cold, and the harvest suffers. A brave hare offers to carry the people’s thanks to the Moon’s hiding place high in the mountains, crossing a river where a crocodile lurks. Will he reach her in time to bring light home? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘safe’, ‘hides’, ‘brave’, ‘close’, ‘shine’.

Sam has waited his whole life for a noodle-eating contest, and now that it’s finally here, he’s sure it’s his to win. But when rival Tim shows up cracking his knuckles and talking big, Sam knows he’ll need every trick to stay ahead. Can Sam out-eat Tim before the big race even begins? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘race’, ‘prize’, ‘mine’, ’time’, ‘smile’.

Gran can juggle anything: pans, spoons, even Pop’s watch, without breaking a sweat. When she starts flipping tools, books, and stamps around the shop, papers fly everywhere and the shopkeeper is not pleased. Can Gran find something safer to toss before her tricks cause any more trouble? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘safe’, ‘crave’, ‘hope’, ’takes’, ’late’.

Sun and Moon keep an open door on the savanna, with room for every friend who visits. But Water has never come inside, warning that they don’t travel alone. What happens when Water finally accepts the invitation? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘home’, ‘wave’, ‘smile’, ‘glide’, ‘inside’.

Bim is stuck on a reading test, and every word feels impossible until he sounds one out and something wild happens. A grandad steps right out of the page, sipping tea like nothing’s strange. Then a grandma, a hen, and a cat follow, each one stranger than the last. Could five simple words really bring a whole gang to life? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ’name’, ’time’, ‘brave’, ‘smile’, and ‘shine’.

A boy can’t stop daydreaming. One moment he’s on the moon waving at stars, the next he’s a bug hunter clinging to a tree trunk, and then a goat on a narrow rocky ledge. Butterfly, mole, fish, he keeps changing before he can catch his breath. Then a warm smell drifts by and pulls him along, but where will it take him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘glides’, ‘hillside’, ‘wakes’ and ‘home’.

Kate loves floating in the creek near her home, safe and calm. One splashy afternoon, she frees a tiny fish tangled in the weeds, and it promises her a gift. Could a creek really carry a girl all the way to the ocean? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘brave’, ‘dives’, ‘shine’, ‘wakes’, ‘wave’.

Beth’s nest is nearly perfect, except for one empty spot at the front that bugs her every day. Her mum sends her off to find the ideal flower, but every bug and bee in the garden seems to have a reason she shouldn’t pick theirs. Will Beth ever find a flower nobody warns her away from? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘shine’, ‘smile’, ‘wide’, ‘fine’, ’time’.

Ben’s cat Pip won’t come for dinner, and paw prints lead him to a towering junk pile with eyes that snatches her away for a ride through the streets. Pip seems to love every second of it, batting scraps and purring atop the mess, while Ben chases after her, wondering how he’ll ever get his cat back from a monster made of trash. Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘pile’, ’takes’, ‘chases’, ‘gapes’, ‘wakes’.

Nozipho sits and gazes at her home on the hill, but no rain comes and the land bakes and fades. When every man’s plan fails, a girl brings her a dish and hears the old woman speak of something close by, something they already have. Could the answer really be right under their noses the whole time? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘smiles’, ‘wise’, ‘close’, ’time’, ‘home’.

A monster looms on the hillside, gulping up men and kids and homes without warning, and eleven-year-old Kwezi is running out of numbers to count. When a sharp rod fails and a wise old healer offers only a pale tube and a strange plan, can a boy with a small notebook and a big fire really make a monster let go? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 2, Unit 5: magic e (a_e i_e o_e)), this book practises words like ‘hillside’, ‘flame’, ‘makes’, ‘brave’, ‘smoke’.