Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed

Fig Pig spots something strange near the dark cave, tall and glowing-eyed, and it won’t stop staring back. That night it shows up right outside his house, and its purple eyes burn like it’s furious about something. Fig Pig wants to hide, but he can’t look away. Why is it so mad? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘strange’, ‘stay’, ‘wait’, ‘shake’.

Crow has flown all day, and his wings feel like wet rags, but he’s got a plan: wow some new friends with his singing voice. He spots a rabbit, a rooster and a lizard under a big tree and swoops down with his best grin. Will his big, loud wail win him any mates? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wail’, ‘mates’, ‘aim’, ‘gazes’, ‘stage’.

Rex, Joy and Cal have one job: paint the whole grey town with colour. Red, yellow and blue can mix in pairs, but there’s one rule they must never break: never mix all three at once. When Rex gets a mischievous glint in his eye, will the dinosaurs stick to the plan, or will curiosity get the better of them? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ‘gaze’, ‘pale’, ‘daze’, ‘paint’.

Anansi loves figs more than anything, but a swarm of angry hornets has claimed the whole village’s fig tree for themselves. When Old Grandmother Akosua gets stung and drops her basket, the whole village is left with nothing but plain yams to eat. Can a clever spider outsmart a swarm of furious hornets before they sting him too? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ‘away’, ‘stay’, ‘race’, ‘plain’.

Kim just wants her mother to teach her to weave, but every day the answer is the same: “not today.” Then a strange tapping leads her to an old, dusty loom that seems to come alive on its own. When she rests her hands on the frame just like her mother does, threads shoot out in every direction, and the loom itself begins to rise. Where will it take her? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wave’, ‘stay’, ‘day’, ‘ride’, ‘strange’.

A boy spots a man floating in the clouds and is sure the wave is just for him, but the girl and their sibling gaze up too, wondering who the cloud man is really waving at. Will he come back, or fade away for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wave’, ‘gaze’, ‘wide’, ‘fade’, ‘wait’.

Skel keeps his brick house spotless, but Zom and Jack think dirt is fine. When Skel finally walks out the gate and leaves them to their mess, the pair grin at their newfound freedom in the sunny yard. No chores, no fussing, just lazing about like kings, what could possibly go wrong? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘stay’, ‘gate’, ’laze’, ‘fine’, ‘day’.

A forest can be a cool, shady home for a player, but it hides dangers behind every trunk. Dark forests stay dark even at noon, so mobs can strike at any time. Can a player stay safe while gathering wood, and help the forest thrive again after the trees fall? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘safe’, ‘shade’, ‘stay’, ‘wide’, ‘hide’.

A rooster with rules ends up alone on a street corner after his farmer drives away, and town is no kinder to a proud, hungry bird. Then a kind man and his wife offer him corn and a home. But late one night, a strange creaking sound wakes him in the dark. Could a rooster’s rules be enough to save the family who took him in? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘home’, ‘wife’, ‘safe’, ‘raid’.

Deep in the wood, a big red flower named Fay has a smell so strong it can make you blink. The other blooms turn up their noses, but Fay just grins and gives her petals a shake. Will Fay find friends who love her smell as much as she does? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘stay’, ‘way’, ‘gaze’, ‘shake’, ‘same’.

Ned is the only miner in a world full of gold, but his pockets are far too small to carry it all. He sets off across the plains hoping to find a horse to help, and spots something white with a tail in the distance. Could this mystery animal be exactly the helper he needs? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ’tail’, ‘day’, ‘face’, ’name’.

A girl would rather draw dinner than eat it, filling her sketchpad with bold red tomatoes and bumpy green cucumbers while Dad waits to start cooking. But her cat won’t sit still for a portrait, no matter how hard she tries. Could her stack of finished food drawings solve the problem another way? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ‘gaze’, ‘face’, ’nice’, ‘day’.

Red has a plan: walk all the way to town without covering his ears, not even once. A friendly wave from a bike rider makes it look easy, but honking horns and roaring scooters have other ideas, and soon Red is lost among strangers, dodging bags and elbows on every side. Will he find his way, and his best pal, before this too-loud town shakes his brave plan to bits? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ‘ride’, ‘face’, ’today’, ’lane’.

Every morning Rooster wakes the whole farm with his loud call, sure that everyone needs him. But the guard dog never sleeps, a girl waits for pigeon mail, and a small green bird just sits quietly with its keeper. What could its job possibly be? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wake’, ‘mail’, ‘safe’, ‘stay’, ‘brave’.

A brave, bossy cat guards her farm gate in the pouring rain, sure nothing could ever get past her. But when she spots a lone horse standing wide-eyed in the glade, she has no idea what kind of horse it really is. Could this be the one thing Brat Cat can’t handle? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gate’, ‘wide’, ‘wait’, ’tail’, ‘rain’.

Ned is well and truly lost in the dark woods, and things are about to get worse. When an arrow whizzes past his arm, The Book is sure of one thing: a skeleton is near, and it is not safe to stay. Will Ned find a way home before the skeletons find him first? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘safe’, ‘aim’, ‘wait’, ‘dive’, ‘gaze’.

Starfang the spider has never left the farm, and one wide-open barn window changes everything. He escapes into a night bursting with tastes and smells, feasting his way down a trail of berries and grapes until he crawls someplace he really should not have gone. What waits for him in the dark cave? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ’taste’, ‘brave’, ‘wide’, ’trail’.

It’s a big day for Jay: he’s saved every coin to buy a wand, but the shop man gazes at the tiny pile and shakes his head. Then he digs out a bent, scratched old wand from under the counter. Could this strange old wand really work? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘pay’, ‘wait’, ‘race’, ‘stay’.

Zintle spends her days by the deep green river, quietly helping the creatures that pass through: a flipped terrapin, an injured heron, a stranded catfish. But that night the river rises without warning, sweeping away her family’s seeds and water containers, and a vast voice calls up from below the surface. What will it ask her to give in return? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wade’, ‘gaze’, ‘same’, ‘stay’, ‘day’.

Tsuro the Hare has small round ears and a big problem: he hates to miss anything. When Mwari calls the animals to receive their gifts, everyone must wait in line and stay back from the cave, but can Tsuro really wait his turn? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ‘aims’, ‘stay’, ‘gape’, ‘safe’.

Adhis’s brother Owino is loud, sure of himself, and certain his new way of calling rain beats their sick father’s old methods. But the sky stays clear, the village grows worried, and only Adhis is quietly reading the signs everyone else ignores. Will anyone listen to her before it’s too late? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘rain’, ‘gaze’, ‘stay’, ‘wait’, ‘day’.

In a village garden, a girl named Amahle finds a green-gold snake curled by her plants, and instead of running she leaves it water and gifts. Soon her crops grow taller than ever, but her brother wants it gone, and the village headman starts asking questions. Will Amahle’s quiet trust be enough to protect the snake she’s come to love? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘stay’, ‘wait’, ‘snake’, ‘safe’.

Fisi the hyena has his eye on every pod hanging from the baobab tree, and he doesn’t feel like waiting his turn or asking nicely for a share. When the tree makes him a deal instead, Fisi thinks he’s found a clever way around it. Will his sneaky plan actually work? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘aims’, ‘gaze’, ‘wide’, ‘fail’, ’taste’.

Hare must offer himself as Lion’s next meal, but he takes his time getting to the den, and Lion is left waiting, hungry, and furious. What will Hare do when he finally arrives, late and unbothered, at the mightiest hunter’s door? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wait’, ’late’, ‘mane’, ‘gaze’, ’takes’.

Thandiwe shares everything she has with her grandmother and never complains, even while her neighbour Nomsa watches from the fence with a sour face. When Thandiwe frees a small creature tangled in a net by the river, it gives her a strange gift and just one rule to follow. Will Nomsa learn to give before she takes, or will she only ever want more? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘day’, ‘gate’, ‘blame’, ‘face’, ‘craved’.

A drum has lived with Elephant since the forest began, deep and booming, and she has never once let anyone else play it. A boy named Boma hears music in everything but has no drum of his own, so he starts watching Elephant from the treetops, learning her paths and her habits. Could he ever convince her to share it? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘play’, ’trade’, ‘same’, ‘wait’, and ‘brave’.

Zom is bored, so he decides to become a farmer, planting rows of seeds between the birch trees by torchlight. But when hungry hens sneak into his garden and start eating everything in sight, will Zom ever get to grow anything at all? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘grain’, ‘safe’, ‘daylight’, ‘ages’, ’lay’.

A girl is so thirsty she can hardly stand it, and every pail, tank, and creek in town has run dry. She marches from the water pump to the big dam to the salty sea, begging for just one drop. Will anything in the whole wide world give her a single sip? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘rain’, ‘pail’, ‘wait’, ‘gaze’, ’take’.

A brand new box of pencils makes Shawn’s grin stretch wide, and he can’t wait to draw in the morning. But that night, the pencils creep out of their box all on their own, gazing around a book full of plain, colourless pages. What will happen when the pencils take a closer look? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘plain’, ‘wide’, ‘shape’, ‘page’.

A mischievous mage sneaks out at night to test a brand-new spell, sure nobody will ever see the fireworks lighting up the sky. But someone did see, and now she has a big plan for the village’s very first Town Square, plus one huge secret the mage must somehow keep. Can he manage it? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘rain’, ‘wait’, ’name’, ‘shape’, ‘hide’.

A cat gets stuck up a tall tree, and one small rescue sets off a wild chain of trouble at home. A ladder breaks, a baby wails, and a hungry monkey sneaks in through the window while everyone is distracted. Could one sneaky cat really be to blame for a whole day going wrong? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wail’, ‘gaze’, ‘stain’, ’trails’, ‘container’.

Zom is fed up with his neighbours, who only shuffle, groan, and moan about brains. He sets off to find a fine, fun friend instead, and follows a strange buzzing sound to a golden beehive on a hilltop. Could a whole hive of bees be exactly the neighbourhood of new friends Zom has been hoping for? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘hive’, ‘fine’, ‘wait’, ‘wide’, ’nice’.

A clever tortoise is no match for a hungry leopard’s teeth and claws, or so it seems, until he spots the leopard’s one weakness: pride in his own fine spots. With a wise trick and a brave face, the tortoise convinces the leopard to carry him home, but can this small, safe plan really work before the leopard learns the truth? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘wise’, ‘safe’, ’tail’, ‘brave’, ‘fine’.

Dibs has one perfect, jingling golden bell tied to his tail, and he loves it more than anything. But when a flying stunt goes wrong, the bell bounces loose and rolls straight into the middle of Dragon School. Can Dibs get it back before someone else claims it first? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘wait’, ‘sail’, ‘flame’, ‘daze’.

Zom and Skel have one rule: check the door and keep the monsters out. Tonight neither of them checks it, and the door gapes wide open as the dark night creeps in. When they wake to a strange, sticky sound, will their brave little team be ready for what’s waiting downstairs? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 4: /ai/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘gaze’, ‘blade’, ‘shade’, ‘safe’, ‘wait’.