Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed

Steve is the greatest hide-and-seek seeker who ever lived, and he’s about to prove it. But as he creeps through the tall grass hunting for Alex, everything he finds is the wrong kind of hider. Will he ever spot the one clue that’s been sitting right in front of him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘crouch’, ‘ground’, ‘shouts’, ‘prowl’, ‘aloud’.

Tonight the town glows for the festival, and a boy cheers from his dad’s shoulders. But a shadow lurks at the edge of the crowd, growling at every light it sees. What will it do when nighttime doesn’t belong to it anymore? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ’town’, ‘crowd’, ‘frowns’, ‘shout’, ‘ground’.

A round little bird has always dreamed of flying, but her wings are too small and her feet stay stuck to the ground. When her first day at flight training ends in a crash, and four laughing birds tell her that birds like her never fly, will she believe them, or find her own way up into the clouds? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘about’, ‘ground’, ‘shout’, ‘crowd’, ’town’.

A cat rules this house, no matter what its silly pet family thinks. Between watching them off to school each morning and hunting a cheeky mouse in the kitchen, there’s plenty to guard and even more to boss around. What happens when a mean boy next door pushes his luck one time too many? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘crouch’, ‘growl’, ‘mouth’, ‘round’, ‘frowns’.

Tom the baker makes the best pumpkin pies in town, and everyone loves stopping by to smell his bakery. But when the iron men that guard the village turn up smashed on the ground, Tom starts pacing and worrying about his safety, wondering how the creeps keep sneaking past the torches at night. What can the townsfolk build to finally keep the danger out for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ’town’, ‘around’, ‘ground’, ‘proud’, ‘shout’.

A cat named Kit has vanished from her favourite pillow, and no matter where a child looks, the meows keep bouncing from somewhere out of sight. Yard, bush, bookshelf, even under the bed, all turn up empty. Where in the world could that sneaky cat be hiding? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shout’, ‘crouch’, ‘frown’, ‘growl’ and ‘sound’.

A grey, smoggy sky hangs over Panha’s town, and she’s never even seen blue. When her dad says the sun used to shine every day, Panha decides she won’t stop until she finds it herself. Can a girl with a homemade plane climb high enough to bring the sun back down? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shout’, ‘crowd’, ‘round’, ‘frown’, ’loud’.

Nitwit feels awful, but no way is he staying home. He tells his chum he’s fine, marches off past the flowers, and sneezes so hard he scares the birds. Even Cat scowls at him and Dog looks worse than he does. Will Nitwit ever admit he needs his own soft pillow? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘flowers’, ‘around’, ‘scowls’, ‘pillow’, ‘frowns’.

A weird bed just appeared on the roof, and that’s only the start. Wolf won’t sit, a pig is somehow standing deep in a cave, and now a witch stands frozen right by the house, howling and howling. What else could possibly be waiting around the next corner? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘howls’, ‘ground’, ‘shout’, ‘mouth’, ’loud’.

Ned is lost in a swamp as night falls, and the Book warns of strange things lurking in the dark. When slimy creatures multiply out of control, can Ned find a way home before it’s too late? Back at the house, a mysterious pig won’t stop following him around, and Ned has one wild idea for what to do about it. Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ’loud’, ‘proud’, ‘bounce’, ‘ground’, ‘shouts’.

Pat the cat has no home, but he’s not worried - he’s got a cosy tree, singing birds, and food from the family next door. Then one day he spots suitcases by the car. They’re going on holiday, and Pat won’t be fed - so what’s a hungry cat to do? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘round’, ’loud’, ‘mouth’, ‘crouch’, ‘ground’.

Tip and Fig Pig are almost home from a great hunting trip when a huge shadow blocks out the sun. Fig Pig knows exactly what it is, but Tip refuses to believe it: dragons never leave The End. With the trees too far away and nowhere to hide, what can two pals do against something that big? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shadow’, ‘ground’, ‘around’, ’loud’, ‘bounce’.

Steve is deep in a cave, pockets stuffed with gems, when a thousand tiny wings swoop out of the dark. He runs, he jumps, he crouches low in cold water, hoping the bats will give up and go away. But something is still shuffling in the shadows behind him, and it will not stop. Will Steve make it out of the ground alive? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘sound’, ‘ground’, ‘crouch’, ‘shouts’, ’thousand’.

When the sky turns dark and the cows run for home, everyone in the village follows the rule. But Langa wants to see the great storm bird, the Impundulu, with his own eyes. Tonight the clouds are rolling in low and loud, the cattle are running, and Langa is not. Will he finally find what he’s looking for? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘clouds’, ’loud’, ‘shout’, ‘found’, ‘ground’.

Rex just wants one thing: to chase whatever crosses his path, and Mum’s already sending a boy back out to walk him again. The leash barely gets clipped on before Rex bolts, and now there’s no telling what he’ll spot next. What could possibly go wrong on such a short outing? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘outing’, ‘bounces’, ‘shout’, ‘around’, ‘crouch’.

Tim is a tiny tin robot who believes he’s built for great things, even though no adventure has ever found him. Then a lost button bounces right to his feet, and he sets out to track down its owner. Will Tim survive sneakers, roads, and one very slobbery dog to complete his quest? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘bounces’, ‘found’, ‘ground’, ‘shout’, and ‘proud’.

Ned is having the perfect day, picking flowers outside the castle walls, one for the kitchen, one for the window. The Book keeps warning him to be careful, but Ned is never listening. What happens when the hissing sound behind him turns out to be closer than he thinks? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘flowers’, ‘sound’, ‘around’, ‘frown’, and ’lookout’.

The Sun counts her planets and comes up one short. Mercury, Venus, and Earth all claim they haven’t seen Pluto anywhere, so the search stretches out to the big, cold planets at the edge of everything. What could make a whole planet disappear without a sound? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shouts’, ‘crowd’, ‘frown’, ’loud’, ‘sound’.

Cam is so sleepy that he barely notices his feet lifting off the ground, and soon he’s soaring past treetops, waving to birds and planes far below. Each flying friend warns him to hold on tight, but hold onto what? He keeps climbing anyway, right up into the clouds and past the stars. Will Cam ever come back down? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘down’, ‘clouds’, ’loud’, ‘round’, ‘proud’.

Zom has a big plan: buy cows, open a milk bar, and get rich. But the milk bar means getting up early, and Zom soon learns that brown cows, white cows, and even a pink cow all need something different in the bucket. Word spreads fast, and three curious villagers come round to sniff the air. Will they like what Zom shows them at the counter? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘cows’, ‘brown’, ‘round’, ‘proud’, ‘shouts’.

Kaggen the trickster cannot make the dark nights bright enough for people to find food and water. He throws firefly light into the sky, but it always drifts back down. What happens when he throws something that never comes back? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘about’, ‘around’, ‘crouch’, ‘glows’, ‘mouths’.

Entito climbs the ridge each morning, hoping to spot clouds over the great mountain before the dry season empties the river completely. When she finds an injured hornbill chick, she shares her own scarce water to save it, not knowing the bird might carry more than she realises. As the herd grows weak and the elders debate a long trek north for water, will Entito’s small act of kindness be enough to turn the sky? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘cloud’, ‘mountain’, ‘around’, ‘crowd’, ’now’.

A hunter walks past the same forbidden grove every day, never stopping to look inside. But when a deer trail curves off course and leads him straight into it, he finds a strange tree, a hanging flask, and a stone carved with rules he must not break. Will he take what he needs and leave in time, or break a promise to something far older than him? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘about’, ‘found’, ‘ground’, ‘round’, ‘sound’.

A cursed emerald glows on the desk, and no matter what a player tries, it keeps flinging them far from the Nether fire that could destroy it. With Jake turning to stone at every touch and time running out, can they find a way to outrun the curse before it freezes them for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘pouch’, ‘frown’, ‘proud’, ‘around’, ‘shout’.

Naisula lives where the savanna has always been silent, no lowing at dusk, no hoofbeats at dawn. One morning she finds a strange braided rope trailing down from the clouds, and when she tugs it, something heavy stirs on the other end. Could the sky really be holding the gift her people have waited generations for? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘sound’, ‘cows’, ‘ground’, ‘shout’, ’loud’.

In a little town, Bingo has the best job of all: guarding the grain hut and sleeping in the warmest spot by the fire, with a fat bone every night. But he still frowns and wants more, and one evening a sweet smell blows in from the trees and pulls him away from his post. Who will come along while he’s gone? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘frowns’, ‘growls’, ‘snout’, ’loud’, ‘growl’.

Tembo the Elephant has always had a small, round, ordinary snout, good for sniffing wind and blowing dust, and not much else. But one hot afternoon he just has to know how the deep, dark part of the river tastes, no matter what the older elephants say. What happens when a curious young elephant leans in too far? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘round’, ‘ground’, ‘about’, ‘mouth’, ‘down’.

Hodan herds her family’s five camels across the red-sand plains, tracking every hump and mark by heart. One morning she finds huge lion prints circling camp, and Young Geel frowns and paces all night. By afternoon a hungry lion crouches by the dry riverbed, watching and waiting. Can Hodan outsmart it before the lion pounces on her herd? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘round’, ‘frowns’, ‘crouch’, ‘growl’, ‘pounces’.

Three troublemakers on the farm never sit still, until their father’s magic glass shows something they never expected staring back. Their reflections turn strange and monstrous, and no fancy outfit or nervous smile can fix it. Can the three of them figure out what the glowing glass is really trying to show them? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘round’, ‘shouts’, ‘frown’, ‘scowl’.

Blue Train has a secret: every night, he races under the stars, sure nothing can outrun him. But when his need for speed leads him somewhere strange and unfamiliar, will he ever find his way home? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘hound’, ‘shouts’, ‘around’, ‘found’, and ‘crowd’.

A girl won’t wade into the ocean until her mum coaxes her in with a snorkel and a promise. Underwater, glowing creatures drift past, tiny turtles paddle by without her, and a fish bursts out of the waves like it’s forgotten how to be a fish. What else is waiting down below? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shout’, ‘proud’, ‘around’, ‘glow’, ‘shadow’.

High on the hill above town, a wise old baobab tree towers all alone, and no one has ever thought to ask it for help. Now the well has gone dry, and the grown-ups can’t agree on what to do. Could a girl with sharp ears and a knack for tracking things down find the answer no one else has found? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ’town’, ‘found’, ’now’, ‘ground’, ‘shouts’.

Dog and Cat are best pals who share everything, from a ball rolled between them each morning to a bowl of food Dog won’t touch until Cat sits down too. But when Cat pounces on a rat in the house and the owners shout for her to come live inside, Dog is left alone outside. What happens when one pal gets a cushy new life and the other gets left behind? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shout’, ‘pounces’, ‘growls’, ‘house’, ‘owners’.

A girl wakes up with a heavy ache in her tummy, and then a monkey climbs onto her back and refuses to let go. Everywhere she goes, the monkey clings tighter, making it harder to help in the garden or practise for the art festival, so what will it take to get him down? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shouts’, ‘frown’, ‘ground’, ‘howl’, and ‘bouncing’.

Jack has never caught a fish, not once, but today feels different as he marches down the stone path with Meow, his rod ready. When something green and very unhappy gets tangled in his line, Jack reels in a grinning mermaid named Mer, who owes her kelp garden an apology and is hiding a fight with her friends. Will a pumpkin boy, a cat, and a stray boat be enough to get her home safely? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘growls’, ‘scowl’, ‘proud’, ‘shouts’, ‘around’.

Dan the monkey has one rule: go everywhere, touch everything, and never sit still. His mum warns him to stay away from the stream, but Dan is already out on a branch, hunting for the perfect leaf. What is waiting for him down in the water? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Step 3, Unit 9: /ou/ mixed), this book practises words like ‘shouts’, ‘around’, ‘ground’, ’lookout’, ’loud’.