Gad and the Claws

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Adventure Decodable Reader with aw and au Vowel Teams

Practice Words

Words containing 'aw' or 'au' vowel teams, producing the /ɔː/ sound.

aw awe bawl claws draw fault haunt haunts jaws lawn pause yawn
Page 1
Gad is floating on the left side of the image beside a wooden signpost at the entrance to a dense, spooky forest. Gad is a small, round, translucent green ghost with a friendly, slightly mischievous smile with small fangs showing, and wide eyes looking directly at the viewer as if greeting them. The scene is set outdoors during daytime, with tall twisted trees forming a canopy overhead, ivy climbing the trunks, tall grass along a dirt path, and a cobweb on the signpost. The right side of the image is plain background, leaving space for text.

I am Gad, a nice ghost. All day I yawn. No one stops to play!

Page 2
On the right side of the image, set in a dense woodland clearing, three monsters are leaping out from behind trees to scare a passerby on a path. A large, furry creature lunges forward with a mischievous grin, mouth open wide, growling. Behind it, a bony skeleton stands with arms raised in a spooky pose, and a ghostly figure with a pale complexion and long dark hair lurches forward with outstretched hands. A frightened passerby recoils on the right edge of the scene. In the upper-left corner, Gad β€” a small round translucent green ghost β€” floats in the background observing the scene with a disapproving frown, distancing himself from the scary monsters. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

See those three? They hide, then jump out and scare a child. It is so rude!

Page 3
On the left side of the image, Gad β€” a small round translucent green ghost β€” peeks out from behind leafy treetops with wide, curious eyes and a surprised, excited expression, looking down from above at a park below. The scene is shown from a bird's-eye view framed by green tree canopy, where the kids are seen from above playing on a grassy field β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” some running and some standing together near a hopscotch court. The outdoor setting is bright and sunny, with lush green trees surrounding the open play area. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background.

Up in the trees, I spot kids at the park! Time to go and say hi. I put on my best grin.

Page 4
On the right side of the image, Gad β€” a small, round, translucent green ghost with a friendly smiling expression β€” is shown in a sequence floating down from a large tree, bouncing and tumbling along the big trunk toward the ground. On the lower right and middle-right, the three kids are running away in fear across a grassy outdoor park β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” their mouths open and arms flailing in panic. One kid in the lower right foreground looks back over their shoulder with a shocked, wide-eyed expression. The scene is set outdoors in a sunny, grassy park with large trees and a dirt path.

Down the tree I go! 'I am Gad! Play with me!' But the kids bawl and run.

Page 5
On the left side of the image, Gad β€” a small round translucent green ghost β€” floats near the bottom-left corner with an eager, outstretched pose as if calling out to the kids. The three kids are scattered across the left and center of the scene, running away from Gad at full speed with terrified expressions, kicking up dust clouds behind them as they flee along a dirt path β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie leads the group, the girl with glasses in a pink top sprints beside him, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt trails behind. A small dog sprints right alongside the kids in the middle of the scene. The setting is an outdoor suburban area with green grass, low bushes, and gentle hills with mountains in the distant background under a bright daytime sky. The right ~40% of the image is plain beige/tan background.

'Stop! I will not haunt!' I call. But they run off. I need a new plan.

Page 6
On the right side of the image, the scene is split into two moments at an outdoor farmers' market. In the upper-right, Gad is disguised as a green coconut sitting atop a pile of coconuts at a market stall, with his ghostly face barely visible, looking nervous. The smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt runs right past the coconut pile without noticing. In the lower-right, Gad is disguised as a green balloon among a large colorful cluster of balloons at a stall, peeking out with a cheeky grin and green face visible between the balloons. The girl with glasses in a pink top and the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie stand in the background near fruit stalls, looking around warily. Market stalls with bananas, fruits, and piles of coconuts line the right side, with a bicycle parked against one stall. A vendor sits behind one of the stalls. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

I hide in fruit, all green and round. Aw, the boy runs past! That plan flops, so I float up with the balloons.

Page 7
On the left side of the image, Gad floats as a green balloon with a friendly smiling face above the kids, who are huddled together on a grassy hill looking anxious and uneasy β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt stand close together. Below, in a second vignette, the kids stand clustered together with worried expressions while Cat β€” a small, round-bodied gray tabby cat with white muzzle and pink nose β€” leaps toward Gad-balloon with claws extended and back legs flexed in a powerful spring. Gad-balloon now has a scared, wide-eyed expression. The scene is set outdoors on a bright day with a clear blue sky. The right side of the image is plain white background.

I drift to the kids. 'Just a balloon!' The kids pause. Then... meow! Sharp claws!

Page 8
On the right side of the image, a comic-strip sequence of three rows shows the action unfolding. In the top row, Cat β€” a small round-bodied gray tabby with white muzzle β€” pounces and swats at Gad-balloon with boxing paws, while Gad squishes and bends flexibly to dodge, and the kids huddle together watching with wide eyes. In the middle row, Cat leaps and flops about energetically as Gad stretches into silly shapes and pulls funny faces, with the kids starting to grin and giggle. In the bottom row, Gad makes a big, goofy face close-up with rosy cheeks and a wide smile, while the three kids β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” jump and cheer with their arms up, laughing joyfully, one of them saying 'You're not a scary ghost after all!' The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

Sharp claws swipe! I bend and stretch. The cat flops flat. The kids grin. 'Play with us!'

Page 9
On the left side of the image, Gad is shown in multiple poses β€” whizzing through the air as a small round shape-shifting ghost, changing colors and sizes, with a cheerful grinning expression, looping and zooming around the kids on a grassy hillside. In the upper left, the three kids β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” are running and jumping with arms raised, laughing and chasing after Gad as he zips about. In the lower left foreground, the kids lead Gad up the hill toward a volleyball area visible in the distance, and Gad's expression shifts β€” his green complexion turns a darker, worried shade of green as he realizes where they are heading. The scene is set outdoors on a sunny day with fluffy white clouds and a bright sky behind the rolling green-gold hill. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background.

I zoom and spin on the lawn! The kids chase me in awe. Then they spot a net...

Page 10
On the right side of the image, the kids are split into two teams facing each other across a volleyball net on a grassy field. On one side, the three known kids β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” are jumping and reaching with excited, laughing expressions, in on the secret. The opposing team of unfamiliar kids reacts with shock and horror, their faces turning white as sheets. Gad is flying through the air between the two teams as the volleyball, shown mid-arc as a round green ghost-ball with a mischievous grin shouting 'Boo!', motion lines trailing behind him. The scene is set outdoors on a sunny day in a suburban neighborhood park with a volleyball net, mowed grass, leafy deciduous trees, and houses visible in the background. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

'Gad, be the ball!' I puff round. They toss me up. 'Boo!' I yell. Jaws drop!

Page 11
On the left side of the image, a dynamic volleyball scene unfolds on a bright green grassy field with a net. Gad β€” the round green ghost-ball β€” bounces wildly in unpredictable arcs with motion lines, shown in multiple positions: phasing straight through one opponent's outstretched hands, bouncing the opposite direction from a serve, and flying off at a crazy angle after a hit, with every flexion of his ghostly body sending him in a new direction. The opposing team kids are exhausted and defeated β€” some bent over panting, some flopping onto the grass, completely taxed from trying to hit a ghost ball. On the left side of the net, the three known kids β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” celebrate with fists pumping and huge grins, clearly the winners. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background.

They hit me. I slip right through! 'The ghost is at fault!' they bawl. My team wins!

Page 12
On the right side of the image, the three kids β€” the dark-skinned boy in a red hoodie, the girl with glasses in a pink top, and the smaller boy in a blue-and-white striped shirt β€” stand together on a grassy hillock beside a large tree at golden-hour sunset, all with big warm smiles. Gad β€” a small round translucent green ghost β€” floats happily among them at their height, glowing softly, with a wide joyful grin, clearly part of the group now. The kids wave goodbye to Gad as he begins to float upward toward the treetops, heading back toward the forest in the distance. The scene is set outdoors in warm late-afternoon light with a lush green tree as the focal point, the park and suburban houses visible in the background, and the left side left as plain white background.

Sun is down. I wave to my mates. No more haunts! Next time, I am the ball!

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