Animal Books for 1st Graders

Spring has sprung, and Bug has a fizzy, buzzy feeling in her belly - she wants to SING! But what happens when Duck’s song is too wet, Frog’s is too long, and Big Bird’s is far too loud? Can one tiny bug really find a song of her very own, and will the whole gang ever learn to sing together? This decodable reader practices the ’ng’ sound in words like ‘sing,’ ‘song,’ ’long,’ ‘strong,’ and ‘spring.’

Jack’s mind just will not sit still! One second he is on the moon, the next he is a goat on a cliff, a mole in the dirt, or a fish chatting to a goldfish. Where will his daydreams take him next, and what could possibly be strong enough to pull him back? Follow Jack on a whooshing, wandering adventure full of surprises. This decodable reader practices the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘what,’ ‘where,’ ‘which,’ ‘whiff,’ and ‘whoosh.’

Spot is the world’s greatest finder of things - so when he loses his girl Jane at the zoo, how hard can it be to track her down? He spots long brown hair around the corner… but is that really Jane, or something much bigger? Can a little dog sniff out his favorite person in such a huge, busy place? Join Spot’s wild zoo hunt! This decodable reader practices short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jump,’ ‘just,’ ‘vest,’ and ‘yuck.’

Prince Din wants the biggest leaf ball in the kingdom - but the best leaves grow in the wild forest, where dangerous creatures are said to lurk! When a huge striped cat comes bounding out of the bushes, Din bolts deeper into the trees and gets horribly lost. Is that tiger really chasing him, or could something stranger be going on? This decodable reader practices short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jumps,’ ’luck,’ ‘plums,’ and ‘stuck.’

Kojo has a reading test coming up, and his chest feels full of worry - until something magical happens. The moment he sounds out a word, it leaps right off the page! A chap with a cup, a hen with cheek, a cat dashing to lunch, and a monkey on a branch all spring to life. What other surprises will Kojo spy when he keeps on reading? This decodable reader practices the ‘ch’ sound in words like ‘chin,’ ‘chest,’ ‘branch,’ ’lunch,’ and ‘march.’

Anansi has cooked a feast fit for a king, and he means to eat every last bite alone. But when weary Turtle knocks at his door, will a few sneaky tricks keep those pots all to himself? And what happens when Turtle sends back an invitation of his own? This clever twist on a favorite folktale practices the ’nk’ sound with lesson words like ‘bank’, ’think’, ‘sink’, ‘chunk’, and ‘winks’.

Meg is marching all the way to Gran’s house by herself - no running, no skipping, just slow and sensible steps past the brick wall. But what is that sharp YAP coming from around the corner? Is a huge dog with a mean chomp waiting to pounce? Meg’s feet are already running the wrong way - can she be brave enough to peek and see what is really there? This decodable reader practices the ‘ch’ sound in words like ‘chase,’ ‘chomp,’ ‘march,’ and ’lunch.’

Beth has one blank spot in her cozy nest, and it needs the perfect flower to fill it. But every time she spots a bloom she likes, somebody shouts, “Don’t pick that flower!” A fussy butterfly, grumpy bees, a spider guarding its web - will Beth ever find a flower nobody tells her to leave alone? Can she trust her own wink of an idea? This decodable reader practices the nk phonogram in words like ‘blink,’ ‘honk,’ ‘plank,’ and ’think.’

Every night, Frog gazes up at the glowing stars and dreams of holding just one in his tiny hands. But stars are awfully high, and Frog is awfully small - so how will he ever reach them? Will climbing the tallest palm tree do the trick, or could the real magic be hiding somewhere much closer to home? Join Frog on a brave, starry-eyed adventure! This decodable reader practices the nk phonogram with words like ‘pink,’ ‘blink,’ ‘yank,’ ’trunk,’ and ’thank.’

Have you ever wandered across the wide, flat plains of Minecraft? A pink pig sniffs the dirt, a hen pecks by a tall birch trunk, and horses gallop under a bright blue sky. Could this be the perfect spot to build a ranch? But when too many cows munch the grass, what happens to the land? This decodable reader practices the nk phonogram in words like ‘pink,’ ’trunk,’ ’think,’ ‘dunk,’ and ’thank.’