Children's Books

The fishermen of Kogelo village have not filled a net in twelve nights, and old Oloo whispers that something deep in the lake has frightened even the great fish away. When twelve-year-old Opiyo sees the water ‘bulge’ and ‘surge’ in the dark, he learns the creature below is not hungry but heartbreakingly alone. Can one boy’s shaky voice, and his grandmother’s old fishing song, calm a lonely ‘giant’? This Bookbot level practises the soft ‘g’ sound in ‘gently’, ‘village’, and ‘danger’.

Don has finally found the perfect blue cap at the market - but what happens when a sneaky gust of wind snatches it right off his head? The cap sails over the bushes, gets stuck in the branches, and lands somewhere Don never expected. Can he ever get it back, or has his treasure been claimed by someone much bigger and brighter? A warm, funny story about letting go and finding new friends. This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘branches,’ ‘catches,’ and ‘wishes.’

The Tokoloshe is coming. In the dark of night, something small, wet, and very cheeky is tipping over pots, pinching toes, and terrorising a girl named Nomsa’s home. Can Nomsa outwit a water-sprite that cannot climb but keeps stealing her every plan? With one brick left and her little brother in danger, she must think fast and think smart. This Bookbot book practises reading longer words of three or more syllables, like ‘suddenly’, ‘absolutely’, ‘grandmother’, and ‘afternoon’.

Hippo rules the great river bend and sends every thirsty animal fleeing with one enormous splash. But when slow, patient Tortoise offers a strange wager, will Hippo really keep her mighty jaws shut from moonrise to moonrise? What happens when a chewing, yawning tortoise spends all night tempting her? Who truly holds ’their’ river now? This Bookbot level practises the ’ei’ sound, with lesson words like ’their’, ‘height’, ’leisure’, ’neither’, and ‘weirdest’.

Meet a clever cat who knows exactly whose house this really is. Sure, the humans think they own the place - but are they right? From cosy naps and sneaky mice to muddy dogs and a cheeky boy next door, this proud kitty has opinions about everything. Will the people ever figure out who is really in charge? This decodable reader practises the ‘wr’ phonogram in words such as ‘wrap,’ ‘wreck,’ ‘wriggling,’ and ‘wrong.’

Have you ever heard of mooshrooms - cows with mushrooms growing right out of their heads? When Fig Pig returns from his expedition with this wild news, Brat Cat packs her boat and sets off on a mission to find them. But what happens when one kind handful of wheat turns into a very big commotion? This decodable reader practises ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘mission,’ ‘commotion,’ ‘delicious,’ and ‘determination.’

Yellow Rabbit Balloon wants nothing more than to float up, up, up - past the treetops, past the kites, past everyone telling him to hold still. But what happens when the sky turns out to be full of pecking birds, scary flames, and smoggy air? Will anyone down below look up in time to catch a tired little balloon? This decodable reader practises the ‘gn’ phonogram in words such as ‘reign,’ ‘gnat,’ ‘gnarled,’ ‘gnome,’ and ‘signpost.’

Ted is heading to Ava’s birthday party, and he knows every step of the way - even though he cannot see. But when his neighbour Kim follows closely behind, worrying about every puddle and barking dog, can Ted show her that smells, sounds, and a trusty cane are all he needs? How does he find his way so boldly? Step along and find out! This decodable reader practises suffixes in words such as ‘boldly,’ ‘calmly,’ ‘proudly,’ ‘friendship,’ and ‘roughness.’

One morning, the Sun counts her planets and gets a terrible shock - Pluto is missing! Where could a whole planet hide? Mercury is too hot, Venus is too cloudy, and Earth is too busy watching her humans. Together, the planets set off on a long, chilly trek past the asteroid belt and beyond, searching every corner of space for their smallest friend. Will they find him way out in the frozen dark? This decodable reader practises 2-syllable open words such as ‘begin,’ ‘focus,’ ‘open,’ and ‘moment.’

Walt sings to the sky every day, begging the clouds for rain on the dry, grey plain. But what happens when a giant, grinning dinosaur thumps down the trail and wants to join in? Can two loud voices and one silly song really call the clouds down to play? This decodable reader practises the ai/ay phonogram in words like ‘rain,’ ‘day,’ ‘plain,’ ’trail,’ and ‘sway.’