Animal Books for 1st Graders

Fred has a secret talent and a sneaky little game. He picks up his pencil, draws a circle, then another, then a big black shape - and dares you to guess what it is. Is it a frog? A duck? A drone with legs? Every time you shout an answer, Fred just grins and keeps going. Can you work out what Fred is drawing before he finishes? This decodable reader practises the ‘ck’ sound in words like ‘quick,’ ‘click,’ ‘stack,’ and ’trick.’

When pillagers swarm the hills and a giant Ravager comes snorting out of the trees, who will stand up to save the village? With only an iron golem, two brave dogs, and a shiny golden axe for company, one hero must find the courage to fight - but can anyone really take down a beast that eats swords for breakfast? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘brave,’ ‘huge,’ ‘strike,’ ‘pride,’ and ‘smile.’

Deep in a dark cave, Steve spots something pink with a huge, goofy grin swimming up through the water. What is this strange little creature, and why won’t it leave his side? As Steve takes his new friend home, could there be another glowing pet waiting back in the cave? Will two be better than one? This decodable reader practises the ’th’ sound in words such as ’that,’ ’then,’ ’there,’ ’thick,’ and ’thanks.'

Bird has just landed in a brand-new part of the world, and he doesn’t know a soul! But when he spots a rhino with buzzing flies, a croc with a sore tooth, and a zebra watching for lions, he’s sure he can lend a wing. Can one little bird really help four big animals - and make four new friends? This decodable reader practises the ’nk’ sound in words like ’think,’ ‘blink,’ ‘stink,’ ’thanks,’ and ‘junk.’

Bon’s summer holiday is off to the worst start ever. Mum is busy, Dad is busy, and Su won’t even look up from her paper pinwheels. Will anyone in this house ever play with him? Just when Bon is ready to give up, a brilliant idea pops into his head - and it involves Butter, the family parrot, a polka-dot hat, and a very big secret. This decodable reader practises the ’nk’ sound in words like ‘wink,’ ‘stink,’ ’think,’ ‘blink,’ and ‘prank.’

Ned’s shed looks nice, but the cold stone floor is no place to sleep! What he really needs is a big, soft, woolly bed - and that means finding sheep to shear. But have you ever tried to catch a fluffy sheep on a sunny slope? Will Ned chase them down, or can he come up with a cleverer plan? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘chase,’ ‘hide,’ ‘pine,’ and ‘smile.’

The whole grass belongs to everyone now, but first Kalulu must win an impossible memory contest against the proudest elephant on the Zambezi. Who can name the most rivers? What clever trick does a small hare have hidden up his sleeve? And when the floodwaters rise, will an old rival become an unlikely friend? Find out who wins the meadow and why. This Bookbot level practises the ‘wh’ sound with words like ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘who’, ‘which’, and ‘whole’.

Kalulu the Hare is just a small creature, but Simba the Lion rules the whole riverbank and takes whatever he pleases. When the mighty king demands Kalulu’s supper, can a clever hare outwit a beast so much bigger and stronger? What plan could possibly bring a proud lion down to earth? Read on to find out how wit beats brute strength! This Bookbot book practises the /ŋ/ sound, with lesson words like ‘king’, ’long’, ‘sings’, ‘strong’, and ‘brings’.

Wasp is just buzzing along on a lovely morning when SNAP! - a hungry frog grabs her for breakfast. But wait, isn’t that a snake slithering up behind Frog? And what about the mongoose… and the eagle? When everyone is caught in one big dangling chain of trouble, can one tiny wasp really be braver than them all? This decodable reader practises the ‘wh’ sound in words such as ‘whack,’ ‘whips,’ ‘whirl,’ ‘whew,’ and ‘whose.’

Dot has a brand new cat, but there’s one tiny problem - he won’t eat a thing! Will he nibble warm bread? Nope. A shiny red apple? No way. A freshly cooked egg? Absolutely not. Poor Dot runs all over town, trying every food she can think of, while Cat just stares with his big green eyes. What on earth does this fussy little creature actually want for dinner? This decodable reader practises VC/CVC short vowels in words like ‘cat,’ ‘got,’ ‘hot,’ and ‘red.’