Animal Books for 2nd Graders

On a sunny morning at the farm, a boy spots Rooster’s magnificent red comb gleaming like a royal crown - and suddenly he wants one too! But Rooster says no, Peacock struts away, and even Heron refuses to share. Will anyone give him a crown of his very own? When nobody will help, what clever idea might save the day? This decodable reader practises the ‘ow’ sound through words such as ‘crown,’ ‘down,’ ‘frown,’ ‘show,’ and ’now.’

Steve and Alex caught WAY too many cod - and now a giant, stinky pile of fish is rotting on their dock! What happens when they leave food out instead of storing it properly? Can a roaring fire and a quiet cave really make the problem disappear, or will the awful whiff bring every hungry hog and curious cat running straight to their farm? This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words like ‘quiet,’ ‘giant,’ ‘fuel,’ ‘chaos,’ and ‘ruins.’

Skel the skeleton has boots, a crossbow, and a fine set of bones - but something is missing. What he really needs is a loyal hunting dog! So when he brings home a floppy-eared pup with the biggest, hungriest eyes in the world, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out, especially when your new best friend thinks YOU are the snack. This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words such as ‘being,’ ‘chaos,’ ‘diet,’ ‘genius,’ and ’triumph.’

When a fluffy hen appears in the pig pen, Fig Pig and Tip can hardly believe their luck - fresh eggs every morning! But what happens when a sneaky fox sneaks under the fence and snatches a chicken right off the ground? Can Brat Cat chop down a tree fast enough to stop her? And does clever Fig Pig have a secret plan of his own? This decodable reader practises the ie phonogram in words like ‘cried,’ ‘field,’ ’thief,’ and ‘shriek.’

Tal only has one job: walk the new calf home before dark. Easy, right? But when his friends call him over for a game on the hill, the rope slips, the calf finds grass, and time slips away too. Can Tal tug, push, and heave a stubborn calf all the way home before the sun sinks? And what happens when a far-off moo drifts across the hills? This decodable reader practises the ’ew’ sound in words like ’new,’ ‘knew,’ ‘flew,’ ‘drew,’ and ‘phew.’

Ned the farmer wants to grow something new on his farm, and what he finds are funny little orange things called carrots! But carrots smell amazing to pigs - and one sneaky pink pig is following him home. Can Ned keep his carrot safe? Can he build a pen strong enough to protect his new piggy friends when the monsters come out at night? This decodable reader practises suffixes in words like ‘farmer,’ ‘kindly,’ ’loudly,’ and ‘stronger.’

Little Toman Fish is learning to hunt. His dad says be patient - but patience is BORING! Can a speedy little fish who hides behind the wrong rock, chases shrimp in circles, and crashes a kingfisher’s dinner ever learn to wait for his own? Dive into a watery adventure full of misses, surprises, and one very grumpy turtle. This decodable reader practises ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like “patience,” “mission,” “commotion,” and “fascination.”

The Clever Jackal is small, thin, and the exact colour of dry grass. When a huge hungry lion named Shaka blocks the path to the waterhole, what can one tiny jackal possibly do against a beast as broad as a boulder? Can a clever mind outsmart brute strength? Follow Mkhulu as he thinks fast and stays cool in one very sticky spot. This Bookbot Level S9 story practises the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘protection’, ‘decision’, ‘satisfaction’, ‘commotion’, and ‘situation’.

A crocodile lives past the stepping stones, and every child in Thabo’s village knows the one rule: never cross. So what makes brave, small Thabo wade into the dark water when he hears a strange sound on the wrong side? And when the river turns dangerous, who will come to his rescue? Discover a warm tale of kindness returned. This Bookbot level practises the ’ea’ spelling with words like ‘creak’, ‘sea’, ‘beast’, ‘head’, and ‘breaks’.

Deep in Maasai country, a bold and hungry hyena named Olkiama has a clever plan to steal the cattle tonight. But inside the fence waits Aisha, just eight years old and keeping watch for the very first time. Can one small girl with a lantern and a handful of pebbles outsmart a determined thief in the dark? What will she do when she hears something moving by the east fence? This Bookbot book practises longer words of three or more syllables, with ‘something’, ‘suddenly’, ‘silently’, and ‘absolutely’.