New to the Brand New Readers, a collection of four small stories—one line to a page—about Fish and Frog. Illustrations help the beginner with sight words that may be new but are obvious in context. Funny little stories with plenty of repetition, position words, and opposites. First grade.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2006. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Four funny stories featuring a termite who eats his friends’ houses; bounces on a trampoline; makes a piece of sculpture; and helps an ostrich to fly. These are like short comic strips with enough action in the images to tell the story. The text is repetitive and one line long per page, so it’s a happy magic key to sight reading from the Brand New Readers. First grade.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2006. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

In this close to wordless easy to read, Elephant accidentally breaks Piggie’s new toy. There are some angry words exchanged. Then Squirrel comes along and fixes the toy and Piggie wants to play. Elephant is not interested in the toy. He simply wants to play with his friend. A charming little story for beginning players as well as beginning readers!

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2008. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Beginning readers will have fun with simple counting and finding little words inside of bigger words. Cleverly done with bold graphics and cutout pages that reveal words inside of words—as in a page that shows “two seals” and a turn page that shows then “at the sea”.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2008. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Newest in the amusing Elephant and Piggie books, here’s an easy to read that will tickle young baseball players. When Piggie tries throwing a ball he is certain the ball went clear around the world! Unlike his friend, the very serious elephant, Gerald, he doesn’t even mind being wrong. For Piggie it’s all about trying and believing! 5 & up.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

From the Step Into Reading series, this is an east to read book with a cast of monsters. Unlike most, these are totally un-scary monsters. In fact, they are all the kids on the block dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Rhyming couplets make this a book that beginners can use if they have a grasp of word families. It has short sentences and plenty of repetition. Level 2.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

In this semi-wordless book children "read" the pictures to tell the story in their own words. There is a lot of signage in the very urban book, so non-readers may need help to understand some of the humor. In this little adventure, cat is not too good as a house cleaner, but his talents are rewarded when he catches a mouse robbing a ladybug. Varon's cartoon illustrations are lively and easy to follow. 5 & up.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.