Books

This illustrated wordless version of the poem "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear is told through the beautiful artwork of award-winning illustrator Polly Dunbar. This illustrated wordless version of the poem "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward...

Rat has a magic wishing hat and let's his friends have a wish, but it all goes terribly wrong when they all want a second wish. This fun, decodable story is beautifully written and illustrated by Laura Hambleton. Red B/Band 2B books offer simple but...

Pip and the narrator play together in the garden, in the park and by the seaside in this fun poem that is full of action and has a strong outdoors theme. This fantastic decodable, rhyming poem is great to read with children and is beautifully written and...

You can train a pet dog to do lots of things. Discover how a pet dog makes the best pet in this decodable non-fiction book by Jean Coppendale. Red A/Band 2A books offer predictable text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story...

Everyone is up, but Tom is still in bed. Even cat and dog try waking Tom. This funny story is written by John Townsend and illustrated by Anna Shuttlewood. Pink B/Band 1B books offer simple, predictable text with familiar objects and actions. Text type:...

Nests have lots of eggs and a nest must be hidden to protect it. Discover the range of places where birds build nests in this lovely, decodable non-fiction book by Elspeth Graham. Red A/Band 2A books offer predictable text with familiar objects and...

Stan and Pam are dinosaurs who are overjoyed when they are given a pet rat called Pat. However, when Pat goes missing, Stan and Pam look everywhere and end up enlisting the help of some friends to find her. This fun story is written by Honor Head and...

Compare the way the five-year-old narrator and his baby sister Kim can do everyday activities in this lovely non-fiction book written by Catherine Baker and beautifully illustrated by Karin Littlewood. Pink B/Band 1B books offer simple, predictable text...

Can Bob compete against Fin, Tess and Biff in a range of competitions to be the best top dog? Find out if he wins the overall prize in this lovely, decodable, fiction book written and illustrated by Laura Hambleton. Red A/Band 2A books offer predictable...

What do you do when you go to the park? Follow Tim, Dad and Tim's toy dog, Sid, around the park in this beautiful book written by Gill Budgell and illustrated by Ley Honor Roberts using her photo collage technique. Pink A/Band 1A books offer emergent...

Pam, Pip and Dad visit the village fete and try to win prizes at the lucky dip stall. When Pip dips extra deep he gets more than he bargained for! This sweet story is written by Sue Graves and beautifully illustrated by Sandra Aguilar. Pink A/Band 1A...

Discover what the nose does and how it helps you to breathe, smell, keep out dirt and get better when you are ill. Blue/Band 4 books offer longer, repeated patterns with sequential events and integrated literary and natural language. Text type: A simple...

Discover amazing facts about bees and how they live. This interesting, decodable information book is written by Sally Morgan. Blue/Band 4 books offer longer, repeated patterns with sequential events and integrated literary and natural language. Text...

Bert lives deep in the rainforest and is completely awestruck by the beauty of other bright and wonderful creatures. If only he could sparkle like that? Or can he? This wonderful, decodable story is written by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham and...

There are lots of different feelings caused by things around us, things we eat and things we do. This is a fantastic, decodable, rhyming poem written and stunningly illustrated by Sally Symes. Yellow/Band 3 books offer varied sentence structure and...

The little bird is safe in its cage, but will it survive the outside world when it escapes? This sweet, decodable story is written and superbly illustrated by Petr Horacek. Blue/Band 4 books offer longer, repeated patterns with sequential events and...

Discover how woolly clothes are made, from the shearing of the sheep on the farm to the making of the yarn in the factory, to the creation of fabric for clothes and other products. This informative non-fiction text is decodable and has been written by...

Learn how to make amazing shadow puppets including a dog, duck, bat and snail. This fun, decodable instruction book is written by Elspeth Graham. Yellow/Band 3 books offer varied sentence structure and natural language Text type: A simple instruction...

Zog is an alien and Zebra lives on Earth, but what happens when these two become friends and encounter a dangerous creature? This fun, decodable story is written by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham and fantastically illustrated by Sarah Horne. Yellow/Band 3...

Discover different types of drums from around the world in this fun, decodable non-fiction book written by Fiona Macdonald. Red B/Band 2B books offer simple but varied text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story development and a...

The rain can be good if there is just the right amount, but what happens when there is too much rain or too little? This interesting, decodable non-fiction book is written be Helen Greathead. Red B/Band 2B books offer simple but varied text with familiar...

Douglas Bader was the most famous RAF pilot of the Second World War. Find out about the fateful crash that resulted in the loss of both his legs, and how he fought back to return to the cockpit of his plane in this graphic novel by award-winning...

In Victorian times, many children had to work to earn money for their family. One factory employed young girls to make matches, but the chemical they used made them very ill and many died. One woman decided to stand up for these girls, and her protest...

The Paralympic Games is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. In the 1990s a special blade was developed to replace prosthetic limbs and allow amputees to run races. Find out all about the development of and inspiration for this important...

If it wasn't for Tom, one young boy would be much happier at school - he would be able to play football without being taunted from the sidelines. But is Tom as strong-willed when he is forced to play football as well? This thought-provoking story was...

Joe has birthday money to spend, and decides a cute dog he's seen in a pet shop window is the perfect purchase. For some reason, though, the pet shop owner is determined not to sell that particular dog ... This wonderful story was written by Carnegie...

In the UK today everyone over the age of 18 is allowed to vote, but this wasn't always the case. Find out all about the fight women gave to be allowed to vote for their country's leader, and the reactions they received, in this non-fiction book by Jane...

Long ago, the king of Denmark built a huge hall for feasts, and he called it Heorot. But the noise from the hall woke a sleeping monster in the nearby swamp - Grendel. Could the brave warrior Beowulf save Denmark's people and fight the monster? This...

During the Second World War, bomber planes were used in combat. With photographs straight from the archives of the Imperial War Museum, discover what it was like to be a bomber pilot in preparation for a dangerous but important mission. Collins Big Cat...

She sits in her bedroom overlooking the harbour, remembering how it looks when a storm arrives, when the walk across the pier to the lighthouse is fraught with danger - and horrible memories. This beautiful story was written by Anne Curtis and...

Andrew Watson was the first black footballer in the UK. Find out how he reached this position and what life was like for professional footballers in 1870 in this biography of the sportsman by Adam Sunderland. Collins Big Cat Progress books are...

On their way to a camping trip, Jack and Sam stumble on an old cave, and find themselves travelling through time to help Jason and the Argonauts and King Phineus to escape from the food-stealing harpies. This exciting graphic novel was written by Linda...

Discover the exciting world of motocross racing - from tricks and jumps to the World Championship - in this photographic information book by Adrian Bradbury. Collins Big Cat Progress books are specifically designed for children at Key Stage 2 who have a...

Find out what happens in a rescue centre for orphan elephants - from feeding time to bath time - in this beautiful photographic information book by Louise Spilsbury. Collins Big Cat Progress books are specifically designed for children at Key Stage 2 who...

Lucas is the best in his football team at taking penalties. He never misses - ever. But one day that all changes and Lucas has to learn to deal with his mistake, finding a way of building up his confidence once again ... This thought-provoking story was...

Tom is in trouble. He is hanging precariously from a ledge on the edge of a cliff and his friend Alex is desperately trying to get help for him. But will he be able to find the strength in himself to hold on until help arrives? This thought-provoking...

Nick has just moved to Pit Street, so he and his best friend Jess help to unpack and explore the new house, including the spooky cellar. But what they don't realise, is that something else has been living deep in the cellar and doesn't want to be...

In 1838 a young woman named Grace Darling was thrown into the spotlight after helping her lighthouse keeper father to save a group of people who had been shipwrecked on the rocks in a storm. This biography by Anita Ganeri explains the true story that...

Horses were important in World War 1 for many reasons. Find out what they did and how they helped in a war that cost the lives of so many humans and animals alike in this non-fiction book by Charlotte Guillain. Collins Big Cat Progress books are...

A man sits alone on the prow of a ship and remembers the diving he did as a child. When the ship reaches its destination the anchor is lowered and the man climbs into his diving suit. He's ready to return to the water; ready to find the treasure. This...

Cities all over the world have an underground network of trains running right beneath our feet, helping the public to travel around quickly and safely. But how did these underground networks begin, and how were they built? Find out the fascinating...

In Ancient Greece, the warrior Perseus was tricked by a cunning king to fight a monster called Medusa, who lived in a cave and had hair of hissing snakes - and anyone who looked into her eyes was turned to stone. Could Perseus survive his mission and...

Formula 1 races are world famous for being exciting and fast-paced, involving the most up-to-date cars. Find out how the competition began and what is involved in each race in this non-fiction book by Mary Colson. Collins Big Cat Progress books are...

As he spends his days playing makeshift cricket, Adnan dreams of playing the game professionally for a team. When one of Adnan's games ends with a damaged car, he fears his chances of practising will be over - his future all depends on what the owner of...

It's 1941 and you are a secret agent for Great Britain. Find out what training and skills you need to ensure you achieve your mission and return home safely. This instruction book was written by Jillian Powell, with photos straight from the archives of...

A young boy's best friend Jamie has just moved away, and he feels no-one could replace him, not even the new boy Daniel. But then he finds his school football team is missing one person. Will he finally be forced to accept someone new into his life? This...

It's a young boy's last day at primary school, and he excitedly lists off all the points he won't miss when he goes to "Big School". But is there anything he will miss? This thought-provoking story was written by Dave Cousins. Collins Big Cat Progress...

The Ironman triathlon competition is the ultimate test of endurance. Find out how competitors train and compete in such a gruelling event in this exciting photographic non-fiction report by Mary Colson. Collins Big Cat Progress books are specifically...