"Lewis, the emu, had a new suit."



"He wore it with pride at the zoo, where he lived."



"The suit was blue, his favorite color."



"No other emu had a suit, and that made Lewis feel one-of-a-kind."



"One day, Lewis saw a little girl eating a fruitcake."



"He had never seen a fruitcake before and was curious."



"Lewis went up to the girl. She asked if he wanted a bite."



"Lewis chewed the piece of fruitcake slowly."



"It was different, but he liked it."



"After that, Lewis always looked forward to Tuesday, because that was the day the little girl visited with a fruitcake."



"But one Tuesday, the little girl didn't come."



"Lewis felt blue. He missed the girl and the fruitcake."



"But the next Tuesday, she came.."



"...with two fruitcakes!! Lewis's mood flew high again."



"From then on, every Tuesday was a good day for Lewis. Even if he had to wait a bit."

Fruitcake at the Zoo

"Luna checked her jacket pocket." 



"Oh no! She left her cash in her backpack at home!



"But in her pocket, she had a ticket to the zoo. She felt like she hit the jackpot. So, she chose to take the transit to get to the zoo."



"Luna was active. She ran until she got to the bus stop."



"But she missed the bus! She was a bit upset."



"Luna did not give up. She chose to walk to the zoo."



"It was a long trek. She walked uphill past the windmill. Then Luna walked past a crosswalk."



"Luna got to the zoo just in time. First, she went to visit the stingrays. She watched them swim for a while."



"Then, she went to look at the bobcats."



"Last, she saw a bullfrog resting in the pond."



"Luna had such a fun time at the zoo. She walked back home, glad to see the stingrays, bobcats, and bullfrogs."

Ticket to the Zoo

"Sam the fox got a red hat."

"He sat on a log."

"Sam saw a hen."

"She was in a net."

"Sam lent a hand."

"He let the hen go."

"The hen left the net."

"Sam felt glad."

"Sam went to bed."

"Sam and the Hen"

"Sloane the pilot, zipped up her jacket nice and tight. She loved to fly high in the sky during the day or at night.”



“She loved the way the sunlight lit up the plane in the daytime and also loved the way the moon shone on the plane at night.”



"Tonight, the night sky was bright and Sloane was excited for her flight.”



"At night she was more likely to face a storm, but she had no fright.”



"She checked her flight plan and beamed with delight. The weather looked good, no lightning or wind this time of night.”



"The airplane's lights flashed bright in the dark night.”



"The plane flew down the runway and up into the night sky. Up in the sky, she saw the city's bright lights. She spotted a highway and some pretty nice sights.”



"After a while in the sky, she turned to go back home, looking once more at the moon that shone bright.”



"Sloane let out a sigh. She loved flying during this time of night."



"She landed safely, under the moon's soft light. Her night flight was a delight.”

The Flight

"Colin, the puffin, lived in a cabin."



"He had a habit of flying until sunset."



"One day, he looked at a jacket in his cabin."



"He picked it up and found a ticket in the pocket."



"Jackpot!"



"The ticket was for a softball game at the sandlot."



"Excited, Colin flew rapidly to the distant sandlot."



"He watched the game until it ended at sunset."



"Back at his cabin, Colin patted his jacket pocket, a new habit."



"He slept, dreaming of the next ticket he could find."



"From that day on, Colin loved the game of softball."

Jackpot in the Jacket

"Mike, the mule, lived in the hills."



"One day, Mike wanted to sing."



"He decided to give it a try."



"But his voice was not like a dove."



"Mike was sad, but he didn't give up."



"He kept practicing till the sun was gone."



"The next day, he felt more brave."



"He sang his song until it was done."



"Other animals came to listen to his song."



"Mike, the mule, had found his love for songs."

Mike on Stage

"Drew, the bluejay, flew. He landed on top of a statue in the park."



"Sitting on top of the statue, far above, there was a sight to see! A big, ripe grapefruit."



"Drew flew to get the fruit and landed back on top of the statue to keep his fruit safe."



"Then, his friend, the bulldog, came by. He was sniffing the floor to find some food."



"The bulldog worked hard but could not find any food. So, he chose to take a nap."



"Drew, seeing his friend, dropped a piece of fruit."



"The bulldog jumped up from his nap. He was mad. 'What was that?!' yelled the bulldog."



"But then he saw the grapefruit. 'Oh! A grapefruit from the sky!' said the bulldog. He ate the fruit."



"Drew was a bit sad. The bulldog did not thank him for his good deed!"



"But Drew chose to find more fruit."



"Drew saw a tree full of fruit and began to peck at a new one."



"He took some fruit in his beak and flew back to the statue."



"The bulldog saw Drew return and wagged his tail in joy."



"Drew dropped the new fruit. 'Thank you, Drew!' said the bulldog."



"They chewed their fruit and enjoyed the sunny day."



"Drew knew that sharing was a true virtue."

The Sky Grapefruit

"Deep in the woods, Owen the woodpecker made a cozy home in a tall redwood tree."



"Owen liked to tap and dig into the wood of the tree. He looked for bugs and sap to munch on. With his sharp bill, he made lots of holes in the bark. He felt full."



"One misty morning, Owen spotted an odd thing on the path near the brook. 'What is that?' he wondered."



"Owen flew down to have a look. It was a big, bright book with a red cover. Owen had not seen such a thing in the woods."



"With a flap of his wings, Owen got close. He gave the book a push with his bill. The book opened. It had lots of words and drawings."



"Just then, a gust of wind rushed past him. The pages in the book turned. Owen pecked at the pages, but they kept turning over and over."



"At last the pages stopped. A fox came over and said, 'What have you got there, Owen?'"



"'I do not know,' said Owen. 'Oh! It's a book,' said the fox. 'Books tell stories and help us learn. I can read it if you want.'"



"Owen said, 'Yes, please!' The fox read a story about a king on a ship fighting monsters in the sea. It was all so strange and grand."



"When the tale was done, Owen thanked the fox. 'Are there more books in the woods?' Owen asked the fox. 'Yes! Tomorrow, I can take you to a library with lots of books like these, said the fox."



"'Yes, I'd love that,' Owen replied. Owen could not wait. He felt glad to have found the book and happy that the fox helped him read. This book opened up his world. He wondered how many more books there were in the library."



"As the sun set, Owen flew back to his home. He could not wait to find more books. As he fell asleep, he dreamed of kings on ships and monsters."

The Book

"Gus the bug was snug in his den."

"He had a big, red plum."

"Gus saw a jug and had an idea."

"He will use the jug to make a drum."

"Gus dug up a stick and a lump of mud."

"He stuck the stick in the jug, and the drum was done."

"Gus began to drum and jump with joy."

"His pals, the ants, came to see what the fuss was about."

"Gus shared his plum and drum with his pals."

"They had a fun day, and Gus felt just right."

Max and the Drum

I am Bud. I am a cub. 



I see a bug! 



I am a fan of the bug. 



I can not get the bug. 



I see an ant. 



It bit me! 



I am sad. 



But I see my dad. 



I can get my dad! 

Bud the Cub

"Lily the otter was known for her skill at swimming in the sea."

"She loved to play and explore, but she had a problem."

"Lily was always getting distracted and would swim off in another direction."

"One day, Lily decided to discover a new part of the sea."

"She swam happily for a while, but then she got distracted by a shiny object."

"She swam towards it, but she didn't notice she was getting further away from home."

"By the time Lily looked up, she couldn't see her home anymore."

"She felt a sense of panic and began to swim back, but she was lost."

"Lily began to cry, but then she remembered something her mother had taught her."

"She decided to stop crying and think about what her mother would do."

"She remembered her mother saying that if you get lost, just stay still."

"So, Lily floated on her back and waited for help to come."

"Meanwhile, Lily's mother had noticed she was missing."

"She asked the other otters if they had seen Lily, but no one had."

"Lily's mother decided to swim out and look for Lily."

"After a while, Lily's mother spotted Lily floating on her back."

"She quickly swam to Lily and helped her find her way back home."

"Lily was so relieved and promised to never get distracted again."

"From that day on, Lily was more careful and never got lost again."

"She had learned her lesson and was a much happier otter."

Lily the Otter

Pat and Tam sit.



'Can I fit?' said Pat.



Pat and Tam fit.



The sap is in the tin.



Pat and Tam sip the sap.



Pat is happy.



Pat and Tam nap.

Pat and Tam Sip Sap

"Chad, the fox, had a job."



"He had to fill a sack with nuts."



"Chad saw a tall hill."



"He had to climb the hill to find the nuts."



"Chad had a puff and a huff."



"He did not give up. He had the will."



"Chad found a tree with nuts."



"He had to shake the tree to get the nuts."



"Chad did his job well."



"He felt glad and went back to his den."

Up the Hill

"In a lush marsh, Cooper the racoon had his home. The marsh was full of thick mud, tall grass, and big, old trees."



"Cooper lived in a snug den under a huge oak tree. He had a good view of the marsh and could spot bugs and fish from his spot."



"One bright moonlit night, Cooper left his home to find food. He took his trusty old map that led to the best spots in the marsh where he could find crisp, crunchy bugs." 



"As he walked through the mud, Cooper saw his pal, Boo the owel perching on a branch. 'Hoot hoot Cooper! Nice night for a hunt,' called Boo. 



"'Yes it is!' said Cooper with a grin. They loved the sounds and smells at night in the marsh."



"Cooper followed his map to a pond, the moon was glowing bright. The pond was active tonight."



"The lily pads in the pond were in full bloom and the pond was booming with fish and the buzz of insects was all around." 



"Just then, he saw a fish jump over a lily pad. Cooper was quick, he zoomed over to the fish and scooped it up. He got it!" 



"Then Cooper took a short nap under a bush. The cool night air made it a perfect spot to rest." 



"When Cooper woke up, the sun rose. The sky was pink and gold. He washed his paws in the pond and crawled back to his den." 



"He fell asleep next to the cooing of the morning birds." 



Cooper in the Marsh

"Reese the cheetah found a little seed nested under a tree. She thought, 'I hope this seed will grow into a tall tree.'"



"Reese took the seed to the stream and gave it a clean."



"He then carried the seed to a sunny spot and dug a hole big hole and plopped the seed inside."



"Reese planted the seed and covered it with dirt and a green leaf."



"Each day, Reese visited the seed and gave it some water from the stream."



"After a week, Reese was excited to see a tiny green leaf peek out from the ground."



"Reese was beaming. He was so happy that he did a dance and let out a little scream."



"After some months, the little seed had sprouted into a small tree and Reese felt a sense of pride."



"Reese knew that if he waited with care the tree would continue to grow."



"And it did."

The Tiny Seed

"Blake, the mule, woke up in his home."



"He ate his oats and sipped his milk."



"Then, he put on his wide, red cape."



"He left his home and set off to hike."



"Blake saw a cave on his way, so he chose to go in."



"In the cave, he found a stone with a note."



"The note said, 'Find the gate, it is not far.'"



"Blake left the cave and found the gate."



"He pushed open the gate and saw a grove."



"In the grove, he saw a ripe grape."



"He picked the grape and ate it."



"Blake felt brave and decided to explore more. He found a path that led to a lake."



"The lake was wide and had a nice vibe."



"Blake sat by the lake and watched the sun set."



"But he felt tired and decided to go home."



"When he got home, he ate his dinner and went to bed."



"Blake had a great day and went to sleep with a smile."

Blake the Brave

Andrew the woodpecker woke up wanting to find a new place to stay.

He flew high and dipped low across the sky, seeking just the right tree. 



At last, he saw one, tall and wide,with bark so clean and space inside.

With a chirp, he began to peck at the tree. 

Tap, tap, tap. He was happy with his find!



But then there was a deep croak from up above.

'What was that?' Andrew asked. He looked up.

There on a leaf, he saw a big frog's head.



"Excuse me," Andrew called. 

"Can I live here? Will I disturb your cheer?"

The frog blinked and said with a nod so slow,

"Live here, yes, but let my sleep flow."



"Thank you!" chirped Andrew with a beam. 



Working all day, he lived his dream. 

Andrew gazed at his new home with delight.

The New Tree Home

"Chad, the bull, likes to kick."

"He can kick a ball far."

"Chad sees a duck on a rock."

"He tries to kick the duck, but misses."

"Chad feels a bit stuck."

"He needs to get back to the pack."

"Chad has an idea, he will pick up a stick."

"With the stick, he can push off the rock."

"Chad is free, he can go back to the pack."

"He learned his luck is in his knack."

"Chad's Kick"

"Dave the bat woke in his cave."



"He flew to the pond for a sip of water."



"Dave saw a fish and gave it a poke."



"He then flew in a dark zone to get home."



"Dave felt a chill, he was not alone."



"A mole came out. It had a stone."



"Dave spoke to the mole with a soft tone."



"The mole gave Dave the stone, a gem that shone."



"Dave was now glad that he was not alone."



"Dave and the mole then shared a home in a warm dome."

Dave and the Mole

"Adrian the stingray loves to play all day. Every day, he wakes up early to swim in the bay."



"Adrian has a friend, a quail named Gail who also loves to play."



"Gail the quail visits Adrian in the bay every Sunday."



"One day, Adrian finds a toy train stuck in a large chain in the sandy clay at the bottom of the bay."



"He finds Gail and asks, "Hey Gail! Come this way. I need you to aid me in getting this toy train out of the clay."



"Gail thinks this chain may be from a sailing ship that was out on the way."



"With her tiny beak, Gail helps Adrian pull the chain. They pull and pull until the chain comes lose from the toy train."



"It's hard work but finally, the toy train is free! 'Thank you so much, Gail. I couldn't have done it without you! Adrian says.'"



"Adrian and Gail keep the train as a reminder of their hard work. At the end of the day, they return to their home in the bay.""



"Adrian and Gail the quail continue to play and explore every day and have fun, no matter what!"



"Adrian learns that with a little help, you can overcome any strain and that friends are the best pals to ask for aid."

A Day in the Bay

"Channing landed on lush grass."



"She was looking for a safe resting spot." 



"She went into a den by a rose bush, the best spot for sleeping."



"But then, there was a flashing in the sky."



"Channing left the den, asking, 'Are my pals doing okay?'"



"Then she saw a lost duckling sinking in the water. It was struggling!"



"Channing, pulling with all she could, saved the lost duckling."



"They hid in the den as the rain was falling."



"Channing and the duckling woke up. The sun shone on the wet land."



"Then, Channing and the duckling spent the day fishing."



"The duckling was dancing with joy, but he still felt longing for his flock."



"Channing thought of helping him."



"She let out a calling, her squawk ringing across the grass."



"The duckling's flock came, landing on the big rocks."



"The duckling ran to them. He looked back, thanking Channing with a nod."

The Lost Duckling

Rocky, the fluffy puppy, loved his happy family. His family was funny, and his home was cozy. Rocky felt lucky every day. 



One sunny day, the bell rang. It was Teddy, his mom's buddy. 



Teddy had a big smile and a plan. "I want to take Rocky to the park," Teddy said. 



It would be a fun party for Rocky. But Rocky was a tiny bit scared



 He loved walks, but he wanted his mommy to come. He looked up at her with his big, puppy eyes. 



"It's okay, Rocky," she said with a pat. "Teddy will take good care of you."



Rocky walked with Teddy. It was a very sunny day!



The city was busy. But there was a muddy dog park with green grass where dogs could run and play.  



At the park, Teddy let Rocky run. "Go play, Rocky!" he said. 



Ring! Ring! Teddy's phone rang. He was very chatty.



Teddy was so chatty on his phone that he did not see Rocky go past the gate. "Oh no! Where's Rocky?" Teddy said.



He ran to the gate, calling, "Rocky!!" But luck was on their side. There was one more gate, and Rocky couldn't get past it. 



"Rocky, there you are!" Teddy said. 



"Let's go home, buddy," Teddy said. Rocky wagged his tail. 



When they got home, Rocky barked. "Mommy!!" Rocky jumped into her arms.



Rocky was so happy to be home. He even felt a bit brave. 

Rocky at the Park

"This is Midge. She is a hedgehog who LOVES fudge."



"Midge kept her fudge in the fridge."



"But one day, Midge found a scratch on the fridge."



"She used a patch to cover the scratch."



"Then Midge had a wish. She wanted to catch the one who did this."



"Midge set a trap with a piece of fudge as bait."



"Soon, a rat came to snatch the fudge."



"Midge was quick to catch the rat!"



"Midge made the rat pledge not to scratch her fridge."



"From then on, Midge could enjoy her fudge in peace."

The Fudge Fridge

"Avery the dragon lived in a city."



"Avery was not like any other dragon. She was kind and gentle."



"She had a shiny, golden scale that she kept hidden."



"One day, a puppy saw her shiny scale. Avery let the puppy look at her scale."



"But then the puppy was crying, and Avery felt sad for him."



"'Why are you crying?' asked Avery. 



"The puppy told Avery that he was lost."



"'I can help!' said Avery. With her big wings, Avery took off."



"Avery was looking for the puppy's mom from the sky."



"'There!' yelled Avery. 



"From up in the sky, she could see a dog that looked just like the puppy."



"She gently landed in front of the puppy's mom."



"The mom was so happy to see her son safe. 



"Yasmin felt happy too. She had helped a puppy in need."



"All of the dogs in the city clapped for Avery."



"From that day on, Avery was not just a dragon, but a hero."



"She showed everyone that dragons could be kind and helpful too."

The Dragon and the Lost Puppy

"Victor, the goldfish, lived in a nice tank."



"One day, he saw a tiny worm."



"He asked himself, 'What is this strange critter doing my world?''"



"Victor watched the worm for a while."



"He saw that the worm was working very hard to move."



"Victor swam closer."



"The worm was in a hurry. It was squirming fast."



"Victor wondered if the worm was looking for a snack."



"He gave some snacks from the trunk in his tank."



"The worm said, 'Thank you!' and it stopped squirming."



"Victor felt glad to have helped the worm. They became pals."



"Victor and the worm shared their snacks, the tank, and the dirt. 



"The worm worked hard and kept the tank in good shape."  



"Victor learned that even the smallest critter can word hard."



"Victor, in his small world, was never alone."

Victor's World

"Nora, the hedgehog, lived in a big, wild land."



"She loved to play with her buddy, the bird."



"One day, Nora saw a word written on the stone."



"The word was 'work' and it made her wonder."



"She asked her friend the bird, 'What does this word mean?'"



"The bird said, 'When we work hard, we can make things better.'"



"The word 'work' inspired Bridget to make her land better."



"She started by picking up the litter and planting shrubs."



"Her hard work made the land look ao much better."



"The bird chirped, 'Your work is worth a party, Nora!'"



"From then on, Nora worked hard every day."



"Her hard work made her land a better place to live."



"Nora learned that hard work is worth it."



"That's how Nora became a hardworking hedgehog."

The Hard-Working Hedgehog 

"Kate had a wish."



"She wished for glasses to see."



"Inches from her, she thought she saw glasses in the grasses."



"She ran fast to the glasses."



"But, oh no! The glasses were broken."



"Kate felt sad, but then she had a plan."



"She went far and found boxes."



"She put the glasses in some trash boxes."



"Kate felt good. She had done a good deed."



"She went home to rest."



"The next day, Kate's pal gave her new glasses."



"She put on the glasses. Now she could see far out, past the bushes."



"Kate was glad with her new glasses."



"She could see everything. Her wishes came true."



Ahmed's Big Trip

"Chandler, the hamster, loved to play with his ball." 



"He would roll it under the table and over the rug."



"Sometimes, Chandler would perch on top of his ball."



"From there, he could see his whole world."



"In the winter, Chandler was warm in his home. He would watch the flakes fall."



"But in the summer, he would run in his hamster ball in the garden."



"Chandler loved the garden in the summer. 



"He would smell the flowers. He would run under the ferns and over the path."



"Winter came, and Chandler saw a letter close to his cage. It was an invite to his sister's party."



"With a chill, Chandler said, 'I wonder if there is frost in the garden?'.



"He swept his home, thinking of a plan. He liked his warm home."



"After a while, he saw his scarf!"



"Chandler put on his best scarf and went to the garden."



"He had a great time with his sister and his friends."



"After the party, Chandler put his scarf in his closet, smiled, and went to bed."

The Winter Letter 

Roonie, the kangaroo, woke up feeling blue.



He peered out his window. The plains looked so gray.



His friend, the monkey, swung by to play.



'Let's cheer you up!' said the monkey with a twirl.



The monkey put on a cap and did a silly whirl.



Roonie gave a small smile, but still felt flat.



'Maybe fresh air will help,' said the monkey, patting his hat.



They walked outside, and Roonie took the fresh air in.



'Look! The gray plains are not so grim,' said the monkey with a grin.



As they strolled, the gray plains seemed to fade away.



Roonie’s blues drained, brightening his day.



By sunset, Roonie was hopping with glee.



'Feeling better?' asked the monkey, happy as can be.



'Yes, thank you!' Roonie grinned, now full of cheer.



He knew next time he felt blue, a walk with a friend under the sun's warm ray could help on even the grayest day."

A Bright New Day

"In the lush woods, Brooke the bright woodpecker, made her home. She pecked a snug book in a tall, old oak tree."



"The bark of the tree was thick but inside, her home was just right." 



"Brooke loved to tap and tap on the wood of the tree with her strong bill. She made soft dull thuds." 



"One sunny day, Brooke sat on the branch and looked out. She saw bugs and grub in the bark and got to work." 



"Tap, tap, tap! Her bill hit the wood with a loud thud each time. With every tap, bugs hid deep in the cracks."



"Brook was quick and picked at the bark to grab the bugs. She had lots of fun." 



"As Brooke dug, she found a big, fat bug. It was snug in its hole."



"Brooke pecked and pecked but could not pull it out. She did not stop."



"Brooke's beak hit the wood. Finally, with lots of tugs and pulls, she got the bug." 



"'Yum!' said Brooke, glad to fill her tummy. After lunch, Brooke sang a nice, long, happy song."



"Her chirps rang through the woods. Other birds sang back and soon, the woods were full of music." 



"The sun sat and the sky grew dim. Brooke flew back to her nook in the oak tree. It was time to rest."



"As she fluffed her soft, black and white feathers, Brooke closed her eyes and was fast asleep."



"She dreamt of finding more bugs in her forest home. All was well in the woods." 



