Friends enjoy an exciting game of baseball and Jan proves she can hit a ball well. The simple words with similar sounds help children recognize beginning and ending sounds. Rich colors illuminate the outdoor scenes and encourage new readers to use the picture and context clues to read the story.

A family fishing expedition leads Bob and Dot to a group of large rocks where they stand to fish. Rambunctious Bob takes a big hop on a rock and falls, but fortunately he isn’t hurt. Easy-to-sound-out one-syllable words for early readers to explore tell the story on these cheerful pages and encourage reading growth.

This friendship story is perfect for young readers who are all too familiar with accidents when they are playing. Warned by the other children not to run in the mud to avoid the sharp rocks, Ed ignores them and wades into the mud puddle. When he kicks the ball, he loses his balance and falls on a rock. Crisp illustrations with bright primary colors fill the pages of this lively early reader and offer a good opportunity for parents to discuss listening to others to stay safe.

A classic game of cops and robbers keeps Bob, Dot, and Dan on the run as this busy story unfolds. Detailed, colorful pictures illustrate the children and their neighborhood as they enjoy their game. A bushy-tailed squirrel adds wonderful context clues to accompany the narrative and dialogue in a fun-filled reading experience.