When Bob, Dot, and Jan get their first big bikes, a sunny day is an invitation to take a bike ride and possibly forget to follow their parents’ safety instructions. The illustrations and creative dialogue remind children of experiences in their own lives. Bob’s excitement leads him to take risks on the steep hills littered with rocks. It’s not long before he falls and injures his knee, teaching him a valuable lesson. The story builds on previous reading skills and crafts educational opportunities for the early reader. This cautionary tale gives parents an opening to discuss safety rules and the ramifications of ignoring them.

The mischievous monkey, Bell, returns with Nell and Ben and visit a circus. This high-spirited story told with dazzling illustrations and playful dialogue introduces new vocabulary words with similar phonic sounds. Advanced early readers will enjoy Bell’s hilarious pranks, and parents can use Bell’s antics as an opportunity to discuss actions and their consequences.

Jill and Nick with their new red baseball caps return. When the two friends arrive for ball practice, their friends laugh at them for wearing hats. But when Jill and Nick surprise the team by catching balls with their caps, the whole team rushes to get one. Walking back to the ball field, the team sees an oak tree loaded with acorns, and they discover their new caps are perfect for holding acorns. This advanced early reader offers excellent opportunities for parents to discuss how learning new things can be beneficial.

A family-friendly ferry ride, illustrated with bold colors and nice detail, depicts the action beautifully in this advanced early reader’s action. The story includes two-syllable words and rich dialogue, enhancing a child’s growing reading experience. A bonus is the variety of new experiences included in the story: riding in their van as dad drives onto the ferry, discovering that seagulls also like dog food, and learning not to kick the ball when playing on a ferry.