A soccer ball accidently hits Dan’s cat as Jan and Dan play, which instigates a series of unfortunate events. The angry cat with muddy paws perches on the neighbor’s clean van and upsets him. Dan rushes to get his cat off the van and trips over a bucket, spilling the water. No one is hurt in this advanced easy reader, but the story opens multiple discussion points, including dealing with upset pets and people.

In this heartfelt story, Jill and Nick enjoy playing with their beloved pet dog, Sig. After Jill accidently kicks the ball into the goat pen, the brave Sig jumps the fence to retrieve it. Sig doesn’t see the angry goat, and it butts him with its head. Jill and Nick go with their father to take Sig to the vet for treatment. Colorful illustrations add realism to this advanced easy reader as Jill and Nick worry about Sig and then get happy faces when Sig will be fine. The family-friendly story provides an opportunity for parents to discuss a veterinarian’s work.

On a bright sunny day, Pat helps her father clean his van and Nat takes his cat out for a ride in his red cart. But things change quickly when the cat grabs Pat’s cleaning rag and runs. Giggles bubble up as children read about the chase to retrieve the rag. When Pat manages to grab her rag, she shames the cat. The vibrant and detailed illustrations clearly communicate the emotions and reactions of the characters. The advanced reader stimulates discussion points on responsibility, anger, and understanding that the cat wasn’t misbehaving but playing a game with the rag.

An enjoyable family trip to picnic and swim includes a rousing water tag game with Ed, Nell, and their parents. Ed and Nell put on their swim fins and have lots of fun jumping into the water from dad’s shoulders and then playing water tag. This charming, advanced easy reader promotes literacy success through simple words, short sentences, and lots of child-inspired dialogue depicted in gaily illustrated pages.