Hector and the Cello

by Ros Asquith

Published 5 January 2005

Hector the Hippo wants to play the cello more than anything else in the world. But who in the jungle will teach him? Most of the other animals laugh at the idea. Finally Hector meets a musician who can help him, a lyrebird. He practices everyday until he has a chance to play at a grand concert in front of all the other animals.

  • Purple/ Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.
  • Text type – A story by a significant author.
  • A storyboard on pages 22 and 23 summarises the story in eight illustrations providing an opportunity to recap the key events.
  • Curriculum links – Music: Exploring sounds, Classroom instruments, Combining sounds to make music; Science: Animals; ICT: Using text and tables to develop ideas.
  • This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
  • This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Trixie Tempest’s Diary

by Ros Asquith

Published 1 September 2009

Trixie's hilarious diary, written by acclaimed children's writer, Ros Asquith, tells of her plans to be a world famous trumpet player, horse rider and first child president of the world. She is also determined to teach animals to read! But when her beloved puppy is sick, everything changes.

Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically.

Text type: A humorous recount.

A hilarious diary for her pet dog on pages 54-55 allow children to further explore the diary format, while reviewing the book from another perspective.

Curriculum links: Citizenship: Animals and us. Developing our school grounds.

This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.


How to Draw Cartoons

by Ros Asquith

Published 4 January 2006

Ros Asquith, cartoonist and author of many children's books such as Trixie Tempest and Pass the Parcel), gives a masterclass on illustrating your own cartoons – with help from Trixie Tempest and others. This is an instructional book in the same style as Ros Asquith's turquoise level Collins Big Cat title, How to Make Storybooks.

Ros Asquith, cartoonist and author of many children's books such as Trixie Tempest and Pass the Parcel), gives a masterclass on illustrating your own cartoons – with help from Trixie Tempest and others. This is an instructional book in the same style as Ros Asquith's turquoise level Collins Big Cat title, How to Make Storybooks.

Pages 14-15 provide a summary of the instructions, to consolidate understanding of the book, and as a useful reference for children drawing their own cartoons.

Purple/Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language with some challenging vocabulary.

Ideas for Guided Reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.

This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.


How to Make a Storybook

by Ros Asquith

Published 5 January 2005

Ros Asquith, cartoonist and author of many children books, gives a masterclass on writing and illustrating your own storybook . This is an instructional book with a difference, which takes young readers step by step through the writing process from first ideas to editing to illustrating and finally compiling their very own picture book.

  • Turquoise/ Band 7 books offer literay language and extended descriptions, with longer sentences and a wide range of unfamiliar terms.
  • Text type - An instruction text.
  • A flow chart on pages 22 and 23 shows the eight stages described in the book, from ideas to enjoying your story with other readers.
  • Curriculum links - DT: Making a storybook; ICT: Writing stories; communicating information using text.

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.

This is the remarkable story of Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who worked for the American Space Agency. She was part of the team that helped Neil Armstrong land on the Moon for the very first time. She was an African American woman and had to fight against racism and sexism to do the job that she loved and was exceptionally good at.

Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically.

Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.