Collins Big Cat
12 total works
All is quiet in the gallery, as two security guards keep watch. But something strange is happening in the paintings, as piece by piece the clothes from a man in one painting move to other images – with hilarious results! This fun story is written by Paul Shipton.
- Red A/Band 2A books offer predictable text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story development.
- Children can re-cap the events of the book on pages 14–15.
- Text type: A story with a predictable structure and patterned language
- Curriculum links: Art and design: Visiting a museum, gallery or site
A simple information book depicting different activities: running, jumping, hanging, skating, creeping and swimming. Simple text accompanies photographs of animals performing each activity , alongside photographs of children acting out the same activity.
- Pink B/ Band 1B books offer emergent readers simple, predictable text with familiar objects and actions.
- Text type – A simple information book.
- The photographs are repeated on pages 14 and 15 with a one-word label to describe the activity for reinforcement.
- This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
Hippo wants to play on the see-saw. But who will play with him? In this humorous story a hippo wants to go on a see-saw, but no other animal is heavy enough to get hippo off the ground. It takes a group of animals to do it – and in the end, it is a tiny mouse that makes the difference.
- Pink B/ Band 1B books offer emergent readers simple, predictable text with familiar objects and actions.
- Text type – A story with a predictable structure and patterned language.
- Pages 14 and 15 feature a flow chart, an ideal opportunity to retell the story in sequence.
It's lunchtime and the farmer's hungry, but his lunch box is empty! He turns to all the animals on his farm for help, the sheep, cows, horses and geese, but they are all being very secretive. Are they hiding his lunch, or a much bigger and better surprise? The delightful illustrations develop the text, providing lots of points for discussion.
- Pink A/Band 1A books offer emergent readers very simple text supported by illustrations.
- Text type: A story with predictable structure and patterned language.
- A map of the farm showing all the animals on pages 14-15 helps children recap the main events of the story, and provides a wealth of speaking and listening opportunities.
- Curriculum links: Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Who is in the boat? A hilarious counting story about a mouse with a boat taxi that reluctantly agrees to pick up an increasing number of animals as it floats downstream, before eventually
sinking under the weight to the seabed! Simple text counts the number of each type of animal, from one to six, as they enter the boat.
- Pink A/Band 1A books offer emergent readers very simple text supported by illustrations.
- Text type - A patterned story with predictable structure.
- The labelled flow diagram on pages 14 and 15 retells the story and allows the children to count the animals again.
It’s midnight, and the guinea pigs are not in their cage! In this humorous story, two guinea pigs stray from their cage to a park before returning home again in time for breakfast. Their night-time adventure is told through a series of illustrations with very simple repetitive text.
- Pink A/Band 1A books offer emergent readers very simple text supported by illustrations.
- Text type - A story with predictable structure and patterned language.
- Pages 14-15 provide an illustrated sequence of events that consolidates understanding of the story.
When the Game Player of Zob pays a visit to earth and challenges the earthling children to a game, the children soon find out that the alien is a very bad loser – and that isn’t good news for them…
- Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.
- Text type – A science-fiction story.
- The reader response page provides lots of opportunities for speaking, listening and writing activities.
- Curriculum links – Design and technology: making a moving part story book.
- This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.
A humorous story featuring two whacky scientists building a robot. They assemble the robot carefully with each body part, but where is the head? In this simple text, each body part is named as it is added, and as the different parts are used, a repeated reply of thank you reinforces the phrase.
- Pink B/ Band 1B books offer emergent readers simple, predictable text with familiar objects and actions.
- Text type – A patterned story with predictable structure
- The body parts are repeated in a single labelled diagram of the completed robot on pages 14 and 15 providing opportunities for speaking, listening and writing.
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.
When Lucy finds a gold ring with the words "Be careful what you wish for" engraved on it, she soon discovers that it has special powers. Mayhem starts to ensue as different people find the ring and they are granted their wishes … but not in the way they expected! The ring’s warning is true — you should be careful what you wish for. But will Lucy learn this in time? Find out in this surreal story by Paul Shipton.
White Plus/Band 10+ books provide challenging plots and vocabulary as well as opportunities to practise inference, prediction and reading stamina.
Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall.
Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.
A picture story about three hungry ants. The ants want to know what is for breakfast but they are not keen on dad’s sweet offerings. Finally he suggests an apple; an offer that everyone is happy with. The book includes several discussion features, such as speech bubbles and a clock that shows the passing of time.
- Red B/Band 2B books offer simple but varied text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story development and a satisfying conclusion.
- Text types – A story with a predictable structure and patterned language.
- A story trail on pages 14 and 15 summarises the different stages of the book in sequence.
- This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.
This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.
This comical story is a patterned, counting text about a band of pirates searching for treasure. One-by-one, they get into trouble and make a hasty retreat back to the pirate ship. Helpful vignettes of the pirates at the top of each page help children count how many pirates are left.
- Red B/ Band 2B books offer simple but varied text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story development and a satisfying conclusion.
- Text type – A story with predictable structure and patterned language
- The map on pages 14 and 15 shows the trail the pirates take from their ship to the treasure cave and back again, and can be used to help recap and retell the story.
- Paul Shipton is also the author of Collins Big Cat titles See-saw, Get the Fruit! and The Robot.
Build your child’s reading confidence at home with fully decodable phonics books matched to Letters and Sounds.
This colourful book with hilarious cartoons is a wordless story set in the jungle. A pair of monkeys have their eye on a juicy-looking fruit hanging just out of reach. The story follows their inventive but unsuccessful attempts to grab the fruit.
- Lilac/Band 0 – wordless book that tells a story through pictures and is designed to develop understanding about how stories work.
- Text type – Fiction.
- A storyboard on pages 14-15 provides an opportunity for children to retell the story in their own words.
- This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery