Books in Collins Big Cat series

A shepherd boy decides to play a trick on the people in his village by telling them that there is a wolf nearby. But will the villagers believe him when a wolf really does turn up? This witty retelling of the traditional story was written by Saffy Jenkins.• A shepherd boy decides to play a trick on the people in his village by telling them that there is a wolf nearby. But will the villagers believe him when a wolf really does turn up? This witty retelling of the traditional story was written by Saffy Jenkins.• Pink A/Band 1B books offer simple, predictable text with familiar objects and actions.• Children can recap the journey of the boy as he plays tricks using the story map on pages 14–15.• Text type: A traditional tale• Curriculum links: Personal, social and emotional development

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.

A humorous poem with one couplet on every monarch from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth the Second.• Purple/ Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.• Text type—a poem.• Curriculum links—History: "Pupils should be taught about. . . events beyond living memory that are significant nationally."• A royal timeline on pages 22–23, showing dates on the throne of all monarchs, allows children to place the poem in context.

Joe is waiting for his friend Harry, but each time there is a knock at the door he finds an unexpected visitor waiting for him – each with an unusual problem for him to solve. This humorous story was written by nine-year-old Collins Big Cat Writing Competition winner Dominic Butters and has been wonderfully illustrated by Fabio Santomauro.• Blue/Band 4 books offer longer, repeated patterns with sequential events and integrated literary and natural language.• Text type: A patterned story with a predictable structure• Curriculum links: Citizenship

Have you ever wondered how things are created? Find out all about inventors and their amazing inventions in this non-fiction information book, written and illustrated by Scoular Anderson.• Green/Band 5 books offer early readers patterned language and varied characters• Text type: An information book.• A timeline of all the inventors and their inventions on pages 14 and 15 help children to recap when different things were invented and provides a wealth of speaking and listening opportunities.• Additional retrieval devices such as a glossary and index can be evaluated for their usefulness as children develop critical reading skills.• Curriculum links: Design and Technology: Winding up

As we grow up, our bodies grow and change with us. This information book by Teresa Heapy looks at the changes that happen – from our eyes and teeth to our height and strength.• Blue/Band 4 books offer longer, repeated patterns with sequential events and integrated literary and natural language.• Children can chart the changes our bodies go through from baby to six years old in the timeline on pages 14–15.• Text type: An information book• Curriculum links: Science: Moving and growing