How Rocket Learned to Read

by Tad Hills • Part of the Rocket Series

One beautiful autumn day, Rocket the dog is disturbed by a little yellow bird who... read more

One beautiful autumn day, Rocket the dog is disturbed by a little yellow bird who is eager to teach him how to read. He doesn’t particularly want to know how to read, but the bird is persistent. She manages to grab his interest with a story she reads aloud about an unlucky dog who had lost his favorite bone. By the time she flies away at the end of the school day, Rocket is hooked and is eager to begin learning his letters. When his teacher flies south for the winter, Rocket practices everything he’s learned by writing letters in the snow and spelling out the names of the things he is observing. When spring brings the bird back, the reading begins anew, but this time with an eager student. Rocket’s shape and coloring make him look like a descendant of Harry the Dirty Dog, and he is just as fetching. His efforts to learn to read mirror those of human children, who are often motivated by the pull of a great story and a talented teacher. (Ages 4–7)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2011

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