Near and Far

by ReadRead · 90 sec

Run, run! Biscuit is far. Woof! Biscuit is near. A first book with one short sentence per page, where near really looks big and far really looks small.

10pop-up spreads

25things to tap

2new words

Words in this book

nearfarballbiscuithooraysheepthrowwith

Peek inside

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Inside the book

Biscuit the puppy is near, right next to Kai. Run, run! Now Biscuit is far, a tiny dot by the windmill. Woof! He races back and is near again. Kai throws the red ball far, and Biscuit goes, goes, far away to get it. A sheep says baa and comes near, then hops off far. Biscuit trots back near with the ball, and at sunset he runs into Kai’s arms for a big hug.

Kai throws the red ball far across the meadow while Biscuit watches, in Near and Far.

Biscuit is near, right next to Kai, in a spring meadow.

Baa! The sheep comes near, big at the front of the page.

The new words in this book

near

Close to you, right here. It comes up 8 times, and every time Biscuit, the sheep or a toy comes running up to the front of the page and looks big.

far

A long way away. It comes up 7 times, and every time Biscuit, the ball or the sheep goes all the way to the back, by the windmill, and looks small.

Made for children just starting kindergarten: one sentence per page, three to six words. One pattern comes back and only one word changes: “Biscuit is near.” / “Run, run! Biscuit is far.”, then the ball, then the sheep. Every other word is one a four-year-old already knows: run, go, ball, throw, sheep, hug.

Questions to ask while you read

Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.

1Where is Biscuit? Is he near Kai?
2Run, run! Where did Biscuit go? Is he big or small now?
3Woof! Who is coming back? Is Biscuit near or far?
4Kai throws the ball. Where did it land?
5Go, go! Can you find Biscuit? Is he far?
6Who says baa? Is the sheep near now?
7Hop, hop! Where is the sheep going?
8What does Biscuit bring back? Is he near?
9Tap a friend or a toy: is it near or far now?
10How do Kai and Biscuit feel at sunset?

How hard is this book?

Reading level · KFirst sentences

About 50 words, one short sentence at a time, one pattern that repeats.

54words in all

18different words

4.9words per sentence

7longest sentence

More books at this level

Words a child can sound out, by phonics step

Step 1 · short a, i, o48%

Step 2 · all short vowels56%

Step 3 · blends57%

Step 4 · magic e, ee/ai76%

Step 5 · ar/or, oo/ou96%

Step 6 · longer words100%

Grammar in this book

Questions × 1Tap! Near or far?
Commands × 4Throw! The ball is far.

Words that may stop a reader

baahooraywooforthrowsheep

All 17 words, most used first

is₉ · near₈ · far₇ · the₄ · ball₂ · go₂ · hop₂ · hug₂ · run₂ · sheep₂ · woof₂ · baa · hooray · or · tap · throw · with

Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.

Tips for parents

First time: use Read to me and just enjoy the running. The whole book takes about a minute and a half.
Join in with the pattern: after two pages, let your child say the last word — “near!” or “far!”
Play it with your hands: hold a toy right in front of your child’s nose (“near!”), then carry it across the room (“far!”). Things far away look small.
On a walk, point things out: the tree near us, the building far away. Which looks bigger?

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