Soft or Hard, Mochi?

by ReadRead · 90 sec

Tap, tap! The rock is hard. Pat, pat! The moss is soft. A very first book for very new readers: one short sentence on every page, and the picture always shows the word.

10pop-up spreads

17things to tap

2new words

Words in this book

softhardbasketchairgoodhoorayhugslittle

Peek inside

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Inside the book

Mochi is a little white kitten, and she is very sleepy. She wants a soft bed. Tap, tap! The rock in the garden is hard. Pat, pat! The moss is soft. The flower pot is hard, the pillow is soft, and the kitchen chair is hard. At last Mochi finds a soft basket, hugs her soft teddy, and falls asleep by the fire.

Mochi the white kitten curls up on a soft mound of moss next to her puppy friend.

Tap, tap! Mochi jumps off the hard rock.

Mochi snuggles into the soft blue star pillow.

The new words in this book

soft

Squashy and cosy, it gives when you press it. It comes up 9 times, and every time something on the page really squashes down: the moss, the pillow, the basket and the teddy sink under Mochi’s paws.

hard

Firm like a rock, it does not squash. It comes up 6 times: the rock, the flower pot and the chair go “clonk”, don’t give at all, and Mochi hops right off again.

Made for children just starting kindergarten. Each page has one short sentence (3 to 6 words) in one pattern: “Tap, tap! The rock is hard.” / “Pat, pat! The moss is soft.” Only one word changes, so a child can say the page with you by the third spread. Every other word is one a 4-year-old already knows, like rock, pot, chair, pillow, basket, teddy and bed.

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.

1Mochi is yawning. Is she sleepy? What kind of bed does she want?
2Can you tap the table like Mochi taps the rock? Is it hard?
3Pat your pillow or your sleeve. Is it soft like the moss?
4Is the flower pot soft or hard? What sound does it make?
5What happens to the pillow when Mochi sits on it?
6Would you like to sleep on a chair? Why not?
7Where is Mochi now? Is the basket soft?
8Who does Mochi hug? Is teddy soft or hard?
9Tap a thing. Is it soft or hard?
10Where is the moon? Can you whisper “Good night, Mochi”?

How hard is this book?

Reading level · KFirst sentences

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

60words in all

23different words

5.5words per sentence

6longest sentence

More books at this level

Words a child can sound out, by phonics step

Step 1 · short a, i, o53%

Step 2 · all short vowels57%

Step 3 · blends78%

Step 4 · magic e, ee/ai80%

Step 5 · ar/or, oo/ou93%

Step 6 · longer words100%

Grammar in this book

Questions × 1Tap! Soft or hard?
Commands × 3Tap, tap! The pot is hard.

Words that may stop a reader

baskethooraypillowteddynightorchair

All 22 words, most used first

soft₉ · tap₇ · the₇ · hard₆ · is₆ · pat₆ · a · basket · bed · chair · good · hooray · hugs · little · moss · night · or · pillow · pot · rock · teddy · wants

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

Tips for parents

First time: use Read to me and just enjoy the pictures together. It takes about a minute and a half.
Feel the words: find something soft (a pillow, a sock) and something hard (a spoon, a block) and let your child tap and squeeze them.
Read it again and pause before the last word of each page, so your child can say “soft” or “hard”.
On the game page, let your child guess “Soft!” or “Hard!” before each tap.

Start reading