Desert Dream

by Cindy Leaney

f r i e n d l y

p h o n i c s

By Cindy Leaney Illustrated by Sue King and Peter Wilks

FITZGERALD BOOKS

Note to Parents and Teachers/Educators Before reading: Ask your child what this book might be about. Look at the cover illustration together. Then read the title. What sound does the letter d make in desert and in dream? Remind your child to listen for that sound in the story. Written by Cindy Leaney Designed by Ruth Shane Illustrated by Sue King & Peter Wilks Project managed by Gemma Cooper Created and Designed by SGA and Media Management 18 High Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 5AP, U.K. Produced by Rourke Developmental Associates Vero Beach, Florida, U.S.A. © 2004 Fitzgerald Books 802 N. 41st Street, P.O. Box 505 Bethany, MO 64424, U.S.A. Editor: Patty Whitehouse www.gumdropbooks.com Printed in China All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 1-59054-117-0

The desert is dusty and the desert is dry.

4

I don’t see any clouds in the sky.

5

Oh! Good. There’s a pond here in the sand.

6

But why is a pond in a sand dune? I don’t understand.

7

I’ll dive down deep where it’s super cool.

8

What’s a dolphin doing in this pool?

9

Why has that dolphin got a beard?

10

A dog diving for donuts? This is kind of weird.

11

A duck and a dragon with a fishing rod?

12

That bird is doing dishes. This is very odd!

13

That dinosaur is dancing and playing a drum.

14

There are dozens of ducks now. Where did they come from?

15

There’s a deer drawing daisies.

16

And donkeys playing dolls.

17

Now the dragon’s making mud pies.

18

This doesn’t make sense at all!

19

The desert is disappearing. The pond is drying out.

20

I wonder what in the world this is all about.

21

I’m not in the desert. I’m upside-down in bed.

22

It was all a desert dream, all inside my head!

23

Game time! Can you unscramble these words from the story? 1. raemd,

2. dpon,

3. raognd, 4. sndrioau,

5. dmu,

6. do d.

Answers: 1. dream, 2. pond, 3. dragon, 4. dinosaur, 5. mud, 6. odd.

Find the words that rhyme. odd

beard

weird

head bed

rod Answers: beard/weird, head/bed, odd/rod.

24

What’s a dolphin doing in the desert? Find out in this fun story. Read the story to hear the sound d can make, then play the word games at the end of the story.