What This Book Is About
This is three separate short stories about Class 2R, not one. In the first, a large striped cat wanders into Miss Riley's classroom and sits down on her keyboard. It is a stray that turns up once, not a class pet, and the children decide that the printout it produces is a warning about the school fish lunch.
In the second, the class argues about whether a crisp dropped in a puddle gives you "Puddle-pox". In the third, Joel Jack's imaginary friend, Imaginary Margaret, gets the blame for wrecking a museum trip. Written by Pamela Butchart and illustrated throughout by Becka Moor in two colours, published by Nosy Crow for ages five to seven.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why We Recommend This Book
For A1-level students (G2), Wigglesbottom Primary is a pure joy to read—and joy is the single most important ingredient in building a reading habit at this age.
First, the setting is instantly relatable. Every child at UWC has seen a class decide collectively that something ordinary is enormous, which is exactly what Class 2R does with a cat, a crisp and a school trip. That familiarity lowers the reading barrier and helps EAL learners attach new English vocabulary to experiences they already understand.
Second, three-stories-in-one-book is a good shape for early readers. Each story is short enough to finish in one sitting, so a child gets the satisfaction of completing something three times in a single book.
Third, the stories are told the way children tell them, with every small event treated as a crisis. That makes the book easy to read aloud and easy to argue about afterwards, which is half of what a reading lesson at this age needs.
Reading Level Guide
The short stories and illustrations make it approachable, but some support may help.
Perfect difficulty. Funny enough to keep reading, simple enough to understand independently.
A quick, hilarious read at A2. Great for read-aloud sessions and building fluency.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
Not sure if this book is right for your child? Take our free English assessment to find their CEFR level, then choose books that match.