Peep! Peep! Peep! Possum opened one small eye. What was that noise? Snug and warm in the midst of his winter's nap, Possum is roused by a small peep, peep, peep. In cranky morning fashion he is determined to find out who has so rudely awakened him. He and his friends, a bear, a muskrat, and a couple of catbirds, who also want the racket to stop, search high and low for the mystery peeper. Soon, though, with the sun shining down warm on their feathers and fur, they realize it wasn't so bad to be rousted out of bed after all.

When Possum is awakened on the first day of spring by a loud noise that won't stop, he and all the other animals, who have also had their winters' sleep disturbed, set out to discover who is making all the racket.

“Addresses bullying and empathy in an easy, accessible way” —New York Post The Nocturnals 8-book Early Reader Collection encourages kids at all reading levels who like adventurous stories featuring unusual animals. In this adventure-filled Level 2 Early Reader, Dawn the serious fox, Tobin the sweet pangolin, and Bismark the wacky sugar glider meet an unusual new animal, Penny the possum. Bismark doesn't understand her. But Penny makes friends with the Nocturnal Brigade and shows them how to be proud of their differences. GREAT FOR BEGINNING READERS AGES 6–8 Teaches Life Skills: Accepting Differences, Empathy, and Kindness. Perfect for kids who like unusual animals and science! Bonus Book Content: Nocturnals Fun Facts and Animal Glossary Download complimentary printable activities on the book's website: Sight Word Games, Bingo, Common Core Language Arts Educator Guide, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Activities, and More! Read All 8 of the Nocturnals Grow & Read Adventures, including Level 2 Early Readers The Moonlight Meeting and The Slithery Shakedown. These Beginning Readers introduce Life Skills such as Friendship and Sharing. NEW! Get The Nocturnals companion Grow & Read Animal Activity Book to extend the story with animal facts, coloring, drawing games, mazes, puzzles, and more! (Sold separately)

Preschool teachers and early childhood professionals know that storybook reading is important, but they may not know how to maximize its benefits for later reading achievement. This indispensable guide presents research-based techniques for using reading aloud to intentionally and systematically build children's knowledge of print. Simple yet powerful strategies are provided for teaching preschoolers about book and print organization, print meaning, letters, and words, all while sharing engaging, commercially available books. Appendices include a detailed book list and 60 reproducibles that feature activities and prompts keyed to each text.