SnackPack Studios iconSnackPack StudiosFree illustrated reader
Short read · Free

Centi‑Peed’s
Garden Race

A four-page garden race about stopping to help a friend when a ribbon is within reach.

Read togetherKindness4 pages
Begin the story
Centi-Peed, a brown centipede in a horned helmet, ties his red racing boots beside Shelly-Pop on a flower-lined path.
Page 1 of 4

Centi-Peed laces his many racing boots and announces he will win by one hundred steps. Shelly-Pop quietly wishes everyone luck.

Wise Owl claps as Centi-Peed races ahead of Shelly-Pop and two small garden friends.
Page 2 of 4

Wise Owl claps the starting signal. Centi-Peed springs ahead so quickly that his bootlaces hum.

Centi-Peed stops beside Shelly-Pop, whose race tag is caught under a fallen twig near the roses.
Page 3 of 4

He zooms past the roses, then hears Shelly call: a fallen twig has pinned her race number. Centi skids to a stop.

Centi-Peed and Shelly-Pop dance across the finish behind a bee and a ladybird holding their ribbons.
Page 4 of 4

After he frees Shelly, they cross the finish together behind the others. Centi wins no ribbon, but all his boots join Shelly’s happiest dance.

The end · Great reading

Why did Centi-Peed stop during the race?

Show the answer

To free Shelly-Pop’s trapped race number.

SnackPack Sentences & Spelling has many more short reads like this one, plus the Reading Trail, word packs and literacy games.

Next: Number storiesTed‑E‑Bear and the Button Trail

Know a family or class who would enjoy it?

Get the app on Google PlayExplore the appPrint this book (PDF)Back to the bookshelf