The first step in learning to read is a big one: from single letters to whole words. That's a lot to ask of young children. To make the transition to reading as simple and easy as possible, why not use the shortest words possible, at least in the very first books that children read? How short can words be and still make a story? Three letters? Two letters?

The first books in The Bo Books series, "Y" and "Bo, Go Up!", use one-letter "words" or two-letter words to tell a very simple story, with characters, action, and humor, to help young children cross the threshold into the world of reading. After reading them on their own, children may feel proud at their accomplishment. Next, let them read the final book in The Bo Books series, "Cat Egg," which uses words of up to three letters.