<p><em>Lad and his Pals</em> develops the five short vowels across 14 stories, with stories introducing and practicing each short vowel and the digraphs <em>ch</em>, <em>sh</em>, and <em>th</em>. This book&nbsp;incorporates the best features of past decodable children&rsquo;s stories: strong story structure, inviting illustrations, and a growing set of correspondences allowing an ever richer pool of words. We have added a feature to our series pioneered in the Dick and Jane stories read by earlier generations of children: Our stories follow familiar children and animals through a series of adventures. However, unlike the bland characters in the Dick and Jane books, the characters in these stories are culturally diverse: African-American, European-American, Asian Indian, and East Asian. Some of the most important characters are highly accessible to all children because they are animals&mdash;a dog, two cats, a flock of angry geese, a mischievous snake, and a pet pig.</p>