Suli’s Big Race by Alex Eeles (illustrated by Alan Rogers, as credited on the cover) is a Blue band reader in Cambridge Reading Adventures, used for Class 1 at Lahore Grammar School (LGS). The cover shows a lilac elephant and a spotted cheetah running side by side across a green meadow under a bright sky.
Children love an underdog. In the 2027-28 session, this book gives Class 1 readers a well-loved fable in a new setting, with an elephant who does not run fast but never gives up.
What happens in the book
According to the teaching notes, this story is an innovation on the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. Suli the Elephant liked to run but could not run fast. One day, Taz the Cheetah challenged her to a race. Children will be able to make links with their own experiences and with other stories in which the underdog triumphs in the end. Suli is not an object of ridicule but an example of how strong character and tenacity are admirable personal qualities.
The language is rich for this level: literary language (‘One day’), repeated phrases (‘I must keep going!’), speech punctuation that continues dialogue after the reporting clause (page 14), and both regular and irregular past-tense verbs (‘ran’, ‘came’). Adjectives describe appearance, such as ‘long grass’, ‘little legs’ and ‘big rocks’. The word ‘Slowcoach’ on page 4 needs explaining because it occurs several times.
What your child learns from it
The publisher’s teaching notes list these learning outcomes. A child who reads this book can:
- read aloud demonstrating appropriate pace and emphasis;
- comment on events and characters, using the text to support their opinions;
- decode single-syllable words using their phonic knowledge, with fast visual recall of known high-frequency words.
How to read it together at home
The guided reading lesson printed in the book gives a simple routine you can follow:
- Activate prior knowledge: a recent PE lesson, sports day, or athletics events on television. Give your child the book and read the title and the blurb.
- Say: Suli the Elephant liked to run, but she did not run fast. One day she had a race with Taz the Cheetah. Who do you think will win?
- On pages 2 and 3, find Suli’s name and Taz’s name, reading along each word with a finger.
- Ask how we know Taz will be fast (‘long legs’) and how the author describes Suli’s legs (‘little legs’).
- On page 4, look at the two-syllable word ‘Slowcoach’ and explain what it means.
Fun learning links beyond the book
For PE, children will be familiar with races and school sports. Set up an obstacle course for a class race, but perhaps not with mud! For PSHE, running is one way of keeping fit, so the book supports work on health, well-being and exercise. The notes also suggest ‘The Lion and the Mouse’ (Green band) as another retelling of a traditional fable.
About the Blue band
Blue band sits in the middle of the Cambridge Reading Adventures ladder. At this level the teaching notes expect a child to follow longer lines of text, handle speech punctuation and recognise more words by sight.
Who, when, where and why
Whom: Class 1 children (about six years old). When: during the 2027-28 session. Where: at school, at home, at sports day. Why: to practise reading aloud with pace and emphasis, and to talk about never giving up. Book lists at LGS are almost the same from campus to campus, with a few campuses following their own for some subjects, so message us your campus name first and we will confirm this exact book with you.
Frequently asked questions
Is it based on a known fable?
Yes. It is an innovation on the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare.
Who illustrated it?
Alan Rogers is credited on the cover.
What band is it?
Blue band.
You can order Suli’s Big Race online today. We ship across Pakistan on Cash on Delivery, and families in Lahore can also pick it up from our shop. For overseas delivery (Gulf countries), message us on WhatsApp.
