Hector and the Cello: This story by a significant author tells the tale of Hector the Hippo who wants to play the cello. (Collins Big Cat)

Hector the Hippo wants to play the cello more than anything else in the world. But who in the jungle will teach him? Most of the other animals laugh at the idea. Finally Hector meets a musician who can help him, a lyrebird. He practices everyday until he has a chance to play at a grand concert in front of all the other animals.

· Purple/ Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.

· Text type - A story by a significant author.

· A storyboard on pages 22 and 23 summarises the story in eight illustrations providing an opportunity to recap the key events.

· Curriculum links - Music: Exploring sounds, Classroom instruments, Combining sounds to make music; Science: Animals; ICT: Using text and tables to develop ideas.

· This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

Ros Asquith is well-known to Guardian readers for her strip cartoon Doris, which ran for over ten years. She is also the succesful author of children’s books, notably the Letty Chubb Teenage Worrier series for teenagers published by Piccadilly and Puffin. She lives in North London with her husband – a jazz critic – and two teenage sons.