Read with Me: The Elves and the Shoemaker - Tapa dura

The Read with Me series is a set of new reading books designed to develop the confidence of young readers.

The books are aimed at children who can read a little, but who need lively but structured books to help them develop their skills further. Using a familiar tale, the lively text complements the child's more formal learning. Current developments in the teaching of reading, writing, and speaking guide the text and are behind the range of activities at the end of each book.

The newly commissioned child-friendly illustrations coupled with the text help add humor to the stories. The text is also positioned on pale colors to help dyslexic readers. At the end of each book a range of activities reinforce the words learned in the book. A "Ready to Tell" section encourages children to rearrange episodes from the story and increase confidence by retelling it. A picture dictionary is included to illustrate more difficult words and present key words in context.