Book excerpt: Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. Shumba is the naughtiest lion cub in the whole of Africa. When he sneaks off one night to go exploring, he finds himself on a boat going all the way to England with gorillas, snakes, monkeys, zebras and parrots. And that's just the start of his adventure! A heartwarming Early Reader story from the author of the White Giraffe quartet, which brings Africa and its animals to life for the youngest readers.