Mud on the Van in the Little Blossom Stories series uses curriculum based fiction to get children comfortable with reading--while telling a counting story. Each book in this series uses a combination of sight words and short-vowel words in repetition to build recognition and confidence. Original illustrations help guide readers through the text. Text and format is created by Cecilia Minden, PhD, a literacy consultant and former director of the Language and Literacy program at Harvard Graduate School of Education.