INDIGO INDRI AND THE ICKY INCIDENT

(Short I Anchor Book — Critteracy Books)

Indigo the Disgusted Indri

PAGE 1 — In the Icky Island Trees

Indigo Indri inched along a thin limb.

Legs nimble.

Fingers gripping.

Fur lifting in the wind.

He wanted a tiny insect —

a little, jittery, wiggly tidbit.

But every insect looked

a little too drippy,

a little too sticky,

a little too…

“ihhh.”

Indigo hissed his disgust.

Then —

something wet

dripped

right onto his wrist.

PAGE 2 — The First Big “IHHH!”

Drip.

A sticky, stringy, indri drool drip.

Indigo didn’t grin.

Indigo didn’t giggle.

Indigo issued a full indignant:

“IHHH!”

He slid from the tippy top,

Slipping down the trunk—

Ripping the tree limbs—

leaving a long, thin line behind him…

the first stroke of a capital I.

Sitting in a little pile of leaves.

Not injured — just irritated.

And the drip?

Just his sibling

grooming itself

with giddy intent.

PAGE 3 — Trying to Re‑Center

Indigo sat like a rigid icicle.

He inhaled.

He tried to remit.

A little insect!

He pinched his fingers into place.

“I am miffed a bit.

Minimally irritated.”

His limbs lifted.

His fur flattened.

His breath thinned.

He whispered a tiny

“ihh…”

…and started the incline —

not thrilled, but willing.

PAGE 4 — Climbing Back Up

Up the limb he inched.

Legs tight.

Eyes slits.

Fur flick flick flicking like tiny bristles.

“I am minimally fine.”

“I am mildly impressive,” he added.

“I am mostly shipshape.”

“Typically indifferent,” Indri insisted.

Inch by inch…

lifting…

lifting…

…until he heard the lick‑lick‑lick

of his indri sibling’s grooming.

PAGE 5 — The Second Ridiculous Ick

Indigo didn’t grin.

A little, licky, sticky sound.

Limbs bristled.

Fur lifted.

Then—

“IHHHH!”

He jilted sideways,

legs rigid like little sticks,

gliding in an icky, gritty skid —

indenting a little tippy top line

of the capital I.

In the twigs above, the leaves shifted…

and out peeked an indri’s kin.

with lips full of grooming drool.

Indigo’s irritation intensified.

The indri blinked,

as Indigo snipped,

“ihhh…”

PAGE 6 — A Disgusting Drop

LICK.

A sticky, icky lick.

Indigo watched the indri lick its fingers,

each lick sending little drips everywhere.

Indigo pinched his fur,

lifting off the little dribbles.

He let the indri finish its icky ritual.

Then Indigo went back to his insect intent.

The trill of indris groomed.

Indigo grimaced.

PAGE 7 — The Not‑Impressed Shuffle

Tip tip tip went his rigid limbs.

Flick flick flick went his bristly fur.

“Ihh… ihh… ihh…” went his sniff.

The insects had inched down the limb.

An empty strip was left.

Indigo paused.

Fur lifted.

Indigo exhaled a thin

“ihh…”

…and went on —

toward something tiny.

PAGE 8 — The Icky Incident

There they were —

little insects,

inching in a little line with interest.

Indigo inhaled.

Indigo shifted his hip and

in a finished line

of his capital I.

He felt intensely Indigo.

PAGE 9 — The Itty‑Bitty Snack Finale

At last —

the insect.

The tidbit.

The tiny, jittery, icky glory.

Tap tap tap went his ill innards.

He licked the insect.

NIP.

Flick.

“Ihh…”

the most disgusted short i in the trees.

Behind him, the limb showed

his whole icky incident —

little top trim rim,

tallish middle rib,

bottom itty lip —

a perfect capital I.

“Ihh… insects are a whit,

minimally,

mostly intolerable.”

PAGE 10 — Trace the I‑Line

Indigo Indri made his capital I

by slipping, sliding, and stiffening

through the icky island trees.

Now it’s your turn to trace his tall, slim letter.

1. Start at the trim tip — the very top.

This is the highest point of your I —

the place where Indigo first lifted his limbs.

2. Slide your finger straight down the rigid strip.

Keep it slim, stiff, and steady

— just like Indigo’s irritated glide.

3. Stop at the very bottom.

This is the end of his long, thin line.

4. Lift your finger and place it at the top of your vertical line — just to the left.

This marks the tiny twig‑rim he brushed past.

5. Slide your finger across to the right side.

A straight, still top bar —

Indigo’s first icky skid.

6. Lift your finger again and place it at the bottom of your vertical line — just to the left.

Right where he landed in that leafy pile.

7. Slide your finger across to the right side.

A slim bottom bar —

the last line of Indigo’s icky incident.

Indigo’s Hint

Make each I slim, stiff, and still —

just like Indigo Indri.

PAGE 11 — TRACE THE LOWERCASE i

Indigo Indri uses his short‑i sound

every time he whispers “ihh…”

every time he stiffens in disgust,

and every time he inches toward

a tiny, jittery tidbit.

Now it’s your turn

to trace his lowercase i —

the slim, stiff letter

that matches his bristly fur

and irritated little huffs.

1. Start with a slim line.

A straight, stiff strip —

just like Indigo’s rigid glide

down the sticky trunk.

2. Add a tiny dot above.

A little, icky drip —

like the drool that plopped

onto his wrist.

3. Keep the line thin and steady.

Not wide, not wiggly —

a perfect echo

of Indigo’s irritated inching.

4. Stop.

You’ve made a complete,

slim, stiff,

lowercase i

for Indigo Indri’s

short‑i “ihh…”

Indigo’s Hint

Make your i slim, stiff, and still —

just like Indigo Indri.

PAGE 12 — Vowel Sound Explanation (Short I)

THE SHORT‑I SOUND: “ihh”

Indigo Indri uses the short‑i sound

when he hisses “ihh…”

when he stiffens in disgust,

and when he inches toward

a tiny, jittery insect.

Short‑i is a quick, tight, prickly sound

made with your mouth slightly open

and your voice a little tense.

You hear it in:

• Indigo

• icky

• insect

• inch

• ill

• sticky

• drip

• flick

• rigid

• snip

• tidbit

• twig

Short‑i helps Indigo express

his prickly irritation

in the sticky, drippy trees.

PAGE 13 — Critteracy Learning - Teacher Note

TEACHING WITH INDIGO INDRI

Indigo Indri models the short‑i vowel

through bristly movement,

tight posture,

and prickly emotional reactions.

His story reinforces:

• the short‑i sound (“ihh…”)

• capital I formation (tall line + top and bottom trims)

• lowercase i formation (slim line + dot)

• high‑frequency short‑i vocabulary

• predictable phonics patterns (i‑words, i‑actions, i‑feelings)

• emotional expression through literacy

(Indigo’s “ihh…” helps him show irritation)

Use this Critteracy Book to:

• introduce or reinforce short‑i

• model letter formation

• practice decoding short‑i words

• build confidence in early readers

• connect movement to phonics

• explore how characters use sounds to express feelings

Indigo’s icky incident

makes the short‑i sound

sticky, prickly, and unforgettable.

PAGE 14 — Environmental Vocabulary Glossary

SHORT‑I WORDS FROM INDIGO’S ISLAND TREES

These words appear in Indigo’s sticky, icky world

and all use the short‑i sound.

• Indigo — the disgusted indri

• icky — his sticky, drippy environment

• insect — the tiny tidbit he wants

• inch — his slow, irritated movement

• ill — his bristly innards tapping

• sticky — the drips and licks everywhere

• drip — the drool that plops onto his wrist

• flick — the bristly motion of his fur

• rigid — the way his limbs stiffen

• snip — his irritated little sound

• tidbit — his tiny snack

• twig — the thin limb he inches along

These words help readers connect

Indigo’s environment

to the short‑i sound he teaches.

PAGE 15 — Mini‑Map of the Critteracy Short Vowel World

THE CRITTERACY MAP: WHERE THE VOWELS LIVE

Every vowel critter lives in a habitat

that matches their vowel sound —

a place shaped by their feelings,

their movements,

and the letter they create.

Here’s how the Critteracy World fits together:

A — Adeline Addax

Lives in the sandy snacklands,

where shadows swoop, snacks crunch,

and every bright “ah…”

echoes across the dunes.

E — Eddie Echidna

Lives at the earthy meadow edge,

where “eh…” drifts through the stems

and every edible speck

sets his elbows tapping.

I — Indigo Indri

Lives in the icky island trees,

where “ih…” flicks like tiny bristles

through sticky drips,

licks, and jittery insects.

O — Octavia Ocelot

Lives in the open mossy clearing,

where “ohhh…” drifts in gentle circles

through fog, soft moss,

and warm, round moments of friendship.

U — Ulf Unau

Lives in the humid rainforest understory,

where “uhhhh…” hums through moss and mud

as he thinks slowly,

smartly,

and unhurriedly.

Together, these habitats form the Critteracy World

A place where every vowel

has a home,

a sound,

a story,

and a critter who teaches it

one thoughtful adventure at a time.

PAGE 16 — Peek at the Next Critter

NEXT IN THE CRITTERACY COLLECTION…

A soft circle…

a mossy flop…

a warm “ohhh…” drifting through the clearing.

Who’s out there?

Who’s looping gently?

Who’s ready to teach the next vowel?

Read the next book

to meet your next Critteracy friend —

Octavia Ocelot —

the open‑hearted, hopeful, short‑o critter

waiting in the open mossy clearing.