Simon Says

by Cora Reef, Liam Darcy (Illustrator)

Overview

Simon Seahorse embarks on an adventure to find his lost lucky pearl in this first book in The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse chapter book series.

Meet Simon, a tiny seahorse with a not-so-tiny personality! Simon has lived near Coral Grove, a small village near the ocean, his whole life, but from the stories he tells, you’d think he’s traveled the seas! It’s not that Simon lies. He prefers the term “embellishes,” and his way of seeing the world makes the everyday extraordinary. So when his lucky pearl goes missing after he brings it to school one day, Simon’s journey to find it is sure to be an epic tale!

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665903691
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	12/28/2021
Series:	The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse , #1
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	60 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Cora Reef has been telling tales for as long she can remember. She might not have grown up in a large family like Simon’s, but her big imagination has always kept her company. Cora lives near Boston, Massachusetts, with her family, where she is never far from the ocean.

Liam Darcy is a British illustrator who loves to be inspired by animals, nature, and human interactions. Most of his work is created digitally but he occasionally experiments with paints and ink as well. Liam lives in London and when he’s not creating art, he enjoys writing and fitness!

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: A Good-Morning Story

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2022

Gr 1–3—Simon the seahorse loves stories and has a knack for embellishment. After sharing a fantastical tale about his lucky pearl, a crabby classmate named Cam suggests that Simon tells too many stories. When Simon loses his lucky pearl while animatedly inventing another story, he begins to wonder if Cam is right. Simon and his buddy Olive go out to find the pearl, resulting in an adventure to the ocean floor, where they meet a kind lantern fish treasure collector and get the pearl back. Simon realizes that the current, not his storytelling, was to blame for the lost pearl. At school the next day, Simon cheers Cam up by giving him glitter for his bland art project and tells him about his latest adventure. This beginning chapter book series debut, illustrated in cheerful grayscale cartoons, has cute, friendly characters. The conflicts are quotidian and relatable, and there's a low dose of adventure as well as a bit of humor. A few unexplained details lend themselves to development in future volumes. The decision to conclude with Simon telling another made-up story is a bit confusing, as the plot's lesson implies that his recent adventure is worth telling straight. VERDICT Overall, a mild, sweet story in the vein of Kevin Henkes's empathic tales, though probably without the same staying power.—Rachel Owens

School Library Journal