Gilles Tibo. Simon Says: Seasons
Tundra Books  $22.99  ISBN 0-88776-793-1  42 pg.
Reviewed by Meghan, Age 15

Follow Simon, Marlene and their friends as they explore the season, talking about the weather, the animals of each season, how nature looks and the things they do during each season.

Gilles Tibo has won several awards for his series of children’s books Simon Says which follow young Simon through his many adventures as he discovers the world. Simon and the Snowflakes was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Awards in Children’s Literature and it won the Shiko-Sha Japan Owl Award.

The Simon Says books are excellent for young children, just starting to read. The text is large and easy to read, perfect for young readers. Sentences are short and simple, with few difficult words. As an older reader, I found the content a bit dry, but it will appeal greatly to young children. I remember loving the Simon Says books when I was a kid.

The illustrations and jacket pictures are simple and match the content of the story perfectly. There is a large picture on every page, very colorful and inviting, which will appeal to children. Illustrations make excellent use of different color to enhance mood; lots of greens and yellows in spring; warm yellows, oranges, browns and bright colors in summer; pale colors, with lots of yellows and browns in autumn; pale pastel colors in winter with lots of blues and whites. The pictures add a lot to the story.

I would recommend Simon Says: Seasons and the Simon Says series for children up to age five. Even children who can’t read will enjoy looking at the pictures and it’s never too early to start a love of reading!

I’d give Simon Says: Seasons four and a half stars out of five.