Simon James (2) (1961–)

When Stanley's mother has to go away on a short business trip, the young boy embarks on an imaginative voyage to Mars. His spaceship soon returns with a little Martian who looks exactly like him, save for the helmet. The Martian explains to Stanley's brother and father that he doesn't do things like wash his hands or brush his teeth, but otherwise he fits fairly well into Stanley's life. Until, that is, he gets into trouble at school, for arguing with Stanley's best friend. When Stanley's show more mother returned, how will the Martian react...?

A sweet story about a young boy and his imaginative games of make-believe, The Boy Who Went to Mars pairs an engaging tale with appealing, humorous artwork. Many children enjoy pretending that they are someone else - an alien (as Stanley does here), a princess, a ninja - and British author/illustrator Simon James captures both the fun of that experience, and the warmth and love of Stanley's family, who accept his game and (for the most part) play along. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about imaginative play. show less

Baby Brains is one of the cutest books I've read. Baby Brain was a little too smart for his own good, but no matter how smart you are, sometimes you just want your mommy. This book takes you through the very short life of Baby Brains and his amazing accomplishments even only days old. From a doctor to an astronaut he can do it all, but we have to remember, he is a just a baby. I feel like this book is saying take your time growing up, there is always time to be a doctor, cherish being young, show more loved, and taken care of. show less

George and his mother have a nest high above a park in the city, it’s time
to migrate south but George doesn’t want to leave his nest. His mother tries
to persuade him to leave but it’s not until a gust of wind blows George and
his nest adrift above the city that he finally learns to fly. He has a few
close calls along the way, including an encounter with a cat, but eventually
he and his mother set of on their journey south.
I liked the way the author used the city setting to show George’s show more story, the
build up to the end was just exciting enough and young readers will love
this story’s sense of adventure and uncertainty. The author/illustrator’s
subtle ink and watercolor illustrations lend to the story’s seasonal setting
of autumn with their muted soft colors. show less

Rex is about a baby dinosaur who doesn't know who his parents are and ends up getting "adopted" by a t-rex. The illustrations in this book are very memorable, and they really add to the text. This would be a good book to teach children about what adoption is, or to read to a student who may be gaining a sibling through adoption. Simon James did a great job in writing a fantasy book that could easily be related to real life events.