Simon Says (The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse #1)

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