Review of ADELE AND SIMON

Bibliography:

McClintock, Barbara. 2006. Adèle and Simon. Illustrated by author. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. ISBN 9780374380441

Summary:

As Adèle and her brother Simon walk home from school, they make stops along the way. At each of these stops, Simon loses one of his belongings. He arrives home without his coat, scarf, gloves, sweater, knapsack, and other items. Fortunately, the people Adèle and Simon met along their walk return all of the little boy’s possessions.

Review:

Barbara McClintock invites readers of all ages to spend the afternoon with Adèle and her little brother Simon in turn of the century Paris. Readers will enjoy following the two from the park to the Natural History Museum to a puppet show and more. The simple story of a little girl who is “tired of looking for hats and gloves and crayons and books and scarves everywhere we go” is entertaining, but it is the pictures which dominate and draw readers in to the book. McClintock’s detailed and action-filled illustrations create a game of seek and find for readers who will want to help Adèle and her brother find Simon’s missing glove, scarf, knapsack, etc. Each page presents a new scene to examine. Readers could spend hours looking at the pen and ink drawings of Parisian city life, and they will definitely enjoy the challenge of finding Simon’s missing items. If only, they could tell Simon and Adèle where to look! While a few readers may wonder what Mama will do when she learns about Simon’s missing items, they needn’t worry. For, in the end, all of Simon’s things are returned by the many people they encountered throughout the day. Although the ending is a bit unrealistic (would strangers return lost items?), the adventure of following the absent-minded little boy and his sister is entertaining. McClintock recaps the children’s journey on a street map of Paris printed on the end pages of the book that includes a legend identifying where each item was lost. In addition, the author includes notes at the end of the book explaining each scene. She provides background information about the Jardin des Plantes, the Musee du Louvre, Notre-Dame, and other landmarks of Paris. While adults will find this fascinating, children will not dwell on the setting as much as the challenge of finding Simon’s possessions. It’s too bad they can’t walk home with Simon every day!