Annie and Simon ─ The Sneeze and Other Stories

Little sister, big big brother, and (mostly) good friends — Annie and Simon are back in a second wry and warmhearted early chapter book.

Annie loves to draw and fill sheets of paper with the things she sees around her. But if Simon has trouble figuring out what her scribbles show, what’s a big brother to do? And when Annie squeezes Hazel the dog to make her purr, can Simon help it if it sounds more like grumbling? Hazel is very useful in finding Annie’s stolen chestnuts, but it’s Simon who gently persuades his little sister that the bushytailed suspects might need them back. Whether her problems are big or small, Annie knows she can count on Simon to help her solve them. When Simon himself starts to sneeze, Annie finally sees her chance to take on the helper role as only she can — with chatty zeal and haphazard determination.

Catharine O’Neill is the illustrator of many books for children. Originally from Toronto, she now lives in upstate New York with her family and a small red dog named Hazel.