Annie and Simon ─ The Sneeze and Other Stories

A chatty little girl and her patient older brother share an easy bond in a charming early chapter book filled with warmth and wry humor.

Annie and Simon: little sister and big, big brother. Annie likes to talk — a lot — about what she’s going to be when she grows up, about the clouds and rain and umbrellas, about picnics in the park and meteors, about loons and canoes and turtles. And Simon is a very good listener. He knows a lot about the stars and the weather, how to fix bee stings, and where to look for loons. He knows a lot about being the kind of big brother that keeps a little sister smiling. Whether they are poking around the garden or paddling through a marsh, curious Annie and patient Simon are siblings who are clearly happy in each other’s company.

Catharine O’Neill is the illustrator of many books for children. The inspiration for ANNIE AND SIMON, she says, "came from my daughter and her two quite a bit older half-brothers, who were, mostly, very patient. And, of course, from our dog, Hazel!" She lives in upstate New York.