I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Santa's Simon by Terri Lilga, Chau Pham Published by Bookfox Press on October 6, 2023
Genres: Children's, Holidays
Pages: 39
Format: eARC
Source: Provided by author for honest review
Goodreads
All is well in the land of Glee, where elves like Santa's Simon are preparing for Christmas. But when Snow Dragon breaks all the toys and steals their Crystal Queen, will Simon be brave enough to save the Queen...and Christmas?
Julie’s Review:
Santa’s Simon is such a and charming Christmas book. It has it all for a story of a brave warrior send to slay the dragon and save the princess, with a twist. Santa and Simon are in pursuit of their kidnapped Crystal Queen and Simon must battle the Snow Dragon to save them all. But what he does is a fun twist we love to see in a Christmas story.
The story is told in fun rhymes, great for a read-aloud or easy enough to read for middle elementary kids. The illustrations are so darling and well done. The dragon especially is so pretty.
This is a fun holiday story you can enjoy adding to your reading list.
Author Interview
At what point did you decide to be an author, and what was your path to publication?
I have always enjoyed writing – especially creatively. Pair that with how joyful it was to interact with my elementary students exploring children’s literature, I knew I wanted to become an author early on. My path to publication evolved over time. I saw retirement as an opportunity to fully pursue this goal.
What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
I stay committed to the current book project I’m working on. I do, however, keep a journal of other possibilities when a new book idea pops up.
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?
My writing process is more organic. When I have an idea for a book, I first mentally “frame” it: What is the story I want to tell and what is my purpose in telling it? Then I let it incubate for a bit and start writing it down.
Tell us what you enjoy most about writing children’s literature.
What I enjoy most about writing children’s literature is it’s so much fun yet a challenge to do it well. I like creating unusual characters involved in storylines that offer good discussion points, a theme or message, and perhaps a plot twist.
What have you found to be most challenging about writing in children’s lit?
Thus far, my children’s books are written in rhyme. It can be a challenge to get the meter and rhyming right & flowing smoothly while using engaging & often (for me) multi-syllable words. It can also be challenging to write a book that appeals to a range of ages (Ex. ages 3-9) and one that children will be excited to read or be read to over and over again.
Describe the book in 10 words or less for people just learning about it.
An epic holiday story of faith, courage, and kindness.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
Yes, why leadership and kindness matter and how these can shape children’s lifelong success.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Make a commitment to write consistently. Join and engage in Writing Communities such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI), or a Social Media FB / Instagram group that would be a good fit for you. Have faith in your ability to write well.
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