Books by Simon Philip
Simon is obsessed with children's books: reading them, writing them, buying them, smelling them.
His own (17 and counting, including a 3-book young fiction chapter series) have been published in more than 20 languages. YOU MUST BRING A HAT won the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year, and I REALLY WANT THE CAKE was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. He particularly enjoys funny, deadpan picture books. After gaining a 1st class degree in History, he put his skills to use as a barman at a local pub, grew tired of the owner calling him Andy, left to fail a teaching degree, then turned to writing. He lives in Sussex, England, although occasionally leaves to buy milk.
9781471117329
You Must Bring A Hat
You are cordially invited to the biggest, bestest, HATTIEST party of all time!
But only if you know the entry rules. And there seem to be a surprising number of those…
9781471124136
I Don't Know What To Call My Cat
Every cat needs a name. One name, one word, just a sound… It should be easy to choose one, right?
WRONG!!!
I just don’t know what to call my cat!
9781783708017
I Really Want the Cake
There’s a smell I can’t ignore.
It’s wafting through the kitchen door.
It’s time for me to find out more.
I think it might be cake.
How on earth do you resist the most amazing cake ever? Especially when your mum has left a note saying that you MUST NOT eat the cake? One little girl is about to find out just how hard it can be.
9781471164583
It All Began When I Said Yes
Sometimes saying yes is a brilliant thing. You can meet new people, discover amazing things, and go on exciting adventures . . . but not always.
When a gorilla named Gideon shows up at your house with lots of questions and some preeeeeetty bonkers requests, perhaps “yes” will lead to trouble, trouble, and maybe just a touch more trouble. One thing’s for sure – it definitely won’t be boring!
9781787414112
I Really Want to Win
Today is Sports Day. I CAN’T WAIT!
And as I know that I’ll be great,
I’ve planned how I will celebrate –
because I’m going to win.
Our heroine is determined that she’s going to win all the events at school sports day. The problem is that winning isn’t as easy as it looks. She doesn’t win the running race or the tug of war – and she can’t even win a game of hide-and-seek. But maybe winning isn’t really the point?
9781471164620
Be More Bernard
Bernard has decided that he’s not going to be like all the other bunnies any more.
He’s not going to hop when everyone else hops, or bounce when they bounce. And while others might dream of carrots, Bernard’s dreams are altogether more…disco!”
He starts small, but when he finally gets to groove with grace and jive with joy at Bertie and Brenda’s Bunny Ball, Bernard shows the world that being yourself is the very best thing a bunny can be.
9781471164644
I Have to Start At School Today
I have to start at school today.
“You’ll have such fun!” my parents say.
I know they think I’ll be okay,
But what if things don’t go my way?
Starting at a new school is BIG deal at the best of times, so what if you also had to deal with a cross rhinoceros, a selfish bear taking up your chair and a weird baboon with a loud bassoon? Luckily, Grandma is on hand to reassure that there’s no need for fright because what if it just all goes…right?
Simon Philip’s spirited rhyme is perfectly paired with bright, bold, fabulously expressive illustrations from Ged Adamson, creator of Shark Dog.
A riotously funny, but ultimately reassuring look at one child’s far-fetched imaginings about starting school, from the writer of award-winning You Must Bring a Hat and Be More Bernard.
9781787416802
I Really Want to Shout
Sometimes I find it really tough
to make sure I’m not in a huff
because there’s simply so much stuff
that makes me want to shout.
We all get angry once in a while, but it can be hard to know what to do when we feel this way. The determined heroine of I Really want the Cake is back with a new conundrum. What should she do when she REALLY wants to shout?
9780192775023
Esme's Rock
Esme is a small cave girl. She has the kind of voice that’s great for keeping big things with sharp teeth away but that isn’t so great for keeping secrets, like the plans for Morris the mammoth’s birthday surprise. But when the birthday surprise is in danger of not being finished on time, it is Esme’s booming voice that brings people together, makes sure the job is done, and allows the party to go with a real swing!
9780192775047
Esme and the Sabre-Toothed Cub
When a sabre-toothed cub strolls into Esme’s Stone Age village, she enthusiastically adopts it as her own, and names him Seb.
But when Esme tries to train Seb as her pet, he won’t listen-even when she uses her very loudest voice.
When it becomes clear that Seb doesn’t want to be anyone’s pet, Morris the mammoth wonders-could they all be friends, instead?
9781526623737
Achoo!
You probably know it’s good manners to ALWAYS cover your nose when you sneeze. But when Sid forgets this very simple rule, the consequences are WILDER than he could ever have predicted.
Get ready for a laugh-out-loud, sneeze-driven joyride, featuring elephants, pirates, acrobats, giants, princesses and a whole lot of pandas. Sneezing will never be the same again!
This joyfully anarchic, side-splittingly funny story is perfect for fans of You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus and There’s a Shark in the Bath.
9781800781726
I Really Want to Share
Everyone knows sharing is difficult, but a new sibling can be a particularly tricky challenge for lots of children.
This story is a brilliantly funny take on growing families and introducing new siblings. The determined heroine of I Really Want to Share faces this conundrum – with mixed results!
A hilarious story with an important message at its heart, from the author of I Really Want the Cake (shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize), I Really Want to Win and I Really Want to Shout.
9781801044103
Mums Are Magnificent
A celebration of mums with joyful and traditional illustrations by Dawn Lo. Mums are SPECIAL. Mums are UNIQUE. They can play let’s pretend . . . . . . and be your best friend. They can be pilots of planesOr drivers of trains. All mums are DIFFERENT, MAGIC . . . and MAGNIFICENT!Mums Are Magnificent champions the diverse nature of mums and uplifts and celebrates ALL types of mums everywhere – the perfect present to mark the arrival of a new baby or to give to that very special mum on Mother’s Day.
Just like I Love My Mummy by Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd, With My Mummy by James Brown and Cally Johnson-Isaacs, and My Mum by Anthony Browne, Mums Are Magnificent is a tender exploration of the love between mother and child.
9780192783561
Wanna See a Penguin?
Join two friends on a wild penguin chase around the city.
Our self-described penguin ‘expert’ finds black-and-white animals at every turn. But are any of them really penguins – and can you spot the penguin hiding on every page? Written in Simon Philip’s distinctively witty voice, this is brilliantly funny storytelling that plays on the pantomime convention of ‘it’s behind you’.
Readers will love guessing what each new animal is from the glimpse given in the artwork, before turning the page to find out. There are fun facts about all the animals in a fact file at the end of the book.
9781471190957
Fred: Wizard in Training
Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all … because it just so happens that Fred is a Wizard!
Sounds pretty great, right? Except that Fred is absolutely, completely, mind-boggingly TERRIBLE at magic. At school, he’s stuck in a class of wizards half his age, feeling like a twit among tots. At home, he’s endlessly teased by his siblings and always a disappointment to his parents. All Fred wants is to become a better wizard….
So when he hears about a competition to meet Merlin (yes, THE Merlin!) Fred knows it’s his one chance to prove to his family that he’s not the worst wizard in town. The catch? To win the competition he has to capture the tail of a terrifying, fire- breathing lizard…
9781471169090
Fred: Wizard in Trouble!
Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all … because it just so happens that Fred is a Wizard!
The only problem is that Fred is completely, mind-boggingly TERRIBLE at magic…
And now he’s training with the amazing Merlin, hoping to transform from the worst wizard around to a magical marvel. But when an ancient magical book is stolen and Merlin goes missing, Fred discovers that sometimes magic isn’t the answer and that he has other talents that can help him solve the mystery that’s got everyone else stumped!
9781471169120
Fred: Wizarding Wonder
Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all . . . because it just so happens that Fred is a wizard! The only problem is that Fred is totally, absolutely, mind-boggingly terrible at magic. . .
In his third adventure, Fred is invited to stay at the world-famous Magic Camp for Wizards of Astounding Genius, which has to be a mistake, surely? Will being surrounded by incredible magicians make Fred’s rubbish spells look even worse, or will he discover he has more tricks up his sleeve than he realises?
From the prize-winning author of You Must Bring a Hat comes a young fiction series for ages 6+ full of magic and fun, with illustrations from Dave Pigeon’s Sheena Dempsey. The perfect read for young fans of Harry Potter, Ben Miller and Steven Lenton!