Adrian Simcox does not have a horse! Especially not a beautiful horse with a white coat and golden mane and beautiful brown eyes like he likes to tell anyone who would listen. And Chloe will be the first person to tell you that Adrian Simcox absolutely does not have a horse. How could he possibly when he lives in a little house in the run down section of town? Fed up, she calls him out on it in school. And so we have the crux of Marcy Campbell’s debut picture book that explores friendship and kindness in a tender, poignant way. But it is the artwork of Washington based author/ illustrator Corinna Luyken that takes it to another level creating images that invites readers to see more with the imagination than is originally presented. This special book is a perfect addition to any shelf that has Each Kindness, Last Stop on Market Street, and other titles that cultivate empathy.
Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse is one of 12 finalists chosen for the 2019 Pacific Northwest Book Award. The six winners will be announced in January. nwbooklovers.org is posting blurbs from the committee for each of the shortlisted titles.