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Simon Philip was born in Chichester in 1988 and has lived there ever since. After studying History at Exeter University, he decided to become a primary school teacher. Teaching rekindled his love of children's books, so much so that he decided to have a go at writing his own. He is the author of I Don't Know What to Call my Cat, You Must Bring a Hat, and the Waterstones Prize shortlisted I Really Want the Cake.
Read a Q&A with the author here.
As the season of school sports day approaches this is a perfectly timed new outing for the irrepressible and hilarious cake loving heroine of the Waterstones Prize shortlisted I really want the cake! Cakes play an important part in this tale too, but first this little girl tries and tries to win. She really wants to win! It all starts with a race and she is in the lead but trips. A calamity repeated across every school in the land and so this is very good preparation for little would-be athletes. Time and again her ambition is thwarted. Her friend wins everything. The sense of injustice felt is so perfectly captured in the bold expressive illustrations that reveal the little girl’s impulsive character and her constantly changing emotions. But one day her friend does not win and very surprisingly for our heroine the friend does not mind at all and congratulates the winner. Our heroine is encouraged to forget about winning and just to do what she loves which is baking cakes of course! Then the loyal friend finds a Bake Off competition which our heroine approaches with proper humility having recognised how much she enjoyed the process. She surprises herself by winning and the celebrations are genuine. Resilience triumphs in this completely relatable story which will prompt useful discussion as well as laugh out loud moments.
January 2017 Debut of the Month | The naming of cats is notoriously difficult, as the little girl in this delightful picture book finds out. She tries all sorts of names for her new kitten, none of which meet with his approval, until finally – as cats will – he ups and leaves. She can’t find him anywhere, but somehow returns home with a new pet – something altogether different! Simon Philip’s text provides Ella Bailey with opportunity to illustrate a variety of scenes, each one packed with detail and marvellous characters, both human and feline! You don’t need to be a cat lover to appreciate this clever, unusual story and there are twists in the tale to make everyone laugh. ~ Andrea Reece
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A party invitation is at the centre of this highly entertaining and amusing story. It states that guests must bring a hat, but it appears that there are more entry requirements too, and as the story goes on they become increasingly absurd. Kate Hindley is given some truly wonderful scenes to illustrate and rises to the challenge superbly. Characters featured include a monocle-sporting badger and elephant forced into a tutu. There’s lots to look at on every spread and the surprise ending will send everyone back to the beginning to check for details that might have been missed. Great fun! ~ Andrea Reece
As the season of school sports day approaches this is a perfectly timed new outing for the irrepressible and hilarious cake loving heroine of the Waterstones Prize shortlisted I really want the cake! Cakes play an important part in this tale too, but first this little girl tries and tries to win. She really wants to win! It all starts with a race and she is in the lead but trips. A calamity repeated across every school in the land and so this is very good preparation for little would-be athletes. Time and again her ambition is thwarted. Her friend wins everything. The sense of injustice felt is so perfectly captured in the bold expressive illustrations that reveal the little girl’s impulsive character and her constantly changing emotions. But one day her friend does not win and very surprisingly for our heroine the friend does not mind at all and congratulates the winner. Our heroine is encouraged to forget about winning and just to do what she loves which is baking cakes of course! Then the loyal friend finds a Bake Off competition which our heroine approaches with proper humility having recognised how much she enjoyed the process. She surprises herself by winning and the celebrations are genuine. Resilience triumphs in this completely relatable story which will prompt useful discussion as well as laugh out loud moments.
A brilliantly funny book about what happens when you say yes, from award-winning author Simon Philip and exciting illustrator Annabel Tempest 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! From the author of You Must Bring a Hat (winner of the Sainsbury's CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2016) and I Don't Know What to Call My Cat, comes a story which will have both parents and children laughing out loud! Praise for You Must Bring a Hat: 'This glorious cumulative story sees the requirements for entry growing ever more stringent - and the list of party-goers ever longer. It builds to a superb and wholly unexpected ending which will delight young readers. Wonderful!' Parents in Touch
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 do you resist the most amazing cake ever? Especially when your mum has left a note saying that you MUST NOT eat the cake? This wonderful rhyming text from Simon Philip, author of You Must Bring a Hat, is illustrated with huge energy and humour by Lucia Gaggiotti.
January 2017 Debut of the Month | The naming of cats is notoriously difficult, as the little girl in this delightful picture book finds out. She tries all sorts of names for her new kitten, none of which meet with his approval, until finally – as cats will – he ups and leaves. She can’t find him anywhere, but somehow returns home with a new pet – something altogether different! Simon Philip’s text provides Ella Bailey with opportunity to illustrate a variety of scenes, each one packed with detail and marvellous characters, both human and feline! You don’t need to be a cat lover to appreciate this clever, unusual story and there are twists in the tale to make everyone laugh. ~ Andrea Reece
The only rule for attending this party is . . . you MUST bring a hat. But what if you don't own a hat? Will bringing a monkey wearing a hat be enough? Find out in this tale that builds to a gloriously surreal and hilarious ending.
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A party invitation is at the centre of this highly entertaining and amusing story. It states that guests must bring a hat, but it appears that there are more entry requirements too, and as the story goes on they become increasingly absurd. Kate Hindley is given some truly wonderful scenes to illustrate and rises to the challenge superbly. Characters featured include a monocle-sporting badger and elephant forced into a tutu. There’s lots to look at on every spread and the surprise ending will send everyone back to the beginning to check for details that might have been missed. Great fun! ~ Andrea Reece
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