One day, a boy goes out for a walk. He encounters a dog, a cat, and a horse. The dog dares him to growl, the cat dares him to stretch, and the horse dares him to jump. "It's simple," says Simon. Then he meets a tiger, who challenges him to all three dares, with increasing difficulty. Will the boy best the tiger, or the tiger best the boy? Simon may be careless, but he's no simpleton. When this self-assured young boy encounters a dog, a cat, and a horse one day in the city, they challenge him to growl, stretch, and jump, in turn. No problem for this fellow. "It's simple," says Simon. But when he meets a tiger, it almost looks as though Simon has met his match. After boosting the boy's ego with greater and greater challenges, the wily feline tricks him into jumping onto his back, and away they go into the jungle. As the sun sets, Simon gets nervous. "Could you please take me home now?" he asks. "It's almost suppertime, and I'm hungry." The tiger responds ominously: "I am, too." Will our hero outfox the tiger and get home in time for supper? You know the refrain: "It's simple," says Simon. Mary Ann Hoberman's clever story, terrific for read-aloud, has all the elements of a classic fable: a cunning, dangerous animal, an appealing, confident hero, a battle of wits, and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Hoberman is the author of many acclaimed books, including A House Is a House for Me and And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends . Meilo So's stunning illustrations, created with inks and watercolors on Indian rice paper, are the perfect vehicle for Hoberman's tale. Broad, loose strokes and splashes of color belie the careful intricacy of each gorgeous image. So's exquisite watercolors can be found in several award-winning books, including Tasty Baby Belly Buttons . (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter Grade 2-4-Hoberman and So draw on a series of familiar storybook elements to produce this story, tailor-made for telling aloud. It follows a city kid through a busy summer day as he encounters a dog, a cat, a horse, and finally a wily tiger with an appetite. The friendly animals in turn dare Simon to growl like a dog, stretch like a cat, and jump like a horse. The boy manages each activity just fine: "Very good," they applaud. "It's simple," Simon replies. But then he meets a hungry tiger that challenges him to do all three, ultimately coaxing careless Simon into a trap. With the boy uncomfortably astride his back, the tiger trots off into a fantastic jungle on the outskirts of the city. It's there, in a cunning twist on "The Gingerbread Man," that Simon tricks the animal into wading through a river. He swims safely away, leaving the tiger to struggle in the water. Hoberman has lots of fun with her contemporary, suntanned Simon as he plays his topsy-turvy game of "Simple Simon Says." So's unfussy ink-and-watercolor images wriggle playfully to life on speckled Indian rice paper. Great for reading aloud and acting out. Catherine T. Quattlebaum, DeKalb County Public Library, Atlanta, GA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Ages 3-6. While on a walk, a little boy named Simon meets a dog, a cat, and a horse, each of whom presents him with a challenge. Can he bark like a dog? Can he stretch like a cat? Can he jump like a horse? "It's simple," says Simon, who's more than up to the tasks. But when he meets a tiger, Simon almost meets his match. He has to growl louder, stretch further, and jump higher. Then the tiger and the boy roam the jungle until Simon becomes hungry and wants to go home. Unfortunately for Simon, the tiger has made special plans for dinner, which demand that Simon keep his wits about him. "It's simple," says the cocky Simon as he makes his escape. So's vibrant ink-and-watercolor pictures, inspired by traditional Japanese painting, capture the wonderful movements and energy of the boy and the beasts. The artwork's freely sketched quality accentuates the comedy in this simple, winning fable. Shelley Townsend Hudson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved One day, a boy goes out for a walk. He encounters a dog, a cat, and a horse. The dog dares him to growl, the cat dares him to stretch, and the horse dares him to jump. "It's simple," says Simon. Then he meets a tiger, who challenges him to all three dares, with increasing difficulty. Will the boy best the tiger, or the tiger best the boy? oy goes out for a walk. He encounters a dog, a cat, and a horse. The dog dares him to growl, the cat dares him to stretch, and the horse dares him to jump. "It's simple," says Simon. Then he meets a tiger, who challenges him to all three dares, with increasing difficulty. Will the boy best the tiger, or the tiger best the boy? Mary Ann Hoberman is the author of And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends and many other children's books. Meilo So's previous books for Knopf are Tasty Baby Belly Buttons, The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, an