Simon Makes Waves by Jeff Lappin ages 4-8 44 pages Endurance Entertainment June 2001 Library binding     If you have a child who loves the water, Simon Makes Waves by Jeff Lappin will be a real summertime treat. Introducing kids to water sports like surfing and body-boarding, this adorable book is colorful and fun, with illustrations by Jeremy Madl. The “hero” of the story is a blond, sun-kissed boy named Simon who has a toothy grin as wide as the ocean itself. Simon wants to learn how to surf just like his mom and dad, and we get to go along to the beach to ride the waves. But first Simon must tackle easier things like the backyard pool and a boogie board. Throughout the text are real terms used by surfers, and there is even a glossary of surf terminology in the back of the book, so that by the time your child is done reading Simon Makes Waves, he or she will be shouting “Cowabunga” as they pretend to catch a rail and do a little duckdiving! I found the artwork to be cute but not entirely stand-out in a marketplace filled with gorgeous and lively children’s books. Still, the adorable Simon will be a hit with boys (could there be a girl surfer in the author’s future book idea file???) and with kids who love to get wet, no matter how far from the coast they live.     web reviews   Marie D. Jones/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)