Simon and Molly Plus Hester

by Lisa Clough

When Hester enters the picture with her new ideas and different likes, best friends Simon and Molly find their relationship strained as Simon finds it difficult to make certain compromises for their new three-way friendship.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 24, 2001

Reviews

[LaDonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Jahn-Clough has given young readers a well-told story about kindness and friendship. In today's world it is refreshing to read and share a tale about accepting others and welcoming them into your world. Jahn-Clough wraps these life lessons in great illustrations and easily relatable examples. Make time for Simon and Molly Plus Hester .

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)

I read this book a few months ago with my kindergarten class. I always tell my students that we are all friends in the classroom and this book emphasized that philosophy. Many of my students think that they can only play with one person and either no one else can join or it is the end of the world if that person wants to do something else. This book teaches a practical lesson about friendship. I really liked how in the end, Simon, Molly, and Hester were able to find things that they all enjoyed doing together. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two is (comfortable) company. Three is a crowd (of lessons).

Ambitious author Lisa Clough set herself a daring task: Introducing preschoolers to the endless complexities of changing friendships. She beautifully describes the pain of being the odd one out, while one of the former buddies prefers the new friend to the old one. Witness this poignant quote:

Simon spent all afternoon trying
to make paper airplanes, but none of them worked.
"I wish Hester [the third friend, the new friend] would fly away," he said.

WHAT A HAPPY SURPRISE!

There's a happy ending, and it is well earned.

FIVE STARS of thanks, relief, and appreciation for this important picture book.

[Lidia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to my kindergarten kids and was pleased with the observations they came up with. For example, they noticed the change in colors and its relationship with the characters' mood.

It is a short story with an important message for young readers.

[Leah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book that actually helps kids learn a lesson.

[Tasasha Battle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon and Molly played together everyday, from riding Simon’s big wheel to eating Molly’s favorite snack. Just the too of them, until the new neighbor Hester moved in and wanted to join in their fun. Molly was excited about the new friend but Simon did not want things to change. He felt that Molly had more fun with Hester than him until he finds that everyone can have fun together. This narrative can be used to show children how to be acceptable to new friends. They can have experience in taking everyone’s views and combining them so that everyone is playing together and happy. This can be done with having students create a class mural from everyone’s perspective. Jahn-Clough is known for her ability to convey these emotions in children and show them ways of overcoming their problems like Simon, Molly and Hester. This book is useful in the topic of friendship and diversity because Simon, Molly and Hester are all from different cultures with different ideas but still they came together and worked out their differences for the best. They found that being together is more fun than being alone. In my children’s book I want to show friends from different backgrounds coming together for fun because loneliness is not enjoyable, as Simon experienced.

[Zilha B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This narrative is told about two friends, Simon and Molly, who play together every day, alone. When another young girl, Hester, moves in, Simon is jealous of the new relationship that Molly has built with Hester. As a teacher, I would use this book to show students that it is okay to have more than one best friend. I often see, in a classroom, children fighting about "he's my friend," or "she doesn't want to be my friend anymore." This book does a great job showing that it is okay to have multiple best friends. I appreciate Lisa Jahn-Clough, the author and illustrator, because she really captures the complexities of friendship, and also uses bright, child-like, pictures that students can relate to.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story to read to pre-K and K students about friendship, emotions, and how friendships can change to include more people. I liked that Hester was skilled at making paper airplanes and that girls were friends with a boy.

[Lauren Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to use in a kindergarten to teach making new friends.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon and Molly are the best of friends until Hester moves in. Simon gets jealous of Hester and isolates himself. Can they create a friendship of three?