[Saturday Reads] Celebrating the Book Party for “Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse” by Marcy Campbell

Fats here.

Every Saturday we hope to share with you our thoughts on reading and books. We thought that it would be good practice to reflect on our reading lives and our thoughts about reading in general. While on occasion, we would feature a few books in keeping with this, there would be a few posts where we will just write about our thoughts on read-alouds, libraries, reading journals, upcoming literary conferences, books that we are excited about, and just book love miscellany in general.

Hey, everyone! I’m excited to share with you Marcy Campbell’s debut picturebook, Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse. I was so thrilled that she celebrated the premier of her book at my local library. I attended the evening launch last Tuesday, August 14th, at the Wayne County Public Library. There was a beautiful presentation about Marcy’s childhood, her family, and her inspiration for the book. There was a read-aloud, yummy cake (!!), and a book signing, of course.

Written by Marcy Campbell
Illustrations by Corinna Luyken
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers (2018)
ISBN-13: 978-0735230378
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Copy pre-ordered via Amazon.

From the dust jacket: Adrian Simcox tells anyone who will listen that he has a horse—the best and most beautiful horse anywhere. But Chloe does NOT believe him. Adrian Simcox lives in a tiny house. Where would he keep a horse? He has holes in his shoes. How would he pay for a horse?

Some people are often quick to judge others without trying to understand them. In Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse, Chloe firmly believes that Adrian truly does NOT have a horse. The more Adrian talks about it in school, the more irritated Chloe gets. When she’s had enough, Chloe puts him in the spot by telling everyone in the playground that Adrian is lying!

Thankfully, Chloe’s mom embodies the perfect guiding light. She takes Chloe for a walk—with their dog Chompers, of course—to the poorer side of town. There Chloe finds out the truth and learns an important lesson.

Wall Street Journal has mentioned that Adrian’s story is reminiscent of Wanda’s in The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes. Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse tells a beautiful story on kindness and empathy. In Marcy’s words, the book is “about seeing things in a different way.” In addition, what Adrian Simcox lacks in resources, he makes up for his creativity and bold imagination.

Corinna Luyken’s gorgeous watercolor illustrations complement the touching story of a boy who owns a “beautiful horse with its white coat and golden mane.” How many horses can you find in the book? Corinna was the genius behind The Book of Mistakes.

Below are some of the photos I took when I attended Marcy Campbell’s Book Party!

Marcy was born and raised in a dairy farm in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, Marcy loved playing with the animals and telling them stories. Interestingly, Marcy never had a horse. For more information about Marcy and her writing, check out marcycampbell.com.

When Marcy was doing her presentation, she said that she identified with both Chloe and Adrian. I think this goes for all of us, that there’s a little bit of Chloe and a little bit of Adrian in us.

“Always bring a book with you.”
– Marcy Campbell