Simon Snootle and OTHER small stories review by Emmanuel Paige

Upon first receiving Simon Snootle and OTHER small stories I was immediately impressed by the craftsmanship. It is obvious that the author has put heart and soul into this work of art. This book is hand crafted, stitched and bound using faux leather, and illustrated by the author. There are 19 illustrations and 68 pages on acid free paper. It comes with a nice built in bookmark.

Lorin Morgan-Richards has a unique tone and style all his own, and the stories are told in a fashion that pulls the casual reader in with wonderful fancy and the magical quality of good story telling. The high quality illustrations are rendered in sharp crisp lines and add to the wonderment instilled by these fanciful tales. The book contains seven short stories that are reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, and Daniel Handler.

• Simon Snootle was such a gracious host is a story of a boy that falls into a cistern and lives there with the neighborhood cats.
• Mr. Slowbug and Ms. Shellquick is a tale about a slow moving man who sees ghosts ,  a fast moving woman who sees very little, and a strange kind of purse.
• Peter Puddlestick and the Precious Plot is the story of a man who finds an odd sort of pet in the middle of the road and takes it home for keeps.
• The Life of Otto Loud is a strange little tale of a man who likes to drink a bit too much.
• The Callous Shrub is a tale of a shrub and Mr. Beufus T. Diver who loses all of his toupees when passing by the shrub.
• The Earwig and Mrs. Snipit is the story of a boy who befriends an earwig and how he gets lost one day on the school bus.
• The Boy Who loved Beef Sandwiches is a tale of a gluttonous boy who gets his just deserts after dining on a wild boar.

Simon Snootle and OTHER small stories will delight adults and children alike, renewing them with the magic and wonder of story. This is a keepsake book and, in a modern world where books can be created and printed in minutes, this one stands out as refreshingly unique and a true work of art.

Copies of Simon Snootle and OTHER stories can be purchased directly from A Raven Above Press or from Amazon.com. Visit Lorin Morgan-Richards' website: www.lorinrichards.com.