Simon Finds a Treasure

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian studies at
Concordia University, and the author of Kurlek, Margaret Laurence: The
Long Journey Home, and As Though Life Mattered: Leo Kennedy’s Story.

This captivating book for preschoolers has simple yet lyrical language
and a gentle sense of fun. It is, in essence, a quest story.

Simon sets off on his rockinghorse, with a telescope and birds to guide
him and a kitchen colander for a helmet. Along the way, he encounters a
butterfly, a turtle, a squirrel, and an old gold miner, and they show
him their treasures. He tells them that he doesn’t know what he is
looking for but will know when he finds it.

His search for his own treasure is fulfilled when he gets lost on a
dark night and finally finds his friend Marlene: “I rush to Marlene
and hug her. I don’t need to look further. I have found my
treasure.” There is nothing heavy-handed about this learning
experience. Highly recommended.