Stephanie Simpson McLellan

Two Tales of Twenty-Six

Illustrated by Mike Deas

2025 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS STARRED SELECTION

2025 TELLING TALES READING LIST SELECTION

… a collision between picture book & first reader 📖

… between boy & mouse 🐭

Flip the book upside down and back-to-front to see what happens when the two tales meet in the middle.

“Two Tales of Twenty-Six is more than the sum of its parts and that’s why it’s extraordinary. It’s a book that is geared to its audience perfectly.” – Helen Kubiw, CanLit for LittleCanadians

“With an intriguing design, superb storytelling, and charming characters to root for, Two Tales of Twenty-Six is a fabulous book beginning readers will flip over.” – Canadian Children’s Book Centre Expert Pick

“Kids will love how, after reading one story, they can turn the book over and upside down for the second one. It’s a clever device and a metaphor for the work it takes to decipher letters and combine them to make words.” – Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Review (4.5 Stars)

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The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe

lllustrated by Zoe Si

2022 BLUE SPRUCE (FOREST OF READING) HONOUR BOOK

2023 FLORIDA LITERACY ASSOCIATION CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD WINNER (GRADE 3-5 CATEGORY)

A CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE BEST BOOK FOR KIDS & TEENS 2021

OLA TOP TEN BEST BET FOR 2022

“Hilarious and heartwarming, The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is a call to empathy for children who struggle with impulse control, and a tribute to unconditional love.”

“Everyone has been Timothy Shmoe at one time or another. He’s not a jerk or even “a bad kid.” He just moves from one catastrophe to another, clueless about consequences but always offering an apology of sorts and slowly figuring out the rules of life. … Kids and adults alike will identify.”

– Kirkus Reviews

Learn More

The Christmas Wind

illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

“Lovely story … A charming use of a modern setting to convey the familiar theme of the Christmas story.”

— Kirkus (Starred Review)

Learn More

Sully, Messed Up

A CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE BEST BOOK FOR KIDS & TEENS 2021

“Sully Brewster has the parent of all identity problems in a fast-paced story that touches on issues of sexuality, race, and family dynamics. Being a teen has never been so confusing!”

– Richard Scrimger (Author of The Nose From Jupiter series and many other popular books for young people)

“The writing is delightful. The dialogue … is crisp, creative and fun. The pacing is flawless, and the plot is compelling. The bullies are uber-mean and the bullying situations are grave. … Then there’s the touch of magic realism in which the main character’s facial features start churning about when he is stressed.”

– CM Magazine (Recommended)

Learn More

Two Tales of Twenty-Six

Illustrated by Mike Deas

2025 CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS STARRED SELECTION

2025 TELLING TALES READING LIST SELECTION

… a collision between picture book & first reader 📖

… between boy & mouse 🐭

Flip the book upside down and back-to-front to see what happens when the two tales meet in the middle.

“Two Tales of Twenty-Six is more than the sum of its parts and that’s why it’s extraordinary. It’s a book that is geared to its audience perfectly.” – Helen Kubiw, CanLit for LittleCanadians

“With an intriguing design, superb storytelling, and charming characters to root for, Two Tales of Twenty-Six is a fabulous book beginning readers will flip over.” – Canadian Children’s Book Centre Expert Pick

“Kids will love how, after reading one story, they can turn the book over and upside down for the second one. It’s a clever device and a metaphor for the work it takes to decipher letters and combine them to make words.” – Youth Services Book Review (4.5 Stars)

LEARN MORE

The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe

llustrated by Zoe Si

2022 BLUE SPRUCE (FOREST OF READING) NOMINEE

2023 FLORIDA LITERACY ASSOCIATION CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD WINNER (GRADE 3-5 CATEGORY)

A CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE BEST BOOK FOR KIDS & TEENS 2021

OLA TOP TEN BEST BET FOR 2022

“Hilarious and heartwarming, The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is a call to empathy for children who struggle with impulse control, and a tribute to unconditional love.”

“Everyone has been Timothy Shmoe at one time or another. He’s not a jerk or even “a bad kid.” He just moves from one catastrophe to another, clueless about consequences but always offering an apology of sorts and slowly figuring out the rules of life. … Kids and adults alike will identify.”

– Kirkus Reviews

Learn More

The Christmas Wind

illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

“Lovely story … A charming use of a modern setting to convey the familiar theme of the Christmas story.”

— Kirkus (Starred Review)

Learn More

Sully, Messed Up

A CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE BEST BOOK FOR KIDS & TEENS 2021

“Sully Brewster has the parent of all identity problems in a fast-paced story that touches on issues of sexuality, race, and family dynamics. Being a teen has never been so confusing!”

– Richard Scrimger (Author of The Nose From Jupiter series and many other popular books for young people)

“The writing is delightful. The dialogue … is crisp, creative and fun. The pacing is flawless, and the plot is compelling. The bullies are uber-mean and the bullying situations are grave. … Then there’s the touch of magic realism in which the main character’s facial features start churning about when he is stressed.”

– CM Magazine (Recommended)

Learn More

Other Books

Leon’s Song

Leon is an old and rather homely frog. Other frogs in the pond are more handsome and can swim faster and leap higher, and Leon is all right with that. But when Leon hears the frog Romeo sing, his heart aches – for Romeo is the greatest singer on the pond.

Hoogie in the Middle

Sometimes Hoogie feels like the hole in the middle of a donut. She isn’t big and dependable like her older sister Pumpkin, and she isn’t tiny and adorable like her baby brother Tweezle. She’s just … Hoogie. She’s too big for this and too small for that, but mostly she just feels invisible.

Tweezle Into Everything

Tweezle isn’t a baby anymore—he’s a big boy now!

Pumpkin was the first. Hoogie came next. Tweezle is the baby. But babies grow up, and Tweezle is ready to be a big boy now—and he knows just how to prove it.

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McLellan is a fine storyteller, combining a matter-of-fact narrative style – life’s imperfections are fixed with a clear-eyed gaze – with elegant flourishes in turns of phrase and twists of plot.

— Quill & Quire (Starred Review of The Chicken Cat)

Award Winning Author

Welcome! I write books for young people, including the award-winning The Chicken Cat and Leon’s Song. I’ve also written for Children’s Television, I reviewed books by other KidLit authors for 12 years through a monthly column in Today’s Parent Magazine. and I love visiting schools to share my books..

My Story

In the News

Follow Along

2025 CCBC Best Books for Kids Starred Selection

by Stephanie McLellan | Jun 5, 2025

Thank you to the Canadian Children's Book Centre for selecting Two Tales of Twenty-Six as one of the Best New Canadian Books for Kids and for designating Liam and Walter’s tales as a ⭐ Starred Selection ⭐for exceptional quality in both storytelling and illustration....

2025 Telling Tales Reading List

by Stephanie McLellan | May 1, 2025

Thrilled to share that Two Tales of Twenty-Six is on the 2025 Telling Tales Reading List. I’ll be presenting at the Telling Tales Festival at the Royal Botanical Gardens this October—hope to see you there! 🌿🐭🔤

Rockton PS School Visit

by Stephanie McLellan | Feb 10, 2025

My amazing grandnieces (who helped me unbox Two Tales of Twenty-Six) invited me to present at their school and it was such a fun day ❤️📖 🐭

RN

Other Books

Leon’s Song

Hoogie in the Middle

Tweezle Into Everything

— Quill & Quire (Starred Review of The Chicken Cat)

Award Winning Author