By Stephanie Simpson McLellan
The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe
Illustrated by Zoe Si
Published by OwlKids Books (April 2021)
Hardcover: 32 pages – $19.95 CDN
Release Date: April 15, 2021
Audience: Ages 4-8
Subjects: Juvenile Fiction Social Themes Manners Etiquette Humorous Stories Family Parents
EAN: 9781771473xxx
2022 BLUE SPRUCE (FOREST OF READING) HONOUR BOOK
2023 FLORIDA LITERACY ASSOCIATION CHILDEN’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
An impulsive little boy experiences the power of unconditional love
Timothy Shmoe isn’t a bad kid, but sometimes he makes honest (and not-so-honest) mistakes. Time after time, Timothy finds himself in disasters of his own creation, leaving a trail of broken heirlooms, torn tutus, and innocent bystanders (including his cat, Fluffy).
Told in a series of letters, readers follow Timothy through his hilarious antics and missteps. When his pocketful of marbles wreaks havoc at his sister’s ballet recital, Timothy realizes he’s gone too far. In one final, remorseful letter, Timothy apologizes for the ballet blunder and says his father probably wishes Timothy had never been born. What follows is a touching lesson about the redeeming power of acceptance.
Bright, comic-like illustrations and hand-lettered text bring Timothy and his shenanigans to life. 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.
EXCERPT FROM THE SORRY LIFE OF TIMOTHY SHMOE:
Dear Dad,
I’m sorry I called you that name. I did it because I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and wanted to play outside, but you made me clean my room.
Sincerly Sincerely truthful,
Timothy
P.S.: I forgive you for wrecking my morning.
TIMOTHY SHMOE REVIEWS
“The combination of written letters and the exaggerated cartoon illustrations by Zoe Si makes The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe laugh-out-loud funny. Adults are likely to find as much humour, enjoyment and possibly even relatability in this story as do the young children for whom it was intended.”
“If you’re like me, then you saw this cover and read this title and laughed. A mistake-prone kid tells this story through a series of apology letters. Looks to be clever, quirky, and funny – perhaps my favorite combo.”
“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.”
“There are laughs in The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe but also lessons about intention, consequences and forgiveness. Timothy Shmoe is anybody who makes mistakes and then has to face the consequences for those mistakes. That’s all of us. Here’s hoping none of our mistakes are ever too consequential for forgiveness.”
“Written in a series of comical apology letters, Timothy Shmoe expresses his regret for his many mostly unintentional mistakes. This brilliant story skillfully captures the hardships of growing up while trying to figure out the ins and outs of family. While Timothy owns his slip-ups, he also shares in his letters his frustration and confusion over life’s rules. Many children will relate to Timothy and feel reassured that he (and readers) are loved no matter what missteps they may make. My son in particular has found a kindred spirit in Timothy and this has become his absolute favorite new book.”
“… a standout picture book … The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is as raucous as it is kindhearted and comforting. … With Stephanie Simpson McLellan’s witty, wholly engaging writing, and the incredibly sprightly, active illustrations by Zoe Si that further bring Timothy to life, The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is terrifically funny and thoughtful reading. Readers who love picture books by authors such as Jory John, Liz Climo, Debbie Ridpath Ohi or Ame Dyckman might especially adore this book.”
“Both humorous and heartfelt, The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is a love letter to irrepressible children everywhere and a reminder of the redeeming power of acceptance. The illustrations are cartoon-like with tons of emotive quality. The narrative is beautifully juxtaposed against the apologetic (yet, not apologetic) boldness of Timothy’s letters. … There is so much complexity to this story, but you would not know it.”
“[A] masterpiece of passive aggression … styled cartoon art and giggle-inducing hand-lettered apology notes capture … this witty morality tale.”
– Bulletin of the Centre for Children’s Books
“This humorous story is one that both children and adults will enjoy together; it is told mostly through letters … all in perfect kid-language. … The crisp and colorful illustrations include exaggerated facial expressions and movement lines to add to the humor of the story. ”
“The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is a picture book featuring a boy named Timothy who keeps making mistakes and apologizing for it by writing letters. When he ruins his sister’s dance recital, he writes a final letter to his sister and learns more about impulse control and acceptance.”
“Kids can relate to Timothy’s mishaps and his thought process as he crafts I’m sorry notes that express his regrets regarding his behaviour. The book is a wonderful read aloud and can be used for a group read or a snuggle-time one. It will open a pathway for meaningful discussions on behavior, manners, etiquette, and forgiveness. Both young and old are sure to smile as the book is shared together.”
“Timothy really doesn’t try to cause problems, but for some reason trouble follows wherever he goes. So funny!”
“The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe is a funny story, written in a series of apology notes written by Timothy. He certainly shows remorse for the things he does and it is clear that he doesn’t get into trouble because of any malice, just a series of poor decisions. So many children will identify with the making of not great decisions because this is where we are doing the most testing, learning and figuring out limits. Zoe Si’s illustrations add to the humour of the story! … I enjoyed how all of the adults in the story never look mad, they look tired and frazzled but never so mad at Timothy that you don’t still know they love him no matter what.”
“Timothy always gets in trouble and has to write a lot of apology letters in this very funny book. My favourite part was the marbles at the dance recital. Everyone in my family laughed a whole bunch while we were reading this story. I recommend it to everyone.”
“This book is close to my heart. It features a child who struggles with impulse control, and seems to be a book about a child with ADHD/ASD. … Although he writes poignant apology letters to his sisters, the most heartfelt and heartbreaking letter is to his father. Oh, the brutality of childhood. The temptations of the world. The challenges of parenting children who struggle mightily with impulse control. This book is a love letter to all those parents in love with their equally lovely, loving and challenging children.”
“The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe by Stephanie Simpson McLellan is a book every child therapist needs on their shelf ASAP! In Timothy, I see the faces of so many former clients, and perhaps…ahem…a certain boy who lives in my house. Timothy is impulsive and chaos ensues wherever he goes. The poor guy doesn’t intend to break items in the house, make catastrophic messes, or leave Grandma’s wheelchair facing the corner. Like so many of our favorite little knuckleheads, he acts before thinking through the consequences. With each destructive act, he writes a sincere apology to whomever he has wronged and his letters are truly from the heart. Despite all the catastrophes Timothy causes, his parents remind him, also through a sweet letter, that there is nothing he can do to separate himself from their love. Children need to hear this message. Heck! We ALL need to hear this message! Children with behavioral outbursts, impulsivity, and precocious curiosity, are especially prone to feeling unloved and as though they are bad.
“I have a disclosure to make. Earlier in the day, my 7 year old son decided to make himself a bowl of cereal while I was on a zoom call. Chaos ensued. I walked into the kitchen to find my own “Timothy Shmoe” standing before a box of spilled cereal that he had stomped into smaller flakes to “make sweeping the mess easier.” Stomped and ground into the kitchen rug… This came shortly after he had taken his school laptop on a walk around our very messy house and turned the camera towards me so his teacher and classmates could view me in my pajamas!? When I saw the cereal mess, I groaned dramatically, hollered that he had to clean his mess in 5 minutes “or else”, and stomped to my room…to ironically, read and review this book. Wow, karma, wow!? I clearly needed this book today and the reminder that he probably needed my affirmation today even more.
“So many of the parents we work with in therapy are in need of this reminder too. Parenting is H.A.R.D. and parenting kids with difficult behaviors often makes us feel inferior, ill equipped, embarrassed, and as though we’ve failed. “The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe” is a beautiful reminder that even in the most ugly catastrophes, there are opportunities for love and nurturing affirmations.”
– Lauren Geier (Goodreads reviewer)
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Timothy is based on my son, Tristan (as is my mid grade novel Sully, Messed Up). A wild and wonderful child (now a towering 6’7″ twenty-something), Tristan often experienced unexpected outcomes to his well-meaning, creative endeavours. Timothy Shmoe’s sorry notes are loosely based on actual notes Tristan wrote when he was younger.
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.