Annie tickled Simon's foot with her green comb."Yoo-hoo, big brother! Guess what I've beendoing?"Simon looked up. "What, Annie?""Fixing Hazel's hair," said Annie. "When I growup, I'm going to be a hairdresser."Simon looked at Hazel. Then he turned a page."There's an idea," he said.Annie combed the hair on top of Simon's head straight up. She combed the sides straight out. She patted the back down flat. Annie looked at Simon's head. "Can I fix your hair, Simon?""My hair?" said Simon."Hazel hardly has any," said Annie.Simon stopped reading and sat up. "My hair doesn't need fixing, Annie.""It does, too, Simon. Hold still."Annie laid out the cards. "My turn," she said.Annie picked up two cards and put them back.Hazel jumped up and licked Simon's hairdo. "Hazel, lie down," said Simon. Hazel didn't.Simon picked up two cards and two cards and two cards."She'll listen to me, Simon. Hazel, LIE DOWN!"said Annie.But Hazel didn't."There," she said. "Now you look pretty."Annie held up a mirror and showed Simon his new hairdo."Holy cow!" said Simon."Now let's play cards," said Annie.Soon Annie's hair was all done. And it wouldn't come undone."Eeeeeek!" said Annie.Hazel leaped and barked at Annie's hairdo."HAZEL, LIE DOWN!" said Annie.But Hazel didn't."Hey, I won!" said Simon."Let's not play cards," said Annie."You know, Annie," said Simon, "if you're going to be a hairdresser, aybe you should give yourself a new hairdo."Simon went back to reading his book.Annie picked up the comb. She combed her hair up and down and all around."Hey, this is fun," she said."Lord love a duck," said Simon. "It really is stuck."Simon twisted Annie's comb a little this way and a little that."Ouch!" said Annie. "Maybe I won't be a hairdresser, Simon. I could be . . . a baker.""Huh," said Simon. "There's an idea.""Can I have a cookie, Simon?"

Catharine O'Neill is the illustrator of many books for children. The inspiration for ANNIE AND SIMON, she says, "came from my daughter and her two quite a bit older half-brothers, who were, mostly, very patient. And, of course, from our dog, Hazel!" She lives in upstate New York.