Commonwealth Children's Books

This sunny, happy, and lovingly humorous story follows a child alligator--who lives in NYC--as he visits his grandma in her Florida home. I love my grandma and grandma loves me, he says, as they visit the beach, and theme parks, and, best of all, walk and talk and enjoy each other's company. Everyone will find something in the story to remind them of their own relationships with beloved grandparents or grandchildren. With bouncing rhymes and colorful illustrations, grandparents, parents and children are sure to love reading this story again and again!

When we go inside, grandma gives me a kiss.

In fact there's no place on my face she will miss

I may wriggle and giggle and grumble and hiss,

But only a grandma can kiss you like this.

Author Ed Shankman and illustrator Dave O'Neill began creating their award-winning children's books in New England, with stories on Boston, Cape Cod, Maine, and Vermont. In 2011 they turned their attention to New Orleans, Louisiana, and in 2013 they travel to the Sunshine State, Florida!

Welcome to New Jersey! Parent and child raccoons tour New Jersey in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, New Jersey! you can join the pair as they take the Hoboken ferry, visit Liberty State Park, view the Statue of Liberty, grab a bagel at a deli, and climb High Point State Park. Along the way they also go tubing at the Delaware Gap, pick wild blueberries in the Pinelands, stroll a boardwalk, and see the sunset at the tip of Cape May! For ages 2-5. Made in the USA.

Award-winning author and illustrator duo Ed Shankman and Dave O'Neill turn to the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans, Louisiana! Jazz, of course, is the only truly American form of music, born from a meeting and mixing of cultures where the mighty Mississippi meets the Gulf of Mexico. Drummer Bobcat Bob leads a hot band of multi-cultural musicians, featuring a gator on bass, a finger-snapping frog, and a horn section made up of raccoons, a crayfish, and some loons. Bobcat Bob's band is known for miles around - They played like wind. They played like fire. They raised the roof, and raised it higher. They played all night and weren't done, 'Til morning came and they raised the sun. But one day the music stopped and the great New Orleans lost its voice. Through months of darkness and sadness the people wished that things were like before. And with a single drum beat on Bourbon Street, and then another, and another, the music came back to New Orleans, better than ever! Children and parents alike will love this story about the healing power of music.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation.

Prize-winning Atlantic Online cartoonist Sage Stossel brings her Find-the Animals bestselling series to its next stop: The City of Brotherly Love! Children will have hours of entertainment finding the Philadelphia Zoo animals in On the Loose in Philadelphia -- whether a monkey at Independence Hall, a kangaroo at the art museum, or a hippopotamus at a Phillies game! Over 100 animals are hiding cleverly in favorite Philadelphia locations in this colorfully-illustrated rhyming picture book.

Welcome to Chicago! In this board book from bestselling children's author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock, a parent and child bear explore Chicago, Illinois. Join them on their visit to The Windy City where they take the elevated train around The Loop, ride the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier, cheer for The Cubs at Wrigley Field, eat deep dish pizza, and meet some new friends at the Lincoln Park Zoo! For ages 2-5. Made in the USA.

Welcome to Hawaii! Parent and child macaws visit Hawaii in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Aloha, Hawaii! join the pair as they explore all around the beautiful state of Hawaii. For ages 2-5. Made in the USA.

Welcome to Philadelphia! Follow parent and child eagles as they tour the City of Brotherly Love. Join the pair as they see Benjamin Franklin, play in Fairmount Park, and even eat a cheesesteak at the market. Along the way they admire murals, visit museums, and cheer on Philadelphia's sports teams. Best of all, they learn about the founding of our country--from the U.S. Constitution, to the American Flag and the Liberty Bell! Our feathered tour guides will remind children and their loved ones of their own great trip to Philadelphia

Bestselling author Martha Day Zschock is an artist and former elementary teacher with a passion for helping children explore new places. The Hello! series illustrates how exploring real places yields new discoveries. Through these journeys, kids can explore and become experts on the world they see inside and outside the book, through the engaging, bright, and detailed illustrations. For ages 2-5. Made in the USA.

Welcome to Vermont!Follow parent and child bears as they tour Vermont together. Join them as they ski the slopes, collect maple syrup, and hike the Long Trail. Along the way they milk dairy cows, go fishing, kayak on the rivers and lakes, and even see Champ--the monster of Lake Champlain! All the treasures of Vermont are here, from covered bridges to hills dappled with fall foliage to remind children and their loved ones of their own great trip to Vermont.

Bestselling author Martha Day Zschock is an artist and former elementary teacher with a passion for helping children explore new places. The Hello! series illustrates how exploring real places yields new discoveries. Through these journeys, kids can explore and become experts on the world they see inside and outside the book, through the engaging, bright, and detailed illustrations. For ages 2-5. Made in the USA.