Commonwealth Editions

The team who brought grins to young readers with The Boston Balloonies and I Met a Moose in Maine have created a third charmer about a family of codfish and their friends. According to Shankman's rhyming narrative: The Cods of Cape Cod / Love their summer vacation, / And though they could go / Anywhere in the nation, / They keep coming back / To their favorite location, / 'Cause they know that Cape Cod's / A vacation sensation! The Cods of Cape Cod / Have a house on the beach, / And it's just the right size, / With a fish tank for each. . . . To this colorful fish-friendly house come the Cods' many fishy friends, shrimp comes from Sandwich, bass from Mashpee, swordfish from Chatham, and so on. And boy, do they know how to have fun!

Author Ed Shankman and illustrator Dave O'Neill turn their attention to Vermont and one of that state's great legends: Champ, the Monster of Lake Champlain. Champ is seen through the eyes of a likable tomboy, who sets out from her favorite spot by a maple tree and finds herself by the lakeshore. She meets Champ, who turns out to be a very kid-friendly monster--inviting the girl to sit on his head and ride with him through the Vermont countryside. Together, these unlikely friends dash past farms and mills and over covered bridges, meet some cows, eat some maple syrup-covered cheese, and eventually return to the girl's favorite maple tree. The charming story ends as it began: If you come to Vermont / Near a lake called Champlain, / And you cut through the woods / On an old country lane, There's a chance you will see / My friend Champ and me / Playing happy and free / By the old maple tree.

The Sea Lion's Friend is the tale of an unlikely friendship between a sea lion and a sea gull--two inseparable buddies who do all kinds of fun things together. Readers will be touched by this tale of best friendship. As with all Shankman & O'Neill books, the bouncing, Seussian rhymes and colorful illustrations make this a story to read again and again!