MCA: Can you please tell us about the inspiration for your series of award-winning picture books: I Met a Moose in Maine One Day, The Cods of Cape Cod, and Champ and Me by the Maple Tree?

Ed: Well, to start, we both grew up with our noses in books … but for very different reasons. I was an avid Dr. Seuss fan and learned very young that he could write and rhyme. Dave collected books to learn to draw the pictures. Even at an early age, he was particular about the quality of the art.

As a “brand,” Shankman and O’Neill is inspired to create well-written, visually striking books that will make a similar impact on today’s kids!

MCA: What are your goals for your in the next year?
Dave: We have several books in various stage of creation, so our main goal is to just keep on building on what we’ve started. With three Mom’s Choice Awards® received in 2010 ALONE, we hope to keep building on that success. We want each new book to be better than the last.

MCA: If someone gave you air time for a 15-second commercial, how would you entice people to read your books with the kids in their lives?
Ed: We would try to voice the same praise and wonder that current fans of the books constantly send us. We’d stress the wonderful family moments of reading the books aloud, of finding the details on each page, and the timeless past time of having fun, which is what our books are about.

MCA: You started with an idea and now have a successful, award-winning . Looking back on your journey, what was the easiest part? The hardest? What surprised you the most?
Dave: The easiest part is working together. Ed and I have a natural way of bouncing ideas off each other. Our humor is very similar. The hardest part is not doubting yourself. It’s very easy in the creative process to sit back and look at the work and wonder if what you are doing is great or not. Silencing that inner critic can squash you before you start sometimes.
The most surprising has been the amount of enthusiasm the fans of I Met a Moose in Maine One Day have shown us. That moose is a regular celeb now, and that’s very exciting.

MCA: Since launching your , what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Ed: We frequently travel to the L.L. Bean Flagship Store in Freeport Maine, where “Moose” has hit the big time as the #1 selling book of any kind in the store. At the signings, with each signed book, meeting the folks who can quote from the rhymes or stop by just to tell us that they “love that page” is very rewarding. We’ve created something that means a lot to a household! That’s what we were hoping for.

MCA: Could you please tell us why you chose the Mom’s Choice Awards® program in seeking recognition for your children’s books?
Dave: We write for kids, but at the end of the day, the parents are the ones making the book choices. We also know that the product we create has to instantly appeal to a child. With the groundwork we have laid for the past three years with mommy blogs and parenting sites, and with the excitement we’re met with on that front, Mom’s Choice was a natural, and highly regarded, next step. Your reputation says it all.

MCA: What does it mean to you to be a Mom’s Choice Awards® alumnus?
Ed: For the lack of a better term, it means we’re on the map! The bar has been set very high now. As we mentioned before, our goal is to always get better. Being an alumnus is another great reason to do our best work. That, and the bragging rights are swell! ;)

MCA: What did you learn about yourself in the process of creating your award-winning ?
Dave: As any kind of artist, you doubt yourself. Often, you become your worst critic. With I Met a Moose in Maine One Day, our first winning book, I think we both knew we had something special. We both learned the patience needed to slowly create something. Since we’re both in the fast-paced world of marketing and advertising, it is rare that we are allowed the time to really think on something. These award-winning books taught us not only to respect what we do individually and what each other does, but also to appreciate what a long creative process can do.

MCA: Would you recommend the Mom’s Choice Awards® to other entrepreneurs? If so, why?
Ed: In a heartbeat. Aside from that nifty gold seal on the books and the sales that come with it, it’s a wonderful boost and like I said, you feel that your products are part of the landscape.

MCA: How have you/your company benefited by being a Mom’s Choice Awards® honoree? Do you have any tangible examples?
Dave: Sales have increased, for sure. There’s something about a seal of approval that must speak to consumers. But sales aside, it has aided us in our future plans and pitches. We’re now an award-winning team … that goes a long way. As far as tangible examples … stay tuned.

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

Champ and Me by the Maple Tree
written by Ed Shankman
illustrated by Dave O’Neill
Commonwealth Editions, 2010
2010 Gold Recipient
Children’s Picture Book, Humor

The Cods of Cape Cod
written by Ed Shankman
illustrated by Dave O’Neill

I Met a Moose in Maine One Day

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