Alumni Spotlight on Children's Picture Book creators Ed Shankman and Dave O'Neill
The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.
And I'm sure it wouldn't surprise you to learn that they both have backgrounds in marketing, promotion, design. But it MAY surprise you to learn that one is the member of an improv comedy troupe, and the other is a musician ... but then again, maybe not. Please welcome Ed, Dave, and their animated friends to the Spotlight!
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.
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. 
MCA: What are your goals for your
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 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.
have shown us. That moose is a regular celeb now, and that's very exciting.
MCA: Since launching your
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.
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.
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 Treewritten by Ed Shankman
written by Ed Shankman
illustrated by Dave O'Neill
I Met a Moose in Maine One Daywritten by Ed Shankman
illustrated by Dave O'Neill
Commonwealth Editions, 2008
2010 Gold Recipient
Connect with Ed and Dave through these Mediaillustrated by Dave O'Neill
Commonwealth Editions, 2008
2010 Gold Recipient
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