Award-winning author, Ed Shankman, releases his new book Lucas the Little Longhorn (and the Legend of Meadow Mouse Pete)

Ed Shankman, award-winning author of such books as “The Boston Balloonies,” “I Met a Moose in Maine One Day,” “The Cods of Cape Cod,” “When a Lobster Buys a Bathrobe,” and “Leo the Lazy Lizard,” among others, has released a new book titled, “Lucas the Little Longhorn (and the Legend of Meadow Mouse Pete)”. This is the 15th book in the Shankman & O’Neill collection and the creative duo has sold more than 175,000 books to date, according to the most recent tally.

According to Shankman, the rhyming picture books are for children 3-8 years old, and range from stories with meaningful messages to others that are pure fun, and many which combine both.

Shankman says the meaning of this latest offering, which is set in the state of Texas, is summed up in one of the lines in the book: “You don’t have to be big to make big dreams come true.”

As the book recounts, “Lucas the Longhorn. That was his name/As small as a billy goat, some people claim/Yet here we are talkin’ him up till today/because being so small never got in his way.” The book goes on to say, “And it is true that his buddies were little/Some smaller than that and a few in the middle.” And yet, by dreaming big, working hard, and working together, “little by little, they’d built something great/The biggest little ranch in the whole darn state!”

Shankman wants children to know that they can dream and that those dreams can come true. “You don’t have to be a grown up to dream, and to believe in your dreams,” he said. “I was a young child when I first dreamed of becoming a published author. And though I didn’t get my first contract until I was 52 years old, that dream came true, along with others.”

He went on to say we all have the right – and the ability – to dream and to pursue those dreams. “You don’t have to be big, or strong, or rich, or politically connected, or privileged in any way. You just have to ask yourself what you want, keep it in mind, work hard to make it happen, and believe that it can.”

“I’ve had successes and blessings in my life that are inexplicable in any logical way. I aimed high, worked hard, and achieved so much of what I sought. I’m not saying my life is perfect at all. Like everyone, I’ve had hard times, regrets, and disappointments. But I did prove to myself, beyond all doubt, that dreams can come true. And this book is the embodiment of that.”

In addition to the books named previously in this article, the Shankman & O’Neill library includes, “The Lake I Love,” “Maddie and Liam at the Museum,” “Monkey See/Zebra Do,” “Where’s the Bathroom,” “My Grandma Lives in Florida,” “The Bourbon Street Band is Back,” “The Sea Lion’s Friend,” “A Whimsical Washington Night,” and “Champ and Me by the Maple Tree.”

Shankman says he feels fortunate to have paired up with illustrator O’Neill.

“In addition to his amazing talent as an illustrator overall, Dave has an uncanny ability to

manifest nuanced emotions and attitudes in the characters’ facial expressions,” Shankman says.

“There’s a page in “I Met a Moose in Maine One Day” where the moose is regaling the little boy with stories from the moose’s past. What’s amazing is that, without reading a word, you would know from the moose’s expression that he’s recounting a memory. Dave’s images bring my stories to life in ways I never imagined. And kids are absolutely mesmerized by them.”

Shankman says his entire life has been one long creative project.

“In addition to writing children’s books, I performed with a band for many years as a songwriter and lead-guitar player. I did a lot of oil painting. And I spent my professional career as a creative director and chief creative officer in the advertising industry, cultivating and managing teams of writers and artists.”

He also gives an insight into his source of inspiration.

“Rather than writing for children,” he says. “I’m actually writing as a child. I’ve never lost touch with the child within and I think back through my earliest memories every day. So you might say my books are written from one child to another.”

Shankman and his wife, Miriam, relocated to Massachusetts in May of 2023.

Shankman & O’Neill books are published by Arcadia Children’s Books and are for sale in many stores and through online sources. To learn more about Shankman & O’Neill, visit shankmanoneill.com.