Samuel T. Moore of Corte Magore
Tonia Allen Gould, Marc Ceccarelli, Michelle Fandry, Mr. Lawrence (art director)
Paperback
(Mira Digital Publishing, Feb. 15, 2014)
by children s author Tonia Allen Gould tells the story of Sam, a small cartoon land and sea fiddler crab (complete with a fiddle and a bow) that finds himself on the sandy shores of an idyllic island named Corte Magore. When he arrives at Corte Magore, Sam decides he wants to make this place his permanent home, but he realizes he will have to build himself a shelter from the rising tides that could take him and his fiddle and bow back out to sea. He must work diligently and ignore mocking from hermit crabs and seagulls and beat the clock on his arch nemesis, The Great Tidal Wave if he wants to stay. Gould s daughter, now a sophomore in college, was just two years old when she inspired Sam s story. We were taking a drive to Santa Barbara and talking about our beach day ahead, when I heard her babbling what sounded like, Corte Magore, Corte Magore, Corte Magore, over and over again, Gould says. My family knows that publishing this story has been a dream since that day. I want kids to believe, mine especially, that it s important to dream and that almost anything is possible if you re willing to do the work. As a marketing expert, Gould was determined to assemble a powerhouse team to create a book that both children and parents would enjoy. Sam s story is art directed by Mr.Lawrence; an original Storyboard Director for SpongeBob SquarePants and mostly illustrated by Marc Ceccarelli, another Storyboard Director for SpongeBob SquarePants. Michelle Fandrey at Skies America Publishing also contributed. The colorful book explores several important themes for young readers, including: - The concept of building a home - Hard work and self-reliance - Daring to dream of a better life - Overcoming adversity - Dealing with bullies and naysayers I want this story to help parents start a conversation about hard work, dedication, and independence, Gould adds. Sam does everything himself in this book, and he doesn t ask for help. I want children to understand that life isn t always peaches and cream, but if you re willing to put your nose to the grindstone and ignore bullies and naysayers, in the end, everything usually works out okay.