about the book
Goat is a super hip kid. This popular Billy rides his awesome bike to school each day…and talk about dance moves? Goat can really boogie down!
But lately, Goat’s been feeling pretty blue. There’s a new creature on the block, and Goat is pretty sure that the dopey Unicorn thinks he is the coolest of the cool!
When Goat zips up to the school building on his cool beans bike, everyone ignores him. All eyes are on Unicorn who flies by overhead! Fly! How can he compete with someone who can fly?
When Goat brings his almost perfect Marshmallow Treats to school, goodies he made all by himself, Unicorn tops him by making magical cupcakes rain down! Enchanted Cupcakes! Who can compete with that?
When Goat turns on his hippest dance moves at the school’s talent show, he’s pretty sure Unicorn can’t touch him. After all, he’s always been the best dancer. But then Unicorn prances out with his own signature steps and takes first prize! Goat has a mega case of Unicorn envy! Who wouldn’t?
But then one day, Unicorn gets a nibble of goat cheese pizza. Whoa! Goat cheese is totally rad. Unicorn’s can’t make goat cheese. And what is going on with Goat’s hooves? Those bad boys are cloven, and Unicorn has just plain old ordinary hooves. And Goat can play soccer. When unicorn head-butts the ball, well, that’s the end of the game! Balls and pointy horns don’t mix!
Maybe Goat isn’t the only one with a little envy. Maybe Goat and Unicorn have more things in common than either of them realized. Can these two get together (maybe over a slice of goat cheese pizza) and work things out? After all, together they would be double the cool!
about the author
As a kid, Bob Shea was an avid reader. His bedroom floor was always a mess of toys and books, especially Berenstain Bear books. The first book he remembers reading all by himself was Inside, Outside, Upside Down, a really cool book about a kid playing with a big cardboard box with eye holes.
Bob went to school to study graphic design. He has written, illustrated, and animated for Nick Jr., Noggin, and PBS Kids. He helped PBS Kids develop their national literacy plan. He also worked for Comedy Central as a print designer. He and his wife, Colleen, own and run their own graphic design company, Perfectly Nice. Bob says he is the boss!
Bob is up by 5:00 am writing or sketching, but he admits that he spends a lot of time goofing around and napping during the day. He has a quiet little cluttered studio over a yarn shop. A prolific sketcher, he makes his notebooks… otherwise, he claims, he’d go broke!
Even though this book has unicorns in it, Bob says he never even thought about Unicorn Think He’s Pretty Great as a girl book. After all, Bob’s son Ryan really enjoyed the slightly goofy unicorn. And let’s face it, anytime you have a goat with attitude, you’ve just got to giggle!
Bob got his start in the publishing business when he stumbled across famed author Lane Smith at a conference. After sharing some humor essays with Lane, the two started emailing. When Bob sent Lane pages from a book he was working on, Lane helped him meet the people necessary to get the book published.
Bob, Colleen, and their son Ryan live in Madison, Connecticut.
Sources:
Author website
Author interview: Mikela Prevost
Author interview: Sharpread
Also by Bob Shea:
Ballet Cat : The Totally Secret Secret. Disney-Hyperion. 2015.
Dinosaur Vs. Mommy. Hyperion Press. 2015.
Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads. Roaring Brook Press. October 2014.
Dinosaur Vs. School. Disney-Hyperion. 2014.
Don’t Play with Your Food! Hyperion Press. 2014.
Cheetah Can’t Lose. Balzer + Bray. 2013.
Dinosaur Vs. Santa. Hyperion Press. 2012.
Dinosaur Vs. the Library. Hyperion Press. 2011.
I’m a Shark. Balzer + Bray. 2011.
Oh, Daddy! Balzer + Bray. 2010.
Race You to Bed. Harper Collins. 2010.
Big Plans. Hyperion Press. 2008.
New Socks. Little, Brown and Company. 2007.
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