During our trips to Bethesda, Maryland, to visit our daughter and her family, my wife Nancy would offer an inducement for our granddaughter to sit in the back seat of the family van. “Peerpa will tell you a story.” As I contorted myself into the rear of the van, I thought, “Well, that’s just great. What on earth am I going to tell Lucy about?” And that’s how Shondra the Shark was born. When the story concluded, Nancy said, “That was very good, Joel.” And after a couple more such outings and stories, she suggested (or rather insisted) that they be written down.

The stories in this collection are at once simple and complex. They are simple to read and understand, and are important as children begin the socialization process of the early school years. The lessons, though, are timeless - worth remembering by children and adults alike. When Shondra learns that, “To have a friend, you need to be a friend,” she is speaking not only to Casie the krill. She is speaking to all of us.