Ryan the Black Caiman and His Unusual Friends

Written and Illustrated by Shannon Gambino
E-book and Print, April 1, 2014

HodgePodge Press is proud to present its first children’s book in The Amazon Rainforest Series. Available April 1, 2014, in e-book format on Amazon and print format from Amazon, online retailers, and bookshops. Both formats also available through HodgePodge Press.

Comments from students who have been beta reading the book:

Kindergarten (5-6 year olds)
Loved how “cute the spider monkey is.”
Loved ALL of the animals, especially Ryan, Shannon and Alexis…
“Loved them because they were good friends.”
“Can we read this again …tomorrow?”
“When are Ryan’s brothers coming back to visit him…where have they gone? Can I see them?”

Second Grade (7-8 year olds)
Loved that their friend protected them.
All went “WHOA!” when they slipped off of Ryan’s back.

Third Grade (8-9 year olds)
“The piranha was like a bully and they helped him to become nicer.”
“Your friend should really make this a book!”