Hello, Ocean City!

Follow Pip the Sandpiper on her journey through Ocean City, New Jersey to find her Grammy at all their favorite local OCNJ spots!

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I grew up in Northfield, New Jersey, just a few miles outside Ocean City. As Bowfish Kids' Marketing Director, I was up to the task when the owner, Caitlin, approached me to create a children's book set in Ocean City. With a great passion for art, having the ability to create a story through my words and paintings has been so much fun! The entire team at Bowfish worked together, from initial brainstorming and selecting the right syllable pattern to the final edits. I'd like to give my family and friends a special shout-out for supporting me during this process (especially after sending every finished painting for review). I'm so thankful to Bowfish and Caitlin for the opportunity to create this book and bring Pip to life. Painting some of my favorite places in Ocean City has been a joy, and I hope your little ones love it as much as we do!

1. Concept

We carry so many books about New Jersey and the Jersey Shore, but there was nothing that was solely focused on Ocean City. It started out as just a fun idea, and it turned into a full blown project!

2. Writing The Story

New to being an author, Olivia took an online class on how to write a children's picture book with award winning author, Julia Donaldson! She collaborated with the whole Bowfish Team and author, Andrew S. Lewis, to come up with a final concept. After writing the story, Bowfish Studios Co-Founder, McKenna Robel, helped Olivia finalize a syllable count to really hone in on the way the story sounds and make it easy for your little one to read!

3. Illustrations

Every page of this book was hand painted by Olivia with watercolor paint and pen & ink! All 24 paintings took about 3 months in total, from initial sketches to finalized images.

4. Print

The entire process, from concepts to proofs, took roughly 7 months. It was a quick turnaround for us to create an entire book before summer ends, and we're so happy to share it with you now!