[2] While studying literature and psychology at Brown University,[2] he made political cartoons for the student newspaper but was turned down when he applied for jobs at various publications.

[3] Bats at the Beach was read on NPR's "Weekend Edition Saturday" by Daniel Pinkwater,[4] after which the book enjoyed a great deal of success, and leaving Houghton Mifflin to keep up with the sudden demand.

[5] The story follows a group of bats, young and old, and their comical variations on such activities as sailing, surfing, putting on lotion, and roasting marshmallows.

Matt Berman of Common Sense Media praised the book’s "simple and joyous concept" and noted the characters' gently rounded features.

[13] The book is about an optimistic ("despite his namesake", as Constantinides notes) pig named Hamlet and his "pessimistic" porcupine friend Quince as they struggle to defend a giant sandcastle against the waves.