Date Published: 2025
Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing
Illustrator: Brian Dumm
Ready…Set…Let’s Roll!
Interview with Claudia Kramer Kohlbrenner
What is your favorite part of the book?
The Wheels on the Stroller (an adaptation of The Wheels on the Bus) go “through the neighborhood.” It is 24 pages long with fresh repetitive sentences that are sung throughout, so it’s difficult to choose a favorite “part.”
I will say that I love that my intention and mood for the book was successfully implemented by my talented illustrator, Brian Dumm. In his colorful, animated illustrations which seem to jump off the page, he captured the beauty of nature up close and the joyful participation of the stroller kids - flapping arms like the wings of birds, wagging a finger in unison with a friendly dog’s tail, waving to neighbors on the street, etc. The accompanying typography also is animated with clues for the beginning reader.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
I developed the book with a few lessons in mind:
-As a reminder to parents/caregivers “to be fully in the present moment with children” as often as they can to build strong emotional bonds. It is what some would call “quality time.”
An adult and child singing and acting out the book together achieves the “present moment” lesson. Taking a stroller walk with a child to actually experience the book in the real world is better. The best yet? Adding your own verses/experiences as you go for an interactive walk around your own neighborhood.
-As a reminder to “stop and smell the roses.” What a gift for adults to share with children! To slow down and appreciate the joy of the simple things in life- a squirrel scurrying up a tree, the beauty of autumn leaves, stomping in puddles after a Spring rainfall. Nature can provide solace and peace - a mental health boost - for those of all ages in a fast-paced, technological world.
-As a reminder that we are all part of a community. A child strolling through the neighborhoods in The Wheels on the Stroller will encounter neighbors of different ages, abilities, and backgrounds (not to mention friendly dogs!) The first illustration spread in the book highlights a show of neighborly kindness which sets the tone for a sense of caring and friendly communities.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
The people in the Wheels on the Stroller are fictional but resemble children and adult neighbors that my young grandsons and I have encountered on our frequent stroller walks through city and suburban neighborhoods.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
DNA
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
DNA
What would the “Stroller kids” in your book have to say about you?
They would say that taking a walk with a retired speech-language pathologist grandma is a fun, adventurous learning experience! During stroller walks, their grandma guide would stop and take time to enjoy anything that catches their interest. She will describe what they are seeing and answer their questions in an effort to enrich their speech and language development. The Stroller kids would be happy that beyond the encounters in this book, we would stop to smell the flowers, feel warm breezes on our faces, look for home holiday decorations, listen to birds chirping, stomp through colorful crunchy fallen autumn leaves, etc. The sensory possibilities are endless! The Stroller kids would also say that I added a fun “find the picture clue” feature in each illustration in the book that shows what action comes next.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
DNA
About the Author
When teaching at the preschool level, Claudia encouraged busy parents to utilize the time spent carrying out daily routines as language-rich opportunities. Parents were counseled to talk about what was happening in a child’s “here and now” - while getting dressed, brushing teeth, taking a stroller walk! Claudia used available and self-generated rhymes and songs and involved as many bodily senses and movements as possible to facilitate developmental skills in preschoolers. She considers the repetition used in The Wheels on the Bus book and now in The Wheels on the Stroller to be a valuable learning tool for young children. According to early childhood research, repetition reinforces language processing, pattern recognition and a sense of predictability. It also provides children with opportunities to rehearse new sound and word sequences.
After retirement, Claudia’s love of rhyme inspired her to take a few children’s poetry writing classes. She was pleased to have several poems published in “Highlights High Five” and “Highlights” magazines, with two poems also published in children’s anthologies. The joy of reading to her sons long ago and now her grandchildren sparked her desire to write a children’s book as well. One day, after she and her young grandson enthusiastically sang and motioned along with The Wheels on the Bus book, grandma and grandson set out for one of their many adventure-seeking neighborhood stroller walks. As the wheels on his stroller went round and round, they greeted neighbors with tail-wagging dogs, watched squirrels scurry up trees and delighted in the “ding! ding! ding!” of an approaching bicycle along with other encounters- The Wheels on the Stroller was spontaneously born!
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