Author Q & A

The first draft of Let It Roll was written during one white winter night when our five-year-old grandson had come for a sleepover. As was our tradition at bedtime, I sealed the deal with a final Ooli & Tooli story once the lights were out. After leaving his room, it occurred to me that Ooli & Tooli continue to be part of our family’s oral storytelling tradition. And since that was the case, I should put my father’s legacy on paper.

I have a background in the field of landscape construction and design, which requires situational and spatial awareness. Since the landscaper is the last professional to work on the site, it means they must deal with, improve upon, and offer the best possible solutions to pre-existing conditions. 

This often translates to overcoming obstacles and solving problems. Considering that many of the materials used are living, growing plants, the proposed solutions, when done correctly and creatively, will improve over time and become assets, rather than liabilities. In other words, the work almost invariably is about finding the solution within the problem.

How does this relate to this book? Once the first draft was finished I began looking into the topic of child pedestrian safety in the spaces of education and literature, only to find a big void in both. Many federal, state, and other safety-related websites have excellent curricula, but it does not reach children. The school system, for the most part, does not, or cannot, accommodate this subject effectively and continuously.
This realization pushed me to find the best possible way to impact kids with my book.

Safe street-crossing is not an intuitive or naturally occurring skill. It is an acquired one. These same safety rules pertain to seventy-five-year-olds and to seven-year-olds alike. The mission of this book is to introduce the subject in a relatable, engaging manner, so it can be used as one more tool in the pedestrian safety education kit. It can also spark important conversations among parents, educators, and kids about safe crossing. 

This book is for anyone who wants to introduce pedestrian safety to kids. The fictional and suspenseful story depicts a real-life scenario, with which every parent is familiar. This is a well-known, global concern.

The book can also be sponsored by companies that are connected to traffic safety via CSR programs.

To put it bluntly, drivers would rather brake to allow a mother goose and her goslings to cross the road slowly and safely than stop for a human pedestrian.

The traffic network system prioritizes cars. Adding to this, pedestrians face distracted, impatient, and/or speeding drivers. There are also many more vehicles occupying the roads than in the past. Cars have become bigger and SUV collisions result in more fatal injuries. All this is taking place on dilapidating infrastructures. Yet there is little or no pedestrian safety education taking place. Therefore, pedestrians, on their end, can do better by making decisions to keep themselves safe.

The survey I conducted among parents and teachers, and the answers to the informal questions I’ve asked to many of them, all suggest that pedestrian safety is hardly addressed in schools at the early education level. It seems parents assume that the subject is taught at school and the teachers leave it at the parents’ doorstep. What is your experience?

• It is a compelling, emotional, and memorable story.
• It puts two adorable kittens in a dangerous situation.
• The crossing rules are integrated seamlessly into the narrative and repeated three different times.
• It serves as a conversation starter between parents, educators, and children.

Yes, it will. This is a universal topic that is relevant to all parents and educators. The first translation will be in Spanish.

The current literature is mostly composed of manuals of Do’s and Don’ts. Though the rules are important, without context they are challenging to teach and implement effectively.