Join Kathleen Crawley, author of the children’s picture book, Colonel Trash Truck (Big Tent Books, April 2009), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in November on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!
Kathleen Crawley has been an advertising executive for over fifteen years. She resides with her husband Ronald Thomson in Redondo Beach, California. She is a native Californian having graduated from UCLA with a B.A in sociology. Colonel Trash Truck is her first book. About writing for children, Kathy says, “I have a number of books I want to write for kids because I think children are fascinating. They are open, creative, and interested in everything; they bring out the kid in me.”
You can visit Kathleen online at www.coloneltrashtruck.com
Tell us a little about your book.
Colonel Trash Truck is a likable, fun-loving hero who is extremely focused on his mission to win the garbage war. He sees the world and nature as a beautiful gift that we all need to appreciate and protect. Colonel Trash Truck believes cleaning up trash and recycling is something we all must do and he wants nothing more than to have kids join him in his quest.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
For years, I noticed how kids, especially boys, go bonkers when they see a garbage truck. I also noticed there weren’t many books or toys about trash trucks that tell kids how they pick up the trash we create. I thought, “Someone needs to write a book”. Then, one morning, I was awakened by the sound of the garbage truck. I opened my eyes and suddenly saw a clear image in my imagination of Colonel Trash Truck, just the way he looks on the cover of my book and began writing. It felt like I was taking dictation because it seemed like the Colonel had a lot to say.
What are you currently working on?
The sequel to Colonel Trash Truck, Captain Michael Recycle joins Colonel Trash Truck. Captain Michael Recycle is a super hero who picks up bottles, cans and paper and turns them into something we can reuse. He does this by shouting “Reeeecyclone”, grabbing his cape as he picks up items and then spins like a tornado. When he is finished, the recycled items have turned into a bat or a chair. Captain Michael Recycle is Colonel Trash Truck’s best friend and is always there to help in a flash.
What are some of your long term goals?
To take Colonel Trash Truck to the next step…develop a series of DVDs based on his adventures as he fulfills him mission to “Keep the Planet Clean and Green.”
What do you feel is your biggest strength?
I love to study people to understand why they do what they do and it has helped me tremendously in my advertising career. When it comes down to it, the most successful products are developed based on what interests consumers rather than what interests companies. Colonel Trash Truck is based on what kids are interested in.
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
Colonel Trash Truck is what kids and parents want in more ways than one. First, kids love trash trucks. Second, they all want to be heroes like Superman or Spiderman and Colonel Trash Truck is the ultimate hero with a mission to win the garbage war. And third, he teaches kids one of the most important environmental lessons…to pick up trash and recycle.
Kids love trucks and are most familiar with the truck that visits their house every week – the garbage truck. So, there is no better way to teach them to respect the environment than to introduce them to Colonel Trash Truck - a likable, fun-loving hero who is extremely focused about his mission to win the garbage war. He sees the world and nature as a beautiful gift that we all need to appreciate and protect. Colonel Trash Truck believes cleaning up trash and recycling is something we all must do and he wants nothing more than to have kids join him in his quest. Now’s the time to become a member of his Clean and Green Team! KARUNCH!
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