Intro: We spoke with Alexander Zane, author of The Wheels on the Race Car (Scholastic Books, 2005) at his home in Tivoli, New York.  A computer software developer by day, Zane writes at night in the attic office of his Victorian house overlooking the Hudson River.  He is the father of three children, and a die-hard Ricky Rudd fan.  The Wheels on the Race Car has been recommended by Kelly Ernhart, Dale’s sister?, as “Awesome Illustrations. My daughter loved this book.” 

How did you come to write this book?

I was sitting with my two-year old daughter, Avis, watching a race and I started to hum “The Wheels on the Bus” song to keep her entertained.  We had recently bought that book and I had been reading it aloud to Avis and her sister, Geneva.  As I hummed the song, I began making up new lyrics, changing the chorus to “The Wheels on the Race Car.”  After awhile I thought to myself: “This is a good idea.  I think people would like this!”  I wrote down the new lyrics and approached a friend, James Warhola, who is a well-known author and illustrator of children’s books but not a racing fan.  He thought it was a good idea, too, and agreed to make a dummy – a mock-up of a few pages with words and illustrations.  I wrote more stanzas focusing on the sounds of a race.  I had to educate James by giving him a lot of racing magazines and sitting him down to watch some races so that he could create some realistic scenes and characters.  He was fascinated by the colors, and spent a lot of effort on his drawings so as to convey the sense of speed, and the excitement of being at the track. 

Was it hard to get the book published?

Not at all.  We sent the dummy to an editor at Scholastic Books who James had worked with, and the editor loved the book.  At that time the illustrations were of men – real people – driving these stylized stock cars, but midway through I had the idea – let’s do animals driving convertibles, so that kids can see their expressions – and then James was inspired.  He drew amazingly cute and lovable animals with lots of personality – a menagerie.  He did some sketches and I realized that the animals needed some sponsors.  We had a lot of fun coming up with funny companies – puns on known products and companies -- and we worked our children’s names into the made-up ads: “Avis’s Throat Lozenges” driven by a giraffe – that kind of thing.  Our kids really enjoy showing their friends their names embedded in the illustrations. 

What would you say the appeal of the book is? 

I think the biggest appeal for both kids and their parents is James’s wonderful drawings: the way he’s filled the pages with colorful details of animals mimicking drivers, pit crews, and fans: changing tires, tipping gas cans, working on engines, rooting for their favorite drivers in the stands.  The drivers even have rivalries; the penguin is the kind of driver who wants to win at all costs and is a really sore loser.  He (or she) is the kind of driver who puts the chrome horn in the back of his competitors as he’s entering the corner and spin them out – you know what I mean – the kind of driver who will ride over other cars to get to the front.  Then there’s the dog, the hero of the book, in his Hot Rod Hot Dog car, who is more easy-going and obviously having fun.  He’s got a dog treat on the seat beside him, and his ears are flying back in the wind.  You can’t help but root for him.

Is there a lesson here?

Yes, that sportsmanship counts.  It’s not how many you win but how you win.  That’s a quote from the sequel I just wrote.  Its working title is “Lucky Dog’s Race Day. “  I’m a big fan of Benny Parsons and Ricky Rudd who both play fair and don’t boast and get along with the other drivers.  I also like that parents can enjoy the puns and little jokes in the book and the kids are entertained by the cute animals and the cars and the race itself. 

So, obviously, you’re a big racing fan yourself.  How did you get interested in motor sports?

As a child, growing up in Massachusetts, I always watched the Indy 500 and Nascar races on “Wide World of Sports.”  I saw the first Daytona 500 that was broadcast as a whole race in the seventies.  I remember that Cal Yarborough got in a fight with one of the Allison brothers during the race after they’d collided.  Then the other Allison brother stopped and joined the fracas.  From that point on, I was hooked.  I liked that racing was all about the drivers and their personalities and skills and that there were these family loyalties and long-standing rivalries between drivers. 

My family thought I was nuts – they had no interest in racing – but I loved racing almost as much as I loved baseball.  I was a big David Pearson fan; I always went for the underdog.  This is probably because I’m a Red Sox fan.  I rooted for Harry Gant, Benny Parsons, and Ricky Rudd.  I also root for any driver who is from the area where my wife was raised: Spindale, North Carolina.  The book is in memory of my wife’s grandfather, Richard Guffey, who often took her with him to watch the races from the infields of Daytona, Rockingham, North Wilkesboro, and Charlotte.  I think that her grandfather being an early NASCAR fan played a not too small part in our getting married; it certainly made her stand out from the other girls.

What are your plans for the book?

I’ve been doing some readings.  You may see me this summer at your local race track, selling the book, or at your local bookstore giving a reading – I sing the book, by the way.  We came up with movements that illustrate what’s happening in the stanza and James drew them for the end papers of the book.  We try to give an instrument to every child and James does all the gestures as we sing.  It gets pretty loud and wild..  The response for kids – girls as well as boys – has been wonderful.  One mother told me that her son made her read it to her twice every night, and that the water buffalo driver was his favorite.  I think different animals appeal to different kids.

I’d love to see the book featured on an educational TV series; it’s gotten some great reviews and it’s been featured on some websites.  There aren’t a lot of racing books for children, and I think of The Wheels on the Race Car” as a book that can be shared by all different generations of fans.  Call me crazy, but I have a dream that our song will become for racing what “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is for baseball.