Interview with Artie Knapp, Author of Stuttering Stan Takes a Stand

Linda Schreiber: I am on interviewing Artie Knapp today. He is the author of a curious little book written for children who stutter. Artie Knapp: Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today Linda. Linda: Artie, tell us a bit about your background. Artie: I am a children's author living in

Linda Schreiber: I am on interviewing Artie Knapp today. He is the author of a curious little book written for children who stutter.

Artie Knapp: Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today Linda.

Linda: Artie, tell us a bit about your background.

Artie: I am a children's author living in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have written many published works for young readers, and my children's literature has been published in over 80 newspapers and kids' sites across the world to date. Humorous talking animal children's stories are my trademark if you will.

Linda: Is this your first book?

Artie: Yes, Stuttering Stan Takes a Stand is my first book. I also recently teamed up with Speedway Charities, and later this year they will be distributing copies of my story, Sprinting Spencer Still Wants to Run, in gift bags to children at select Speedway Children's Charities throughout the United States.

Linda: That's very nice Artie. I will look for the book. Tell us a little about this story.



Artie: Stanley is like most squirrels: he loves nuts, climbing trees, and playing with friends. But Stanley feels different from the other animals in his neighborhood, because he has a problem with words. Despite being teased about his stuttering, Stanley refuses to let on that his feelings are being hurt, until one day he learns an important lesson from a new friend.

Linda: Is the story directed at a particular age range? Who is your target audience?

Artie: The story is told with more text versus illustrations, so it's aimed for the beginning reader. The target audience for Stuttering Stan is ages 6-10, although I believe younger children will also enjoy having the story read to them.

Linda: What inspired you to write this story?

Artie: While taking a walk in a park one afternoon, I saw a little squirrel prancing around through a field of fallen leaves. He appeared to be enjoying himself, which made me smile. As I continued my walk, I remember thinking that I need to write a story about that little squirrel. Alliteration with words and letters is something I always use in my work, so after deciding to write about a little squirrel, Stanley and stuttering soon followed.

Linda: I have heard folks are really excited about this book. Why?

Artie: After writing the story, I was surprised to learn how little contentlike Stuttering Stanthere is for kids. I believe the reason why there is great excitement for my book, is because Stuttering Stan is going to help fill a gap where content is desperately needed for children who stutter.

Linda: The illustrations are beautiful. Did you illustrate the book?

Artie: Thank you. No, the illustrations in the book were illustrated by the incredibly talented Barbara Leonard Gibson. Among Barbara's many illustration credits are the Kissing Hand book sequels by children's author Audrey Penn.

Linda: What do you hope readers, especially children, will get out of the story?

Artie: I hope that my book helps children realize that they should never feel ashamed about their stuttering, and that they have a voice that deserves to be heard.

Linda: Where can readers purchase the book? Who is your publisher?

Artie: Stuttering Stan Takes a Stand is published by the Division of Speech Pathology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which is the largest pediatric speech pathology program in the United States. Stuttering Stan is available for purchase through these major retail outlets:



Amazon.com



Barnes and Noble


Target Stores

Linda: What's next for Artie Knapp?

Artie: I have another children's book being published next year about a little boy with autism. Like Stuttering Stan, that book is also being published by the Division of Speech Pathology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. I am also working on writing a sequel to Stuttering Stan Takes a Stand.

Linda: Artie, thanks for writing this story. And thanks for giving your time to tell us about it. We wish you well.