The author, Jason Harvey, is a native of Los Angeles and a father of four. As an entrepreneur, Jason recognized a need for books that taught this simple framework while telling wonderful stories that inspire kids to use their imaginations to create. Instead of sitting back and waiting for a book like this to be written, Jason decided to create the book himself.
Jason is enthusiastic about cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit in kids at an early age. He has learned that there is nothing young kids cannot do without a bit of direction and creativity. He wants his own kids, and others like them, to know that they can become businesses owners as early as six-years old. All they need is an idea, some planning and motivation to accomplish their goals.
Jason and his wife, Cara, are avid readers of children's books and own a significant library that they've collected over years of raising their kids. After attempting to find well-illustrated children’s stories about entrepreneurship, they recognized the need to develop a book for themselves and the community of children’s book lovers. Sammy Startup is a story that truly entertains while revealing a blueprint for success in starting fun businesses.
Questions for the Author:
Where did you get the idea for Sammy Startup? I wanted to read books to my kids about entrepreneurship but couldn’t find any books that were both informative and entertaining, so I started writing my own.
I got the idea for Sammy and his toy management team from watching my kids role-play with their stuffed animals and a toy cash register.
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What is your favorite Sammy Startup character and why? I love all the characters but I think my favorite is Melvyn because, like Melvyn, I’m a marketing executive who likes to dream big. Also, my youngest boy is a huge dinosaur fan.
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Did you always know you were going to be a writer? I had no idea I was going to be a writer. I have always liked to write and come up with cool ideas for stories but never thought I would ultimately publish a book…
so much fun!
What do you do for fun? For fun, I like to build castles out of pillows with my family. I also like to travel, exercise and go to the beach.​
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What’s the hardest thing you did as a kid?
The hardest thing I did as a kid was to realize that I am accountable for my actions and they all have consequences.
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What are other cool things you do besides writing? I wish I could say I play the upright bass for a cool jazz band in Los Angeles but that’s not the case…at least not yet. What I think is really cool is parenting and being a part of all the cool things my kids do.
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Have you ever seen an alien or Sasquatch? I’ve never seen Sasquatch but I’ve seen all of the movies in the “Alien” franchise, one of my favorite movie franchises of all-time!
What is your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when Sammy and his team are all trying to figure out how to differentiate their lemonade stand from others. They are all coming up with ideas and everyone is participating in an inclusive way, providing ideas that build off of each other.
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What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate, chocolate chip. There can never be enough chocolate in my ice cream!​
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If you had a pet armadillo and beaver what would their names be? I think I would name the armadillo, Adelaide and the Beaver, Elwood. I think there might even be room for them on Sammy’s management team.
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What video games do you have a high-score in? Currently, it’s impossible to get a high score on any of the games we have at home because my older sons consistently win at every video game. When I was younger, I used to always have the highest score in Galaga, an old arcade game from the 1980s.
Who are some people you think are amazing?
Muhammad Ynus – Nobel Peace Price, founder of the Grameen bank and pioneer of microlending to support economic growth
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Madame C.J. Walker – she was America’s first African-American self-made millionaire
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Fred Rogers – TV Personality that made brought joy to millions of kids
