We don’t always get what we want, and furthermore, there are some things money can’t buy: these are the lessons taught in Steven Schoenfeld’s newly released children’s book, Can You Buy Me The Wind?
The illustrated tale of a young girl learning that she cannot simply have something because she wants it is Schoenfeld’s first book, which was released in December. The Muttontown resident says he gave it to the schools his two children attend and that it has already been getting a positive response from educators, parents and children.
“Everyone is very receptive,” said Schoenfeld. “There are not a lot of books that touch on subjects like this.”
Schoenfeld, 39, has had a successful career on Wall Street for the past 17 years. The book, he says, is based on a true story.
“My parents were babysitting my daughter, who was 4 at the time,” he explained. “My mom called me and said, ‘your daughter just said the most remarkable and slightly disturbing thing’ while trying to fly a kite without wind.”
Both of his parents are retired teachers, who he describes as hard-working people. He grew up in Hewlett, on the South Shore, and began working at a flea market with his family at age 10, and says he always had a goal to make money as an adult. He achieved that goal, then realized with the kite episode that perhaps he was not stressing his personal values enough with his own children.
“I realized she was spoiled, to the point of thinking the wind could be bought,” he reflected.
And with that, the story was born.
“I began thinking about the message and wrote the initial story a month later,” Schoenfeld said.
He never took it further until last spring, when he decided to “test the waters” and an agent called back. From there, he teamed up with illustrator Chuck Gonzales and a rhyming specialist to bring it to life. Then he began sending it to local schools, including Robbins Lane Elementary School in Syosset and Crestwood Country Day School in Melville, and has been thrilled with the feedback.
The message, he says, is one people in his own industry could learn from.
“Life doesn’t reward bad people,” he said.
Schoenfeld has lived in Muttontown since 2008, with his wife and kids, ages 9 and 5. He sends his son to a private preschool and notes that he has a full-time nanny. He says although he is raising his own kids in a very different way than how he grew up, he is making a point to instill the same values on his children that his parents taught him.
“We eat together as a family every night—with no TV, no iPod,” he cited as one example. “I teach them they have to do things for themselves and they don’t get what they want without working for it.”
Schoenfeld himself could probably buy his kids everything they want, except the wind. But he didn’t write the book to make money.
“I just want to get the message across,” he said. “Kids want instant gratification; today, they don’t seem to think you need to work for things.”
Visit www.canyoubuymethewind.com for more information or to purchase a copy of the book.
