Initiator
Myself
Myself
After my intensive engagement with the history of the Strauss dynasty for the development of the experiential museum House of Strauss, I felt a growing desire to tell the story of Johann Strauss (Son) in my own personal way.
While working on the museum, I would often tell friends and their children why this Johann Strauss is such an interesting character. In doing so, I became practiced at turning deep historical knowledge into simplified and entertaining anecdotes. One day, while telling a Strauss story to a friend’s son, it hit me me:
I’ll write a children’s book!
I’ll write a children’s book!
The Story
At the beginning of the book, we pass by Johann’s golden statue in Vienna’s Stadtpark and ask ourselves what made this Johann so special that a golden statue was built in his honor. Johann is described as a kind of magician who could make sad people feel happy and joyful with his magical melodies.
The story follows his journey: from a love for music that developed very early in his life, through many challenges he had to overcome, all the way to his greatest enchantment—The Blue Danube Waltz—a piece that still brings joy to people all around the world and makes them want to dance.
The Manuscript
Writing a children’s book for ages 4–8 is similar to creating a comic.
After drafting the story and making rough storyboard sketches, I carefully planned what should appear on each page and drew everything in pencil. These drawings, together with the short text passages, became my manuscript.
After drafting the story and making rough storyboard sketches, I carefully planned what should appear on each page and drew everything in pencil. These drawings, together with the short text passages, became my manuscript.
With this, I was able to test and refine the clarity of the story by reading it aloud to my friends’ children. At the same time, I sent copies of the manuscript to several publishers in Germany and Austria, and eventually the Austrian publisher Echo Medienhaus agreed to publish the book.
The Illustrations
After some searching, I found the wonderfully talented Gabriela Issa-Chacón, and together we began working out the illustrations page by page.
It was important to me that the characters in the finished illustrations would be easy for children to understand at a glance. The pages shouldn’t look like art pieces, but rather like scenes from a Disney film. From the very beginning, I had the idea in mind that these scenes might one day come to life in motion.
And by the way... some of the illustrations are closely based on the historical illustrations from 19th century news paper articles.
The Specials
The book includes several special features that were particularly important to me. Part of the original text of The Blue Danube is printed inside, along with the musical notation. There are also QR codes that allow you to listen both to the well-known orchestral version of the piece and to the original version sung by a choir, organised by Johann Strauss’s great-great-grandson, Eduard, who also sings in it himself.
At the end of the book, there are four double-page spreads that explain the historical background behind the scenes in the story. My hope is that interested parents will read these pages and, in doing so, not only learn something themselves but also have fun being able to share more context with their children when reading the book together.
The Readings
The well experienced promoter Werner Brunner took sales and marketing of the book under his wing and I am forever thankful for that. He also organised readings for me at a number of great events.
I will never forget the moment of presenting the book for the first time. As part of a children’s reading festival in the arcade courtyard of Vienna’s City Hall, I was allowed to read the freshly printed book aloud for the first time in front of an audience of excited children. The publisher had even arranged for a standing violinist, who accompanied my story at just the right moments with music by Strauss.
One very special guest at the event was Eduard Strauss, the great-great-grandson of Johann Strauss. It means a great deal to me that he approves of my way of telling his family’s story.
I’ve also been enjoying the readings more and more, and I’m feeling increasingly confident doing them. By now, my readings have become more like little performances. One particularly beautiful moment happened during a reading for several elementary school classes, when the teachers began to waltz while all of us hummed the melody of The Blue Danube.
The Concert Show
On October 25, 2025 we celebrated Johann's birthday with the premiere of a concert show for children, based on m book. From 2026 onwards, this show will take place regularly in the ballroom of the House of Strauss.
A quartet ensemble performs the most exciting compositions of the Strauss family, while a host playfully guides the audience through the show. Meanwhile, the illustrations from the book will appear on a nine-meter-wide LED screen - fully animated, of course!
My work included
Writing the book
Layout and print template
Creative direction for illustrations
Imprint
Photo rights:
© Stefan Diesner
© Elisabeth Lechner
© Stefan Burghart
© echo Events
© Echo Medienhaus
© House of Strauss
© Georg Brennwald
Special thanks to:
Werner Brunner
Hermann Rauter
Gabriela Issa-Chacón
Prof. Eduard Strauss