By Kathy Henderson | Child Magazine

Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Ray Romano talks about his challenges as a father of four and his new children's book.

For the past nine years, Ray Romano has walked a fine line between truth and fiction as the executive producer and star of "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS's hit comedy about the Barone family of Long Island, New York. Fans know that Romano grew up just west of Long Island in the borough of Queens and was still living at home in his late 20's when he married Anna Scarpulla, his co-worker at a local bank. Now an Emmy Award-winning TV star, the 47-year old actor hasn't forgotten his roots, collaborating with his real-life siblings on a new children's book titled "Raymie, Dickie, and the Bean: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers."

"I thought this would be a great opportunity for the three of us to do something together," says Romano, who'd been wooed by publishers for several years. Although the book's theme is sibling rivalry, he worked in harmony with older brother Richard, a retired New York City police sergeant, and younger brother Robert, a second-grade teacher, to re-create the story of a family outing at an amusement park. All the usual brotherly annoyances are included, from having to go to the bathroom with little Robert (known as the Bean because of the shape of his head) to fights over who gets to keep the prize stuffed monkey at the end of the day. "We didn't want to make the story sappy," Romano says, "but we did want to show that underneath the rivalry is a bond and a love for each other."

In addition to the fun of working with his brothers, Romano wanted the book to be a treat for his four children, Alexandra, 14, twins, Matthew and Gregory, 12, and Joseph Raymond, 7. "Sometimes I choose projects - like the animated movie "Ice Age" because I can enjoy them with my kids," he says. "My youngest has been learning to read, so we wanted to come up with a story that would appeal to him."

Romano's stand-up comedy routines, which he continues to do several times a year, include jokes about Anna's spending habits and a video montage of his kids' at-home antics. "They get a kick out of it," he says, though he admits that his wife sometimes asks him not to use details of their personal life on "Everybody Loves Raymond." "She complains in a light way, but I don't think it really bothers her. She's the rock of the family, and I give her a lot of credit for marrying me when I was living at home and working in a bank."

Today, the Romanos live in a big beautifully decorated house in Los Angeles, but Ray and Anna remain close to their relatives in Queens and strive to keep their kids from getting too hooked on Hollywood glitz. "This success happened late in my life," he says, "and I'm a little too insecure to let any of it go to my head. My wife and I come from traditional families and we're kind of old-fashioned."

Still, the kids can't help but enjoy the perks of Dad's fame. "At the first movie my youngest kid went to, he was interviewed on the red carpet," Romano recalls with a laugh. "Recently he told me he wanted to go to the "Sponge Bob" movie premier. He didn't just say the movie, he said the premiere! I'd never heard that word when I was growing up. It's a little weird bringing them up in this atmosphere, but no matter where they are, I think if we show them what's right and wrong and have a strong sense of love and caring, they can grow up the same way we did."

Though sibling rivalry is not a huge issue in his household, Romano notes, "The dynamic with the twins and their younger brother is almost the same as what my brothers and I went through, even though we were flipping baseball cards and they're playing video games." Trips to amusement parks play out differently for this generation, however. "If they're doing something wrong, it's hard for me to scold them because I know people are looking at me - maybe even filming me!" he says. "So I have to hire someone to reprimand them for me."

Romano's kidding, of course - and he says laughter is an important part of his family's life. "I'm the goof and my wife is the one who lays down the law." Luckily, his kids still thank Dad is funny: "I've got a couple of years left before they realize they're too hip for me."

Thanks D. for the transcript