Steven Kroll
Steven Kroll a native New Yorker, was an athletic kid but he also had a childhood filled with books. His mother was a great storyteller and he was drawn to books with narrative voices such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Books offered adventure and sparked his imagination.
He started writing his own stories at the age of thirteen and later became an editor and writer who traveled. Then in 1975, after four years of rejection letters, he published his first children's book. Since then there have been lots of stories and most of them illustrated by well known names in the children's book world. Kroll says that he thinks visually. "When I'm working on a book, I see the pictures as I write the words. ...how fortunate that the illustrators of my books have all seen what I've seen and have captured the magic I wish to share."
Lately Kroll's books have focused on significant events in American history. By The Dawn's Early Light (1994, Scholastic, Ages 4 up, $15.95) narrates the moments that inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star Spangled Banner with well researched details and exquisite full-page paintings by Dan Andreasen. Reviewer Deborah Zink Roffino commented that you can share the turmoil felt by the three Americans held on British ships in the harbor as they witnessed the Battle of Baltimore.
The story of Ellis Island and how it became the entry point for more than 16 million people also is a dramatic one. In Ellis Island: Doorway to Freedom, reviewer Jan Lieberman observed that Kroll presents the facts in a rich, readable style that children will understand. The illustrations by Karen Ritz add immeasurably to children's appreciation of this "gateway" to a new life. (1995, Holiday, Ages 6 to 10, $15.95).
Uma Krishnaswami in her review of Pony Express noted that Kroll combines brisk paced narrative with Andreasen's luminous artwork. The story, which documents the historic first ride, also provides insights into the early trials and triumphs associated with what we today take for granted: the mail delivery. The oil paintings capture the thrill of the ride and the very blue blue of the western skies. (1995, Scholastic, Ages 8 up, $16.95.) Other historical figures and stories include The Boston Tea Party, reviewed on this page, and books about Robert Fulton, John Quincy Adams and William Penn.
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Reviews
The Boston Tea PartySteven Kroll
Illustrations by Peter Fiore
The American Revolution and the struggles that preceded it lie cloaked for many of us in the mystique of heroism, romanticism, and national pride. This lusciously illustrated picture book will bring clarity to one of the pivotal events in American history-The Boston Tea Party. Kroll explains in detail the colonial frustrations that led to the dumping of the over-taxed tea into Boston Harbor. Fiore's full-page, haunting watercolor illustrations bring life to the maritime setting and create a mood of foreboding and inevitability. They seem to darken around the text much as the described events must have darkened the lives of colonists and loyalists alike. History teachers, students, and artists will find historical facts, delight, and enlightenment here. 1998, Holiday House, Ages 8 to 12, $16.95. Reviewer: Judy Katsh
ISBN: 0-8234-1316-0
By the Dawn's Early Light
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
With well-researched details and exquisite full-page paintings, Steven Kroll offers this lengthy narration of the moments that inspired lawyer Francis Scott Key to write the four verses of The Star Spangled Banner. Imagine the turmoil felt by the three Americans held on British ships in the harbor next to Fort McHenry as they witnessed the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Dialogue and story reveal the passion for freedom that reasonable men had to shoulder in defense of liberty. 1994, Scholastic, Ages 5 up, $15.95. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino
ISBN: 0-590-45054-9
Doctor on an Elephant
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Michael Chesworth
This artfully told story is but one vignette in one day of Dr. John Symington's life in India. The story centers around his travels to tend to a man wounded by a leopard. His hazardous journey riding on the back of Dev Raj, a large male elephant, reveals much about him and Bengal at the turn of the century. He wonders how different his life would have been had he stayed in Baltimore after his medical studies. John Symington was born in 1870 in Scotland; he was a missionary in Africa before studying medicine. He later married and spent twenty-five years in India before he returned to the United States. The story is wonderfully captivating and brought to life by the subtle watercolor illustrations. 1994, Henry Holt, Ages 5 to 10, $14.95. Reviewer: Dr. Hans von Marensdorff
ISBN: 0-8050-2876-5
Ellis Island: Doorway to Freedom
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Karen Ritz
The story of Ellis Island and how it became the entry point for more than 16 million people between 1892-1954 is a dramatic one. Steven Kroll presents the facts in a rich, readable style that children will understand. The illustrations add immeasurably to children's appreciation of this "gateway" to a new life. Ms. Ritz uses pencil and watercolors to create the effect of the original photos. The faces of the people, hopeful yet frightened, tell their own story which is ongoing. 1995, Holiday, Ages 6 to 10, $15.95. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman
ISBN: 0-8234-1192-3
Mary McLean and the St. Patrick's Day Parade
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Michael Dooling
The heartwarming story of young Mary McLean and her happy bit o' luck runs over the surface of the book at a charming pace. But caught within the wistful, misty artwork and captured in the details is the touching story of the struggle of an immigrant child. Her yesterday and tomorrow must be blended, what was there and what is here must meld as this Irish lass adapts to being an American. 1990, Scholastic, Ages 4 to 8, $15.95 and $3.95. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino
ISBN: 0-590-43701-1
ISBN: 0-590-43702-X
Oh, Tucker!
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Scott Nash
Tucker is a typical large, bouncy dog. He makes a lot of mistakes. He's also such a happy dog that it's impossible to be angry with him. So even when he lands on Mom's lap, or knocks over the trash, or clears a coffee table with his wagging tail, his family's reaction is always, "Oh, Tucker!" Charming illustrations make this book really fun. 1998, Candlewick Press, Ages 4 to 8, $15.99. Reviewer: Judy Silverman
ISBN: 0-7636-0429-1
Pony Express
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
In an attractive format, combining brisk paced narrative with luminous artwork, this book documents the historic first ride of the Pony Express. It also provides insights into the early trials and triumphs associated with what we today take for granted: the mail delivery. An introduction and afterword present a packed summary of information to fill in historical background. A mini photo museum embellishes the back matter of the book. Andreasen's oil paintings capture the thrill of the ride and the very blue of the western skies. 1995, Scholastic, Ages 8 up, $16.95. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami
ISBN: 0-590-20239-1
Robert Fulton: From Submarine to Steamboat
Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
When Robert Fulton died, "shops and offices closed, as Americans mourned a man whose technical skills, artistry, and perseverance had changed the way they lived." From an inauspicious birth on a farm outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1765, to his travels in Europe with an entree from none other than Ben Franklin to his desire to end wars, Fulton used his talents as an artist, designer and inventor. His tenacity never wavered. He always seemed to find a way to reach his goal. Through a simple, straightforward text, the reader learns about his importance to transportation and commerce in the early United States, as well as a bit of European history. Where information is scant, Kroll has used such terms as "probably" and "may have." The illustrations, many muted with golden overtones, give a sense of place and time to this picture book biography. "Fulton's Folly," as his steamboat was called, and his submarine are both described and illustrated. Farnsworth researched Fulton's own sketches and designs for this book. The format allows for only a brief text but it is a good beginning for discussions on the growth and development of the United States and particularly this inventor. 1999, Holiday House, Ages 7 to 12, $16.95. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo
ISBN: 0-8234-1433-7
Added 1999
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