Biography of robert kraus childrens authors
Robert Kraus
American cartoonist
For the Austrian footballer, see Robert Kraus (footballer). For Adolph Robert Kraus (sculptor), spot Bob Krause (disambiguation).
Robert Kraus | |
|---|---|
| Born | Herman Robert Kraus ()June 21, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | August 7, () (aged&#;76) Kent, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Resting place | Ridgefield, Connecticut |
| Occupation | Artist, storyteller, illustrator, publisher |
| Language | English |
| Education | Layton School for the Arts |
| Alma&#;mater | Art Students League of Novel York |
| Period | |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works | Leo the Belated Bloomer (illustrations by Jose Aruego Milton the Early Riser (illustrations by Jose Aruego Harriet and the Promised Land (illustrations by Jacob Lawrence Amanda Remembers The Bunny's Nutshell Library |
| Notable awards | Caldecott Medal (as publisher of William Steig's Roland the Minstrel Pig) |
| Spouse | Pamela Kraus, née Pamela Vivienne Evan-Wong |
| Children | Bruce R.
Kraus, Charles William Kraus |
| Relatives | Father-in-law Robert Victor Evan-Wong |
Robert Kraus (June 21, &#; August 7, ) was an American children's author illustrator, cartoonist and publisher.
Robert Byrd (artist) - Wikipedia: Robert Kraus (June 21, – August 7, ) was an American children's author illustrator, cartoonist and publisher. His successful career began in advance at the New Yorker Magazine, producing over hundreds of cartoons and nearly two dozen covers for the magazine over 15 years.His successful career began early at the New Yorker Magazine, producing over hundreds of cartoons and nearly two dozen covers for the magazine over 15 years. Afterwards, he pivoted his career to children's literature, writing and illustrating over children’s books and publishing even more as the founder of publishing house Windmill Books.
His body of work is best remembered for depicting animal heroes who always try their best and never give up, which were ideals important to him at an early age.
Biography
Personal
Robert Kraus was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in to parents Jack, who was in the real estate business, and Esther (Rosen) Kraus.[1] His mother nurtured lessons in him that appear as crucial themes in Kraus’s later written work in the children’s literature genre.[2] He graduated from Milwaukee’s Layton School for the Arts in and the Arts Trainee League of Manhattan, NY in [1]During that time, Kraus was excluded from the military during WWII because of vision problems.
He met his wife, Pamela (formerly Pamela Vivienne Evan-Wong), while at the Art Students League and they were married on December 11, [2] Together they had two sons, Bruce and Bill. In , he moved into the Colonial Revival Home in Ridgefield, Connecticut on the corner of Main Street and Branchville Road where he was often seen in the group walking his pug, Hoover.[3]
Early career
At age 10, Kraus won a cartoon contest from his local paper the Milwaukee Journal.
By age 12, he was hired by that same journal to contribute a weekly cartoon entitled "Public Nuisances." At age 16, he made his first cartoon sale to The New Yorker, which was the most prestigious platform for cartoon prints in the nation at the time[1] Kraus also freelanced for other publications such as Collier's, the old Life, Esquire Magazine[1], and The Saturday Evening Post.[4] He continued both his education and freelance work at the Arts Student League of Manhattan, NY until he became a full-time employee at the New Yorker on contract.[1]
Cartoons
He became a regular New Yorker contributor as both a cartoonist and cover musician beginning in the s.
Kraus contributed 50 cartoons in his first year at the "New Yorker."[4] Most of his cover art reflected his romantic concept of the City (artists' studios and supplies, a chess club, a gypsy fortune teller, the Chinese New Year parade, the Coney Island roller coaster, a grand cafe, St.
Patrick's Cathedral, a fancy dress ball) and he recorded his rural surroundings in Danbury, Connecticut, with its farmer's markets and county fairs. Many of his cartoons embodied the stereotypes of their day: drunks, crooks, convicts, pirates, clowns, mythological characters, millionaires dating floozies, big businessmen, prizefighters, etc.
An important part of his cartooning career was a multi-page spread on the New York World's Fair of In his 15 years at the New Yorker,[1] Kraus produced over cartoons and 21 covers.[2] In , after taking an extended break from cartooning to work on children’s literature, Kraus created a Sunday feature called “Zap!
The Video Chap,” targeted at children who were growing addicted to playing video games.[3]
Children's books
In , Kraus decided to pivot his career. He began writing and illustrating children's books, beginning with Junior the Spoiled Cat, The Littlest Rabbit, The Trouble with Spider (later expanded into the Spider, Fly and Ladybug series), I, Mouse, Mouse at Sea, The Bunny's Nutshell Library, Carla Stevens' Rabbit and Skunk series, and the haunting and critically acclaimed Amanda Remembers.
The book Leo the Late Bloomer, an encouraging story about making one's retain pace, is a continuing legacy.[5] He utilized his extensive network of creators from the Recent Yorker to team up with illustrators like William Steig and Charles Addams.[1]
Kraus could speak directly to children without a footprint of artificiality or condescension, naturally embodying both them and himself in a variety of tiny but plucky animal protagonists.
His stories often centered on animal heroes with humanistic qualities, education lessons like “never give up” and always do your finest even if you don’t at first succeed,” which Kraus learned from his mother.[2] He once explained that he wrote children’s books to console himself, inspire himself and others, and study problems he observed in culture.
The story, “Miranda’s Beautiful Dream” was inspired by the experience of Martin Luther King.[3] The book Leo the Late Bloomer, an encouraging story about making one's own pace, is a continuing legacy. Kraus once said that “the greatest compliment anyone can give you is to buy your stuff.”[3]
Academia
The Windmill Books and Robert Kraus Papers are among the University of Minnesota's Children's Literature and Art Collections.
Professor Paul Fry has used one of Kraus's lesser works, Tony the Tow Truck, tongue-in-cheek to teach a popular English course at Yale, Introduction to the Theory of Literature, using its hundred-word text to illustrate topics such as Hermeneutics, Semiotics, Structuralism, Deconstruction, Queer Theory and Gender Performativity.[6]
Publishing Company
Tapping his friendships with other New Yorker artists, Kraus launched a small publishing company, Windmill Books in , publishing The Chas.
AddamsMother Goose, and William Steig's[7]Roland the Minstrel Pig, followed by Steig's Caldecott Medal-winning Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.[8] The prestige of Windmill even attracted renowned painter Jacob Lawrence, whose Harriet and the Promised Land (with verse by Kraus) became the first children's book reviewed in the Art section of the New York Times and was recently[when?] featured in the Lawrence retrospective at the Guggenheim.
Kraus soon quit the New Yorker to race Windmill full-time, as publisher, and wrote and illustrated books for Windmill as well as for Scholastic and other publishers. Windmill artists included Fred Gwynne (the actor), Edna Eicke, Robert Byrd, Hans Kraus (no relation), VIP (Virgil Partch) and Mischa Richter.
Windmill published a set of Norman Rockwell covers with imaginative backstories (which Kraus wrote in consultation with Rockwell) as The Norman Rockwell Storybook and with filmmaker Robert Flaherty produced a children's book version of Flaherty's Nanook of the North.
Windmill also pioneered "board" and "bathtub" books that doubled as toys for very small children, and dabbled in pop culture with its Elvis calendar and Encyclopedia Galactica.
Robert Kraus, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was born on June 21, His given name was Herman Robert Kraus. He dropped the Herman when he was in art college. When he was a juvenile boy, he decided he wanted to become a cartoonist and sold his first work—to a barbershop—when he wasIn spite of its flirtations with the mass market, in the close Windmill Books proved to be more of a succes d'estime than anything else. The corporation struggled through legal difficulties with its distributor and was forced to sign over to Simon & Schuster in the s.[1] Steig's best-known children's book, Shrek, was published elsewhere.
Kraus and Windmill are probably best remembered as the author and publisher of Leo the Late Bloomer, Whose Mouse Are You, Milton the Early Riser and other books beautifully and imaginatively illustrated by Jose Aruego and Arianne Dewey, as well as the seasonal favorite , illustrated by VIP.
Kraus wrote stories, but his passion was drawing and illustrating—He once said, "I adore drawingGiving my stories to somebody else was like giving a way a child."[4] In total before its sale, Windmill Home had published over two hundred books on three continents.[3]
Honors and reception
Reviewers from the New York Times praise Kraus’ simple but meaningful style and tone.
In regards to his book “Old-Fashioned Raggedy Ann & Andy ABC Book,” illustrated by Johnny Gruelle, they write “Evoking nostalgia, this simple--yet elegant--dictionary is based on the-way-it-used-to-be stylized illustrations and delightful rhymes.”[2] His stories, Whose Mouse Are You?, Milton the Preceding Riser, and Owliver were named notable children’s books by the American Library Association.
His novel Herman the Helper was a Trade Book Award Winner and appeared on the Horn Publication Honor List. In the more visible public domain, his story Leo the Late Bloomer was read on national television by former First Lady Barbara Bush during her campaign to promote children’s literacy.
A collection of his manuscripts are stored and preserved at Syracuse University.[1]
End of life
Kraus died of heart defeat in a nursing home[1] in in Kent, Connecticut. He is buried at Fairlawn Cemetery in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and etched on his gravestone is an image of a spider, a ethics from one of his books.[3] He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, the former Pamela Vivienne Evan-Wong, of Georgetown, British Guiana, a fellow student at the New York Art Students' League, and by their two sons, Bruce and Bill and four grandchildren Parker, Jack, Margaret and Vivienne.
| Book Title | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Harriet and the Promised Area | Windmill Books | |
| Whitney Darrow, Jr.'s Unidentified Lying Elephant | Windmill Books | |
| The Children Who Got Married | Windmill Books | |
| Animal Etiquette | Windmill Books | |
| Don't Talk to Strange Bears | Windmill Books | |
| Rumple-Nose Dimple and the Three Horrible Snaps | Windmill Books | |
| Windmill Books | ||
| The Rabbit Brothers, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith | ||
| I'm Glad I'm a Lad, I'm Glad I'm a Young woman | Windmill Books | |
| Whose Mouse Are You? | Macmillan | |
| Vip's Mistake Book | Windmill Books | |
| Bunya the Witch | Windmill Books | |
| Shaggy Fur Face | Windmill Books | |
| Ludwig, the Canine Who Snored Symphonies | Windmill Books | |
| Pipsqueak, Mouse in Shining Armor | Windmill Books | |
| Lillian, Morgan and Teddy | Windmill Books | |
| The Tree That Stayed Up Until Next Christmas | Windmill Books | |
| Leo the Late Bloomer | Windmill Books | |
| Milton the Early Riser | Windmill Books | |
| How Spider Saved Halloween | Parents Magazine Press | |
| Big Brother | Parents Magazine Press | |
| Pip Squeaks Through | Springfellow Press | |
| Poor Mister Splinterfitz! | Dutton | |
| Rebecca Hatpin | Windmill Books | |
| Pinchpennny Mouse | Windmill Books | |
| Owliver | Windmill Books | |
| Herman the Helper | Windmill Books | |
| Three Friends | Windmill Books | |
| I'm a Monkey | Windmill Books | |
| The Night-Light Story Guide | Windmill Books | |
| The Gondolier of Venice | Windmill Books | |
| Boris Bad Enough | Windmill Books | |
| Dinosaur Do's and Don'ts | Windmill Books | |
| The Excellent Mousekeeper | Windmill Books | |
| The Detective of London (co-written with son, Bruce Kraus) | Windmill Books | |
| Noel the Coward | Windmill Books | |
| Springfellow | Windmill Books | |
| Musical Max | Windmill Books | |
| Another Mouse to Feed | Windmill Books | |
| Mouse Serve | Windmill Books | |
| Mert the Blurt | Windmill Books | |
| Puppet Pal Books (a four volume collection) | Windmill Books | |
| The Old Fashioned Raggedy Ann & Andy ABC Book | Windmill Books / Simon and Schuster | |
| The King's Trousers | Windmill Books | |
| Leo the Late Bloomer Takes a Bath | Windmill Books | |
| Herman the Helper Cleans Up | Windmill Books | |
| See the Christmas Lights | Windmill Books | |
| Box of Brownies (a four volume collection) | Windmill Books | |
| Tony the Truck | Grosset & Dunlap | |
| Mrs.
Elmo of Elephant House | Delacorte Urge | |
| Where Are You Going, Little Mouse?Robert Kraus June 21, — August 7, was an American children's author illustrator, cartoonist and publisher. His achieving career began early at the New Yorker Magazine, producing over hundreds of cartoons and nearly two dozen covers for the magazine over 15 years. His body of work is top remembered for depicting animal heroes who always try their optimal and never give up, which were ideals important to him at an early age. Inhe moved into the Colonial Revival House in Ridgefield, Connecticut on the corner of Main Avenue and Branchville Road where he was often seen in the community walking his pug, Hoover. | Greenwillow Books | |
| Screamy Mimi | Simon & Schuster | |
| Come Out and Play, Little Mouse | Greenwillow Books | |
| The Hoodwinking of Mrs. Elmo | Delacorte Push | |
| Robert Kraus' A Sunny Day in Babytown | Little Simon | |
| Robert Kraus' Babytown State | Little Simon | |
| Robert Kraus' Meet the Babies | Little Simon | |
| Robert Kraus' Welcome to Babytown | Little Simon | |
| Little Beep | Little Simon | |
| Tiny Tow Truck | Little Simon | |
| How Spider Saved Easter | Scholastic | |
| Noah Count Vampire Detective in Mummy Vanishes: A Mummy Dearest Creepy Hollow Whoooooooodunnit? | Warner Juvenile Books | |
| How Spider Saved Thanksgiving | Scholastic | |
| How Spider Saved the Flea Circus | Scholastic | |
| How Spider Stopped the Litterbugs | Scholastic | |
| Dr.
Mouse, Bungle Jungle Doctor | Western | |
| All My Chickens | Western | |
| Dance, Spider, Dance! | Western | |
| The Adventures of Sensible Old Owl | Troll Assosciates | |
| Jack O'Lantern's Scary Halloween | Western | |
| Fables Aesop Never Wrote but Robert Kraus Did | Viking | |
| Near Myths: Dug Up and Dusted Off | Viking | |
| Big Squeak, Little Squak | Orchard Books | |
| O'Malley | Orchard Books | |
| Little Louie the Toddler Bloomer | Harper Collins | |
| The Making of Monkey King (retold with Debby Chen) | Pan Asian Publications | |
| Mort the Sport | Orchard Books | |
| Mouse in Love | Orchard Books |
| Book | Author | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Fox and the Hungry Tiger | Paul Anderson | Addison-Wesley | |
| Rabbit and Skunk and the Spooks | Carla Stevens | Scholastic | |
| Rabbit and Skunk and the Scary Rock | Carla Stevens | Scholastic | |
| Cleveland Amory's Animail | Cleveland Amory | Dutton | |
| Rabbit and Skunk and the Big Fight | Carla Stevens | Scholastic |
| Book | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Junior the Spoiled Cat | Oxford University Press | |
| All the Mice Came | Harper | |
| Ladybug, Ladybug | Harper | |
| The Littlest Rabbit | Harper | |
| I, Mouse | Harper | |
| The Trouble with Spider | Harper | |
| Miranda's Stunning Dream | Harper | |
| Penguin's Pal | Harper | |
| Mouse at Sea | Harper | |
| Amanda Remembers | Harper | |
"The Bunny's Nutshell" library series:
| Harper | |
| My Son, the Mouse | Harper | |
| Little Giant | Harper | |
| Hello Hippopotamus (under pseudonym Eugene H.
Hippopotamus) | Windmill Books | |
| Daddy Extended Ears | Windmill Books | |
| How Spider Saved Christmas | Windmill Books | |
| The Tale Who Wagged the Dog | Windmill Books | |
"The Night Light" library series:
| Sprinfellow | |
| Animal Families | Windmill Books | |
| See the Celestial | Windmill Books | |
| How Spider Saved Turkey | Windmill Books | |
| The Old-Fashioned Raggedy Ann and Andy ABC Book | Windmill Books / Simon & Schuster | |
| Bumpy the Car | Putnam | |
| Squeaky (under pseudonym S.
Silly) | Windmill Books | |
| Squeaky's One Man Band (under pseudonym S. Silly) | Windmill Books | |
| I'm a Little Airplane (under pseudonym I.M. Tubby) | Tubby Books | |
| I'm a Little Fish (under pseudonym I.M.
Tubby) | Tubby Books | |
| I'm a Little Residence (under pseudonym I.M. Tubby) | Tubby Books | |
| I'm a Small Tugboat (under pseudonym I.M. Tubby) | Tubby Books | |
| Freddy and the Fire Engine | Putnam | |
| How Spider Saved Valentine's Date | Scholastic | |
| Spider's First Sunlight at School | Scholastic | |
| Happy City | Simon & Schuster | |
| Happy Farm | Simon & Schuster | |
| Spider's Home Town: A Story to Color | Scholastic | |
| Here Comes Tardy Toad | Silver Press | |
| Ella the Poor Speller | Silver Press | |
| Good Morning, Miss Gator | Silver Urge | |
| Buggy Bear Cleans Up | Silver Press | |
| How Spider Saved the Baseball Game | Scholastic | |
| Phil, the Ventriloquist | Greenwillow | |
| Daddy Long Ears Christmas Surprise | Simon & Schuster | |
| Daddy Long Ears Halloween | Simon & Schuster | |
| Private Eyes Don't Blink | Warner Books | |
| Spider's Baby-Sitting Job | Scholastic | |
| Spider's Draw-a-Long Book | Scholastic | |
| Creepy Hollow Ghostly Glowing Haunted House | Warner Books | |
| Boogie Woogie Bears Go Back to Nature | Warner Books | |
| Boogie Woogie Bears' Picnic | Warner Books | |
| Jack Galaxy, Space Cop | Bantam | |
| Klunky Monkey, Unused Kid in Class | Bantam | |
| Mixed-Up Mice Clean House | Warner Books | |
| Mixed-Up Mice in the Big Birthday Mix-Up | Warner Books | |
| Mummy Knows Optimal | Warner Books | |
| Mummy Vanishes | Warner Books | |
| Musical Max | Simon & Schuster | |
| The Phantom of Creepy Hollow | Warner Books | |
| Squirmy's big Covert (with Bonnie Brook) | Silver Urge | |
| Wise Old Owl's Halloween Adventure (with Pamela Kraus) | Troll | |
| Wise Old Owl's Christmas Adventure (with Pamela Kraus) | Troll |
References
- ^ abcdefghijklm"Herman Robert Kraus." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors.Kraus, who also drew 21 covers and cartoons for the Brand-new Yorker magazine, died Aug. The charming, encouraging tale of small Leo, the underachieving lion who learns that simply trying is an achievement, was read on national television 10 years ago by then-First Lady Barbara Bush in her literacy campaign. This is my philosophy. As a teenager, Kraus sold cartoons to such humor magazines as Determine, Gags and Nifty, and by 16 he saw his perform printed in more prestigious publications, including the Saturday Evening Announce and Esquire.
Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, Gale Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web.
- ^ abcdeOliver, Myrna (). "Obituaries; Robert Kraus; Cartoonist Wrote Children's Books".
Los Angeles Times. ProQuest&#;
- ^ abcdef"Ridgefield notables: Robert Kraus, New Yorker cartoonist".
The Ridgefield Press. 18 October
- ^ abcRobert Kraus Obituary San Francisco Gate, Article Collections, 30 Aug , Hearst Communications, Inc.
Retrieved 6/2/
- ^Lahey, Jessica (14 October ).
“I never slant my books to children,” he said in “My books are not sickening, cloyingly sweet, and they have a point. I’m not a person who likes to write a lot, and children’s books are the ideal forum for my ideas.” In all, he wrote and/or illustrated more than books for children.
"Give Late Blooming Children the Time They Need". Motherlode Blog.
- ^Fry, Paul H. (). Theory of Literature. The Unlocked Yale Courses Series.Discover fresh books on Goodreads. Sign in with Facebook Sign in options. Join Goodreads. Combine Editions.
ISBN&#;.
- ^"Steig, William - Dictionary definition of Steig, William | : FREE online dictionary". . Retrieved
- ^"Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, Present". American Library Association.
- "Discover Author Robert Kraus".
Robert Kraus was an American children's author, cartoonist and publisher. Founder and publisher of Windmill Books, author and illustrator of award-winning children's books, Kraus began as a cartoonist and cover artist for The Fresh Yorker.
HarperCollins Publishers. Archived from the original on September 15, Retrieved October 17,
- "Robert Kraus, Author And Cartoonist, 76". The New York Times. August 16,
- Nakamura, ed., Something About the Author, vol, Gale Research, Inc.