1. Bibliography -
Krull, Kathleen. 2008. THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM. Ill. by Kevin Hawkes. New York, NY: Knoph/Borzoi - Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-83216-1
2. Plot Summary –
“Dorothy followed the yellow brick road to Oz. Her creator, L. Frank Baum, took a much more roundabout route, with detours and dead ends galore. THE ROAD TO OZ tells the fascinating and little-known story of his life.
L. (for Lyman, a name he loathed) Frank Baum was born in 1856 in rural New York and led a priveleged life as a child. He spent vast amounts of time reading, daydreaming, and making up stories. But at age eighteen it was time to get serious about choosing a career. That is when his detours to Oz began.
After many fizzled enthusiasms, failed vocations, and just plain dreary jobs, Baum, at age forty-four, found his way to Oz by doing what he always loved best: storytelling. THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ was published in 1900 and became a runaway success. It remains to this day among the most popular books - and movies - of all time” (Krull, K., 2008).
3. Critical Analysis –
a. accuracy:
“Despite the enduring popularity of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, there are few titles about L. Frank Baum published for youth. Krull’s new picture-book biography, then, is particularly welcome, and it displays Krull’s usual stylistic strengths: a conversational tone, well-integrated facts, vivid anecdotes, and sly asides that encourage children to find the human qualities in a historical figure” (Booklist, 2009).
“Hawkes’ ink-and-acrylic illustrations are uneven, with some figures appearing blurred and hurriedly rendered, but the brightly colored compositions do support the sense of Baum as a multifaceted, fascinating individual. An author’s note, sources, and a list of Baum’s works conclude this entertaining, lively portrait” (Booklist).
“Krull magically interweaves the origins of Baum's characters and themes that would appear in his ‘modern American fairy tales.’ The ‘Oz’ books were his only true success, but they did not result in a fairy-tale ending for the Baum family. With sympathy for her subject, Krull tactfully notes Baum's lack of aptitude for business affairs and his eventual declaration of bankruptcy” (SLJ).
b. organization:
“Beginning with Baum’s pampered youth, Krull moves forward through his early adult years, when he flailed in a variety of jobs before finally writing his famous first book about Oz, which he based on bedtime stories he created for his children. Krull gives a balanced account, emphasizing Baum’s creative gifts and his talents for nurturing his family while frankly referencing his less-admirable traits, such as his prejudice against Native Americans” (Booklist).
c. design:
“With the same verve she brought to her biography of Dr. Seuss, Kathleen Krull’s wry prose couples with Kevin Hawke’s exuberant paintings and drawings to create a book not to be missed by Oz fans of all ages” (Hungry Tiger Press, 2009).
On the inside of the jacket of THE ROAD TO OZ book, it states that “Kathleen Krull’s genial wit highlights events in Baum’s life that inspired the beloved characters of Oz, and Kevin Hawkes’s exuberant paintings are as sparkling as the Emeral City itself. Oz fans of all ages will relish this illuminating and beautifully illustrated biography” (Krull, K., 2008)
d. style:
“Kathleen Krull’s lively text traces the life of L. Frank Baum from his dreamy privileged childhood in mid-19th-century upstate New York through the many detours on his road to Oz. A failure as an actor, a breeder of prize chickens, a merchant in a wild west town, among other occupations, he finally made a success doing exactly what he had always loved to do: tell stories for children. Along the way, we see the antecedents of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, green glasses, and other characters and attributes of the famous fantasy land. This is the first biography of L. Frank Baum that children can enjoy” (Hungry Tiger Press, 2009).
“Hawkes's merry paintings of the author and his characters invoke the magic of Oz within the great author's real-world setting. The Road to Oz will provide students with an inspiring introduction to Baum's life” (SLJ).
“Hawkes not only brings Baum to life with his vivid colors, expert composition, and great animation and emotion, but he also occasionally incorporates sketches in emerald of Oz characters into the text, finding connections from Baum’s life to some of the Oz characters – such as, the Scarecrow on the book’s second spread, which includes mention of ‘those scarecrows out in the farms and fields around Rose Lawn (the Baum family estate) – at night he dreamed they were chasing him” (Danielson, J., 2008)
e. Awards & Recognitions:
I could not find any awards or recognitions for Kathleen Krull’s book THE ROAD TO OZ, however she did win many awards and recognition for her other biographies and books. For example for two of her books in the series GIANTS OF SCIENCE she was recognized with the following awards and recognitions:
For her book entitled LEONARDO DA VINCI she received the -
• CBC/NSTA Outstanding Science Book of the Year
• A Booklinks “Lasting Connection”
• A Publishers Weekly Best Book
• A Kirkus Best Book of the Year
And for her book ISAAC NEWTON she received the following awards:
• BCCB Blue Ribbon
• School Library Journal Best Book
• A Booklist “Top 10 Youth Biography”
• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Finalist for the Cybils, the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Award
• A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
4. Review Excerpt(s) –
“Krull keeps the story upbeat (Baum's bankruptcy and death are saved for an afterword), and Kevin Hawkes's appealing artwork captures the man's gentle nature and exuberant creativity.” – The Washington Post
“With customary vivacity and a fine sense of irony, Krull portrays her subject as a genial family man who suffered reverse after reverse….An admirable companion to Krull’s Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up To Become Dr. Seuss (2004), this profile not only provides a similarly illuminating peek beneath the authorial curtain, but leaves readers understanding just how groundbreaking The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was, as an adventure story with both a female protagonist and no overwhelming Moral Lesson.” --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“The first picture-book biography of L. Frank Baum….In all, an entertaining look at how a peripatetic man in a rapidly changing society produced a lasting fantasy tale.” --Horn Book
“Particularly welcome…it display’s Krull’s usual stylistic strengths: a conversational tone, well-integrated facts, vivid anecdotes, and sly asides that encourage children to find the human qualities in a historical figure.” -- Booklist
“A cheeky yet informative biography.” –- Publisher’s Weekly
5. Connections –
Kathleen Krull is an amazing author and has published many books in more than one kind of genre. She has a great collection of books of music, anthologies of limericks and folk riddles, biographies and non-fiction. Some of the other biographies by Kathleen Krull include the following:
• HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: DREAMS TAKING FLIGHT, Illustrated by Amy June Bates
• FARTISTE: AN EXPLOSIVELY FUNNY, MOSTLY TRUE STORY
• POCAHONTAS: PRINCESS OF THE NEW WORLD, Illustrated by David Diaz
• HOUDINI: THE WORLD’S GREATEST MYSTERY MAN AND ESCAPE KING, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Walker)
• A WOMAN FOR PRESIDENT - illustrated by Jane Dyer
• BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET
• HARVESTING HOPE
• WILMA UNLIMITED: HOW WILMA RUDOLPH BECAME THE WORLD’S FASTEST WOMAN
• GIANTS OF SCIENCE (series) – MARIE CURIE, SIGMUND FREUD, LEONARDO DA VINCI, ISAAC NEWTON
References
Krull, Kathleen. 2008. THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM. Ill. by Kevin Hawkes. New York, NY: Knopf/Borzoi - Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-83216-1
Hungry Tiger Press, (2000-2009). THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM, retrieved on October 23, 2009, from http://www.hungrytigerpress.com/books/roadtooz_krull.shtml
Booklist, (2009). Amazon - THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM, retrieved on October 23, 2009, from http://www.amazon.com/Road-Oz-Twists-Turns-Triumphs/dp/0375832165
SLJ - School Library Journal, (2009). Amazon - THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM, retrieved on October 23, 2009, from http://www.amazon.com/Road-Oz-Twists-Turns-Triumphs/dp/0375832165
Danielson, J., (2008). Random Illustrator Feature: Kevin Hawkes and the Road to Oz, retrieved October 23, 2009, from http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1464
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