Stephen Krensky

Stephen Krensky did not have the kind of childhood anyone would choose to write books about. It was happy and uneventful, with only the occasional bump in the night to keep him on his toes.

He started writing at Hamilton College in upstate New York where he graduated in 1975. His first book, A Big Day for Scepters, was published in 1977, and he has now written over 100 fiction and nonfiction children’s books––including novels, picture books, easy readers, and biographies. Mr. Krensky and his family live in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Interview

What was your favorite book when you were a child?: The Hobbit
What’s your favorite line from a book?: "While not exactly disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled."

—The Code of the Woosters, P.G. Woodhouse
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?: Mark Twain, William Steig, and Arnold Lobel
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?: I wanted to become a children’s book author because it became clear to me in college that I would have to get a job doing something, and writing stories for children was the best job I could imagine.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?: Whenever you write something, don’t worry about making it perfect the first time or the second or the third. The important thing is to just keep writing until you’re ready to go back and improve the things that need fixing.