Lola and the Troll

A debut picture book by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Connie Schultz, about a young girl named Lola who decides to be brave and stand up to a bully.

Lola is a happy kid who loves recess and her  imaginary dog, Tank. There’s just one problem: the neighborhood bully. He hides behind a troll costume and says mean things to everyone who walks by, including Lola. Soon she starts wearing her hair differently, walking on her tippy toes to add a few extra inches to her height, and even putting cornstarch in her shoes because he said her feet stink! But when Lola’s mom takes her to her favorite place, The Bee’s Sneeze bookstore, the owner, Ms. Sneesby,  reminds Lola that she LOVES her curly hair, her bright smile, and her big eyes. And most importantly, Ms. Sneesby reminds Lola that she is brave. 

Lola and the Troll is about remembering how to be brave, even when it’s hard, and realizing that some-times all a bully really needs is a little kindness.

Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Professor of Practice in Journalism at Denison University. Her favorite job title is Grandma. She is the author of a collection of essays, Life Happens, and a political memoir, …and His Lovely Wife. Her first novel, The Daughters of Erietown, was a New York Times bestseller in 2020. Schultz lives in Cleveland with her husband, Sherrod Brown, and their two rescue dogs, Franklin and Walter, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Lola’s pup, Tank. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

Sandy Rodríguez is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She grew up in Mexico surrounded by lots of family. (She has more than 30 cousins!) Inspired by everyday moments, Sandy loves creating playful characters with quirky personalities. Her favorite medium is watercolor and ink, but she also experiments with colored paper, gouache, and some digital magic. Sandy lives in London with her husband and two fantastic daughters. She is also the illustrator for Perla, the Mighty Dog! by Isabel Allende.