Children’s book tells colorful story of Steamboat, Wyoming’s mascot

CASPER, Wyo. – It’s safe to say that everyone who lives in or has visited Wyoming would recognize the bucking bronc and rider logo. However, how many people actually know the story behind it?

The stubborn, unwanted misfit who somehow beat the odds to become an unlikely and famous hero is the center of a lush new children’s book by award-winning two Casper authors titled “A Home for Steamboat,” which will be released in April.

The idea of bringing Steamboat to life had been gestating between writer Casey Rislov and illustrator Zachary Pullen for at least a decade. The creative team produced two popular books during that time featuring the character Rowdy Randy, a persistent horsefly doing her best to annoy every animal and human on a Wyoming ranch.

After their success, Rislov and Pullen decided to revisit Steamboat.

“Doing Rowdy Randy wher it’s all fiction, there’s less pressure than there is with something like Steamboat, because Steamboat is a factual story,” said Pullen. Part of the challenge is deciding on what facts to use and what to embellish, all while making it appealing to children and young people.

“Steamboat was a foster horse,” said Pullen. “He was just being passed around, and that’s so relatable to humans. Sometimes kids and adults need to find their place to actually be who they’re meant to be, and Steamboat was no different.”

“[Zach] was doing research at the same time I was,” said Rislov. “We both had books we were looking and and things that we wanted to include.”

“I think the deeper message of being true to one’s self came towards the end,” she said.

Early ideas gave Steamboat a “voice” with dialogue, but that was soon nixed. They decided to tell the story through Steamboat’s last owner, rancher and rodeo champion Charles Irwin. The use of color in the book was inspired by “The Wizard of Oz.”

“When [Charles] is asked by his granddaughter about one of his best friends, which happens to be Steamboat, he launches the story,” said Pullen, “and when he tells the story, it’s vivid and colorful in his imagination because it’s some of his best memories.”

“And then we snap back to reality in black & white when he loses Steamboat.”

The authors managed a tricky balance addressing the nature of life and death, as well as animal violence in old-time ranch life, they said.

Some of that reality is included in Steamboat’s time at the Swan Ranch, where ranch hands would challenge newbies to ride the powerful unbreakable bucking horse while taking bets. “It was a racket,” said Pullen.

The Steamboat symbol was based on an early photograph, but the design we all know now is credited to Allen True of Colorado, who was commissioned by then-Wyoming Secretary of State Lester Hunt. The design made its debut on Wyoming’s license plate in 1936, according to the Secretary of State’s website, and the licensing trademark is owned by the University of Wyoming.

“He was a performer they said, from the get go,” said Rislov. “He had a little saunter.” He was described as calm for the most part, allowing the cowboys to saddle up or allow halter placement. When they’d try to ride Steamboat is when all hell broke loose.

“A Home for Steamboat” is officially released on Tuesday, April 15, and can be pre-ordered now at Wind City Books and other online retailers.

An author’s signing tour kicks off on release day at the University of Wyoming Bookstore at 11 a.m., and at Wind City Books at 6 p.m. Other stops on the tour include Sheridan, Gillette, Cody, Thermopolis, and Cheyenne, and will extend to Colorado and Montana. A full tour schedule can be found here.

There will also be some product tie-in available that includes a special product from Backwards Distilling Company, and a digital playlist of original music by Wyoming artists. More information can be found at the “A Home for Steamboat” website.

Rislov and Pullen are proud to point out that, other than the actual printing, “A Home for Steamboat” is nearly entirely produced by Wyoming talent.

“I mean, why not?” said Rislov. “It represents Wyoming, and there’s so much talent here.”