James Ransome (illustrator) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Ransome
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| Born | September 25, 1961 North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Illustrator |
| Language | English |
| Education | BA |
| Alma mater | Pratt Institute |
| Genre | Picture books |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Notable works | Before She Was Harriet |
| Notable awards | NAACP Image Award (1999) Children's Literature Legacy Award (2023) |
| Spouse | Lesa Cline-Ransome |
| Children | 4 |
James E. Ransome (born September 25, 1961) is an amazing American artist who has illustrated over 60 children's books! He also creates art for greeting cards and magazines. You can even see his big artworks called murals in places like the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio.
Contents
James Ransome's Early Life and Art Journey
James Ransome was born in North Carolina. When he was in high school, his family moved to Bergenfield, New Jersey. There, he took classes in filmmaking and photography. These classes really helped shape his unique art style!
He later earned a special art degree from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. While studying there, a famous illustrator named Jerry Pinkney was his teacher and mentor. A mentor is someone who guides and teaches you.
Today, James Ransome is a professor at Syracuse University, where he teaches art. He lives in Rhinebeck, New York with his wife, Lesa Cline-Ransome, who is also a children's author, and their family.
Amazing Books and Awards
James Ransome's books have won many important awards! These awards show how much his art means to children's literature.
Top Honors for His Work
In 2023, James Ransome received the incredible Children's Literature Legacy Award. This award is given to artists who have made a big and lasting impact on books for kids. It's like a lifetime achievement award for children's authors and illustrators!
He has also won the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator. This award celebrates outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. He won it for his book The Creation in 1995 and received honors for Uncle Jed's Barbershop (1994), Before She Was Harriet (2018), and The Bell Rang (2020).
Another important award he won is the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children. He won this award in 1999 for his book Let My People Go.
Books Loved by Many
Many of the books James Ransome has illustrated have been chosen as Junior Library Guild books. This means they are highly recommended by librarians and experts. Some of these popular books include:
- Bimmi Finds a Cat (1997)
- The Christmas Tugboat (2012)
- Light in the Darkness (2013)
- Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio (2014)
- My Story, My Dance (2016)
- Before She Was Harriet (2018)
- Game Changers (2018)
- The Creation (2019)
- Gridiron (2020)
- Overground Railroad (2020)
- Hardcourt (2022)
- Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge (2022)
- The Story of the Saxophone (2023)
His book Before She Was Harriet was named one of the best books of 2017 by many groups, including Booklist and the Chicago Public Library. The next year, Booklist even put it on their lists for "Top 10 Diverse Picture Books" and "Top 10 Biographies for Youth."
The Bell Rang was also recognized as one of the best books of 2019 by places like the Chicago Public Library and The Horn Book Magazine. The National Council of Teachers of English added it to their Notable Poetry List in 2020.
James Ransome's beautiful illustrations continue to bring stories to life for young readers everywhere!
