James Ransome (illustrator) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Ransome
Born	(1961-09-25) September 25, 1961 (age 63) 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 American illustrator of over 60 children's books. He has also illustrated greetings cards and magazines, and has been commissioned for murals, including three for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Although Ransome was born in North Carolina, the family moved to Bergenfield, New Jersey while he was in high school. While there, he attended film making and photography classes, which influenced his style. He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where his mentor was the illustrator Jerry Pinkney.

Ransome is an associate professor in the School of Art at Syracuse University. He and his wife, author Lesa Cline-Ransome, and family live in Rhinebeck, New York.

Selected awards and honors

Ransome's The Bell Rang (2019) is Junior Library Guild book. Additionally, 13 of the books Ransome has illustrated are Junior Library Guild books: 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); and The Story of the Saxophone (2023).

Before She Was Harriet was named one of the best books of 2017 by Booklist, the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature, the Chicago Public Library, and Kirkus Reviews. The following year, Booklist included it on their lists of the year's "Top 10 Diverse Picture Books" and "Top 10 Biographies for Youth".

The Bell Rang was named one of the best books of 2019 by the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature, Chicago Public Library, The Horn Book Magazine, and Kirkus Reviews. The following year, the National Council of Teachers of English included it on their Notable Poetry List.

In 2023, he was awarded the Children's Literature Legacy Award for his "significant and lasting contribution to literature for children."