James Ransome

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. 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. +Awards for books Ransome illustrated Year Title Award Result 1994 Uncle Jed's Barbershop Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Honor 1995 The Creation Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Winner 2008 Young Pele NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children Finalist 2012 Before There Was Mozart NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children Finalist 2014 This is the Rope Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor 2016 Granddaddy’s Turn NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children Finalist 2016 My Story, My Dance Orbis Pictus Award Recommended

Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Christopher Award for Books for Children Ages 6 and up Winner Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Honor Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award for Transitional Nonfiction Honor NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children Finalist 2019 Game Changers Orbis Pictus Award Recommended 2023 Children's Literature Legacy Award Winner'| A Joyful Christmas: A Treasury of New and Classic Songs, Poems, and Stories for the Holiday (Henry Holt, 2010)

My Teacher (Dial Books, 2012)

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Germs: Sickness, Bad Breath, and Pizza (Henry Holt, 2017)

Eli and the Swamp Man'', text by Charlotte Sherman (HarperCollins Publishers, 1996)

Middle Grade