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Articles by James E. Ransome
2026 Mind the Gap Awards: The books that didn't win at ALA
Not all deserving books bring home ALA awards. The books that didn’t win. Not all deserving books bring home ALA awards. The books that didn’t win. How? How Elegant the Elephant by Mary Ann Hoberman, illus. by Marla Frazee How Sweet the Sound by Kwame Alexander, illus. by Charly Palmer How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Miyares Where? A Place for Us by James E. Ransome Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick Your Farm / Your Forest / Your Island by Jon Klassen Nothing?! Anything by Rebecca Stead, illus.
2025 Children's Literature Legacy Award Acceptance by Carole Boston Weatherford
I am filled with gratitude because I know that none of this had to be: not the eighty-plus books, not the nineteen American Library Association Youth Media Awards, not the NAACP Image Awards, not the nomination as Young People’s Poet Laureate, not the opportunities to travel across the country and around the world sharing my books, and certainly not the joy of collaborating with my son, Jeffery. I began this journey as a young mother. Now, I am a grandmother.
The Best Children's Books of 2024 from Simon & Schuster!
Five starred reviews! The “informative, resounding” (Booklist, starred review), and “inspiring” (The Horn Book, starred review) story of a groundbreaking civil rights leader John Lewis comes to life in this compelling and beautifully told, “excellent” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) nonfiction picture book by the award-winning team Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome.
Big Life: A Profile of Pam Muñoz Ryan
“When there’s room in the heart, there’s room in the house,” Rosa Maria proclaims in Pam Muñoz Ryan’s picture book Mice and Beans, illustrated by Joe Cepeda. Much like this lovable character, Pam makes space for all the people and passions she holds most dear, and they all influence her work as a writer. She lives a big life, and it’s one of the things I have always admired most about her.
2024 Children's Literature Legacy Award Acceptance by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Thank you to ALA and ALSC. I was surprised and thrilled to receive the news of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award from Caroline Ward and the committee. Thank you for choosing me. It’s such a lovely salute to my work. My children are here with their spouses and loved ones, along with some of my grandchildren. If I have ever brought anything of significance into this world, it is them. No accolades or laurels will ever compare with their magnificence or my love for them.
LET US MARCH ON!
A moving depiction of a potent response to a dark period in U.S. history. An NAACP leader found a unique way to confront racism in the early 20th century. Writer and Civil Rights activist James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) was a man of multiple talents, not the least of which was his facility with language; his poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is often referred to as the Black national anthem. But he knew there were also times when silence could be more effective than raised voices.
Blowing the Horn: Room for Everyone
While I was attending art school in Boston in the 1990s, an illustration class piqued my interest in children’s book publishing. At that time Boston housed several publishers, the Horn Book, and Simmons College (now University), which made it a small hub for children’s literature. In a “right place, right time” moment, I was given an entrée into the world of children’s literature as an intern at the Horn Book.
Blowing the Horn: ¿Qué es?
From the May/June 2024 special issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Our Centennial. For more Horn Book centennial coverage, click here. Find more in the "Blowing the Horn" series here. Single copies of this special issue are available for $15.00 including postage and may be ordered from: Horn Book Magazine Customer Service hbmsubs@pcspublink.com Full subscription information is here.
Blowing the Horn: Meeting Mary
Fifteen years ago, I wrote an essay for The Horn Book Magazine, “Brave Orphans, Smelly Boys, and Girls Named Katie.” It began, “I was never a girly girl. But I loved reading about girls” — especially ones who were high spirited and misunderstood, like me. These novels, I explained, got me through good times and bad. One of my favorites was a series about a girl named Katie John, who was well-meaning but often got in trouble.
"With a Salute to All Children's Librarians": Amplifying the Work of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Left to right: Dr. Henrietta M. Smith, Effie Lee Morris, and Dr. Claudette S. McLinn. Photo courtesy of Claudette S. McLinn. Throughout its hundred years, the Horn Book has reviewed the works of prominent BIPOC children’s librarians; their names have been mentioned within interviews, articles, book award recaps; and, like Augusta Braxton Baker (“The Changing Image of the Black in Children’s Literature,” February 1975), some have written articles about children’s literature.
Blowing the Horn: A Doorway In
To think that I have been reading The Horn Book Magazine for half of its lifetime! As a sophomore at the University at Albany about fifty years ago, I talked my way into a course in children’s literature offered by the graduate school of library science. The professor perched nimbly on her desk in the front of the room and chain-smoked cigarettes, waving her hands to dispel the miasma of roasted tobacco while thumbing through back issues of The Horn Book Magazine and other journals.
Blowing the Horn: Reaching for the Stars
From the May/June 2024 special issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Our Centennial. For more Horn Book centennial coverage, click here. Find more in the "Blowing the Horn" series here. Single copies of this special issue are available for $15.00 including postage and may be ordered from: Horn Book Magazine Customer Service hbmsubs@pcspublink.com Full subscription information is here.
BEHIND MY DOORS | Kirkus Reviews
The story of the Al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, narrated by the building itself. In 859, Fatima Al-Fihri, the daughter of a rich merchant, decided to build a mosque and school. “I began as a small corner for books, where Fatima spent hours reading, thinking, and dreaming.” Over time, the library explains that it “grew into a grand building.” The library, which served both Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and Al-Qarawiyyin University, was a tranquil space within bustling Fez.
I HEARD | Kirkus Reviews
Before enslavement and beyond the Civil Rights Movement, African American culture presented in full color and powerful rhyme. A lesson about the pride and perseverance that inform African American identity. An adult invites a group of Black children—diverse in terms of skin tone and hairstyle—to gather around and listen. The story begins with Mother Africa and extends into a rich tapestry of ancestry, adversity, and accomplishments.
Black History Month books for Kids
You know your history. You know about slavery and Jim Crow and Harriet Tubman and Malcolm X. You know about all those things, and more. So now make sure your child knows, too, by bringing home these great Black History Month books for kids... Since forever, African Americans have been first-rate gardeners and farmers and in "The Last Stand" by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Phumphrey (Knopf, $18.99), Mr. Earl's grandson worries about his Papa, who runs a farmer's market.
TREE OF LIFE | Kirkus Reviews
A tree survives the Holocaust, though most of the children who cared for it don’t. It’s winter in Terezin, the Czechoslovakian propaganda camp with which the Nazis tricked the credulous Red Cross into believing their treatment of Jews was humane. Here, children are allowed to attend school, and one teacher, Irma Lauscher, has the children plant a smuggled-in maple sapling. Miraculously, the children keep the tree alive in the camp, even as they themselves weaken or die.
FIGHTING WITH LOVE
An excellent depiction of a life lived with purpose. A kid-lit powerhouse team delivers a warm tribute to a civil rights icon known for making good trouble. John Lewis grew up in segregated Troy, Alabama, raised by sharecropper parents who worked hard but had little to show for it. What his family did provide was love in abundance. Lewis’ desire for education often took a back seat to the needs of the farm, but he read whatever was available.
WEEKNIGHT DISHES 1
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Save Gochujang Buttered Noodles. These garlicky, buttery noodles are perfect for when you need a stellar pantry meal lickety-split. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Fiction Spotlight: James E. Ransome
What drew you and your wife, Lesa Cline-Ransome, to turn the history of the saxophone into a children’s book? Telling the story of the sax wasn’t our original idea. Lesa was doing research for a book that compared the saxophone playing of jazz legends Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins when she came across the story of Adolphe Sax, who invented the saxophone. His childhood curiosity was too interesting to pass up.
Profile of 2023 Children's Literature Legacy Award winner James E. Ransome
Jonda C. McNair and James E. Ransome in 2001. Photo: James J. Bishop. One of the highlights of my time as a doctoral student was serving as a hostess for esteemed authors and illustrators when they came to town to participate in the now-defunct The Ohio State University Children’s Literature Conference. Over the course of my four years as a graduate student there (1999–2003), I had the privilege of hosting such beloved creators of children’s books as Nikki Grimes, Jerry Pinkney, and James E.
DESERT QUEEN | Kirkus Reviews
Evocative and electrifying. A young boy thrust into the role of breadwinner turns to his love of dance. Though Harish is entranced by the music and dance of his native Rajasthan, he is careful not to show how they affect him. Only when playing the Hindu god Krishna in a school play does he embrace the “flowing fabric / and dazzling jewels” that leave him feeling “shiny and / glittery and / NEW.” When he and his sisters are orphaned, he performs in drag to make ends meet.
The Horn Book | The MVP Award
PRESENTED TO MARTHA V. PARRAVANO "Keeper of the Horn Book Flame" On May 5, 2023, Martha retired from her position as book review editor after a decades-long career at the Horn Book. We are honored to present her with the first (and only) MVP Award for her expertise in “blowing the horn” for fine books for young people. Like the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, it has just one criterion: excellence.
Table of Contents: July/August 2023 Horn Book Magazine
Cover © 2023 by Doug Salati. Features The MVP Award by Horn Book editors Presented to Martha V. Parravano as she retires from her position as book review editor. The Year in Words and Pictures by Horn Book editors Children’s Literature Legacy Award Acceptance by James E. Ransome A profile of James E. Ransome by Jonda C.
2023 Children's Literature Legacy Award Acceptance: Belonging by James E. Ransome
Photo: John Halpern. Thank you, American Library Association, for honoring my work with this incredible award. But, just to be clear, the Children’s Literature Legacy Award is for my previous body of work — correct? Because I’m not done yet! I have plans, ideas, and contracts, so, God willing, I plan to be around a lot longer. Now that we’ve cleared that up, I’d like to proceed with my thank-yous. And my first goes to my family. Lesa Cline-Ransome, my wife and my collaborator in all things.
AQUARIUM | Kirkus Reviews
Pattison relates the life of French marine biologist Jeannette Power (1794-1871) in this children’s illustrated biography. Power is famous for inventing aquariums, which enabled her to study “a 4-inch long octopus, the Argonauta argo.” The researcher, who was born Jeanne Villepreux in Juillac, France, journeyed to Sicily in Italy to marry her fiance in 1818. Her fascination with the sea inspired her to study live marine creatures.
MOTHER OF SHARKS
by Melissa Cristina Márquez ; illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz ‧ A Latine ocean enthusiast gets the surprise of a lifetime in this tale from Márquez, a Puerto Rican shark scientist committed to making STEM fields more inclusive. As the sun sets on the beautiful Playita del Condado, Puerto Rico, Meli promises her mami that she’ll be ready to leave in just five minutes. She’s shocked when a hermit crab suddenly speaks to her.
DOOR BY DOOR | Kirkus Reviews
HOW SARAH MCBRIDE BECAME AMERICA'S FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER SENATOR by Meeg Pincus ; illustrated by Meridth McKean Gimbel ‧ Pincus chronicles Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride’s childhood and coming out. McBride always knew that she wanted to be a politician, but it took time to learn that she could do that and be herself—a transgender woman. Following her through her childhood and college years, when she came out, the book emphasizes her commitment to helping others.
We Need Diverse Books: A Decade in Action
It all started on Twitter. In April 2014, the fan convention BookCon announced a lineup of authors for a “blockbuster” panel — a panel that consisted of four white men. Frustrated by this news, authors Ellen Oh and Malinda Lo discussed the lack of representation across the children’s publishing industry in a Twitter exchange. And in a series of follow-up posts, Oh began talking about taking action.
HOPE FOR RYAN WHITE
by Dano Moreno ; illustrated by Hannah Abbo ‧ Ryan White fights for equality. 1n 1984, when Ryan is diagnosed with AIDS caused by hemophilia treatments, misconceptions abound. Even though doctors say AIDS can’t be transmitted by playing or sitting with someone, many in his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, are afraid, and Ryan is barred from attending school. As Ryan educates the public about AIDS via TV interviews, some people change their opinions.
The Story of the Saxophone
Lesa Cline-Ransome, James Ransome, Chronicle Books Children count to 10 and back in Quilt Counting by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illus. by James E. Ransome. This follow-up to Quilt Alphabet celebrates the ways in which a quilt (""a legacy handcrafted"") Continue reading »
Resources for Black History Month
There were 1,730 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 340,719 in the last 365 days. February marks Black History Month and the Maine Department of Education is sharing a collection of resources to help educators integrate Black history into the curriculum, not only this month but on a regular basis.
Building knowledge, widening the appeal: Ross Video uncovers the role of data-driven graphics in next generation sports broadcasts
By James Ransome, Ross Video sports & live events business development manager for the EMEA region. In the world of sports broadcast, content producers are constantly looking for ways to engage with viewers on a deeper level while effectively managing their production workflows. This can be a tricky balance for sports broadcasters on two fronts.
For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Lesa Cline-Ransome. Holiday House, $18.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-82345-0152 The friendship between two teens, one Black and one white, sets off a series of tragic events in this potent, 1930s Mississippi–set novel by Cline-Ransome (Being Clem), told via multiple narrators.
Hardcourt: 75 Years of Basketball with Fred Bowen and James E. Ransome
Celebrate 75 years of the NBA with us! “Hardcourt External,” by author Fred Bowen and illustrator James E. Ransome, is the story of the biggest league for one of the nation’s most loved sports. Follow the evolution of basketball and learn everything from the groups that paved the way for desegregated teams to the legendary players you love. Moderated by Tajay Ashmeade.
On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison
Jerdine Nolen, illus. by James E. Ransome. S&S/Wiseman, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-5344-7852-7 “Long before Chloe became a writer or a reader, she was a listener.” Nolen chronicles the life and career of Toni Morrison (1931–2019), from her birth in Lorain, Ohio, as Chloe Ardelia Wofford to her 1993 acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
EAT YOUR PEAS, JULIUS!
EVEN CAESAR MUST CLEAN HIS PLATE by Shirin Yim Bridges ; illustrated by Fiona Lee ‧ Young Julius Caesar doesn’t want to eat his veggies. A young Julius Caesar, squat, with a simple, round face, clad in a white toga and sporting a laurel, is interrupted from playing a checkerslike game with his owl companion. His father is throwing a banquet, and Julius must attend for the first time.
BEAUTIFUL USEFUL THINGS
by Lesa Cline-Ransome ; illustrated by James E. Ransome ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017 A memorable, lyrical reverse-chronological walk through the life of an American icon. In free verse, Cline-Ransome narrates the life of Harriet Tubman, starting and ending with a train ride Tubman takes as an old woman. “But before wrinkles formed / and her eyes failed,” Tubman could walk tirelessly under a starlit sky.
by Lesa Cline-Ransome ; illustrated by James E. Ransome ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017 A memorable, lyrical reverse-chronological walk through the life of an American icon. In free verse, Cline-Ransome narrates the life of Harriet Tubman, starting and ending with a train ride Tubman takes as an old woman. “But before wrinkles formed / and her eyes failed,” Tubman could walk tirelessly under a starlit sky.
Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020
These are your choices of the best 2020 audiobooks for kids, and we’re going to talk about what’s so good about each of them in a minute. Before we start, though, could you tell me how the audiobooks on this list were selected: what kind of age they go up to, and what you were looking for? I did a quick tabulation and there are almost 250 children’s audiobooks that AudioFile has reviewed over the year. So, we’re looking through a lot.
Jewish Music in America-Diasporic Diversity
Tina Frühauf’s book, Experiencing Jewish Music in America: A Listener’s Companion, follows the question of what Jewish music can, should, and ought to be, by providing snapshots of an extensive range of musical genres and styles that have been central to the Jewish experience on US soil, beginning with the arrival of the first Jewish immigrants in the sixteenth century and the chanting of the Torah, to the sounds of pop today.
PLYMOUTH ROCKS! | Kirkus Reviews
A memorable, lyrical reverse-chronological walk through the life of an American icon. In free verse, Cline-Ransome narrates the life of Harriet Tubman, starting and ending with a train ride Tubman takes as an old woman. “But before wrinkles formed / and her eyes failed,” Tubman could walk tirelessly under a starlit sky. Cline-Ransome then describes the array of roles Tubman played throughout her life, including suffragist, abolitionist, Union spy, and conductor on the Underground Railroad.
SHE RIDES LIKE THE WIND
A memorable, lyrical reverse-chronological walk through the life of an American icon. In free verse, Cline-Ransome narrates the life of Harriet Tubman, starting and ending with a train ride Tubman takes as an old woman. “But before wrinkles formed / and her eyes failed,” Tubman could walk tirelessly under a starlit sky. Cline-Ransome then describes the array of roles Tubman played throughout her life, including suffragist, abolitionist, Union spy, and conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George
Publisher Description The musical superstar of 18th-century France was Joseph Boulogne—a black man. This inspiring story tells how Joseph, the only child of a black slave and her white master, becomes "the most accomplished man in Europe." After traveling from his native West Indies to study music in Paris, young Joseph is taunted about his skin color. Despite his classmates' cruel words, he continues to devote himself to his violin, eventually becoming conductor of a whole orchestra.
AMERICA'S FLAG STORY
An obsessed narrator creates an alphabet book overrun with rabbits, much to the chagrin of an owl who wants to create a “proper, respectable” alphabet book. The picture book begins, “A is for A rabbit,” an illustration of a large brown rabbit taking up most of the recto.
THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE
Sometimes the decision of an individual can make all the difference. Febb Burns knew what she wanted, and what she wanted was the right to vote. A college-educated white woman, she yearned to do what her white male neighbors in East Tennessee did every election day. But while she did not have that right, her son, Harry, did—not just as a citizen, but as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Fairfax County outstanding reads
Explore some of the favorite (relatively) recently published books recommended by the collections staff at Fairfax County Public Library for Black History Month. Children picture book “Overground Railroad” By Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome ISBN: 9780823438730 Publication Date: 2020 A girl named Ruth Anne tells the story of her family's train journey from North Carolina to New York City as part of the Great Migration.
8 Stellar Picture Books for Black History ... | Kirkus Reviews
Mary Walker, who learned to read at the age of 116, is introduced to young readers in this lovingly illustrated picture book. Born into slavery in Alabama, Mary Walker was not allowed to learn to read. When the Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery, she was 15. She was later gifted a Bible, which she couldn’t read, but she kept it and made marks in it when her children were born. She worked hard and took care of her family and kept postponing her goal of learning to read.
A Holiday Gift Guide for Every Dance Enthusiast
Features > Dance News By Sammi Lim/Follow @ilikeloofahs on Instagram View Profile | More From This Author Published on December 14, 2015 Photo by Naya Samuel For the Bookworm 2015 saw the release of a slew of dance-related page turners. Here are several titles that we can't wait to see on our bookshelves (hint,hint). MY STORY, MY DANCE: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey (Simon & Schuster). Copyright © 2015 by James E. Ransome.
Herstories | Family Magazines
Home > Book Reviews > Herstories By Staff on March 8, 2019 During Women’s History month let’s share some of the best of literature for young people with the children in our lives. These outstanding picture books offer examples of strength, determination, integrity and insight to supply us all with images and patterns of accomplishment and bravery to reflect on in our own lives. Cheers! by Meribeth C.
Fantastic Kids' Books to Read for Black History Month
The month of February is Black History Month for Canadians, an important month to pause and reflect on the legacy left by black women and men in our country. Many schools observe different activities and educational programs over the course of the month. At home, parents can use books for Black History Month to open a discussion about the history of mistreatment of marginalized people in North America, while highlighting the incredible heroes and heroines of our past and present.
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