James E. Ransome has been honored with the 2023 Children’s Literature Legacy Award by the American Library Association in recognition of his exceptional contributions to Children’s Literature. With a career spanning over 33 years, James has illustrated more than 70 books. His passion for drawing was kindled in Rich Square, NC, and as a teenager, he moved to Bergenfield, NJ, before pursuing a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.Ransome’s remarkable talent has garnered him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, ALA Notables, a Jane Addams Award, and NAACP Image awards. He has also showcased his artistry through murals displayed at notable locations such as the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Poughkeepsie’s Adriance Memorial Library, and the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati.

In recent years, James has extended his artistic prowess to create theater posters for Washington DC’s Arena Stage. Furthermore, his illustrations have been featured in the History Channel Documentary “Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War,” narrated by James’ childhood basketball idol, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He resides in New York state alongside his wife and frequent collaborator, author Lesa Cline Ransome.

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