James Stevenson | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, New York, U.S. | July 11, 1929
Died | February 17, 2017 Cos Cob, Connecticut, U.S. | (aged 87)
Education | Yale University Hackley School |
Occupation(s) | Cartoonist, illustrator, writer |
Employer | The New Yorker (1956–2017) |
Spouse(s) | Josephine Merck (1993–2017) Jane Walker |
Children | Charles, Sucie, James, Walker, Harvey, Peter, Jane, Edwina, Emily[1] |
Parent(s) | Harvey Stevenson Winifred (Worcester) Stevenson |
James Stevenson (July 11, 1929 – February 17, 2017) was an American illustrator and author of over 100 children's books. His cartoons appeared regularly in The New Yorker magazine.[2] He usually used a unique comic book style of illustration that is very recognizable. His books, like What's Under My Bed, have been featured on the Reading Rainbow television series.
Biography
[edit]James Stevenson was born in New York City and educated at Yale University, where he was the feature editor of campus humor magazine The Yale Record.[3]
He contributed his first cartoon to The New Yorker on March 10, 1956.[4]
James Stevenson wrote and illustrated his first book Walker, the Witch, and the Striped Flying Saucer in 1969. He had previously illustrated the children's book If I Owned a Candy Factory (1968) written by his then eight-year-old son, James Walker Stevenson.
Awards
[edit]- Could Be Worse! (1977) - was awarded the New York Times' "Outstanding Children's Book of the Year", and School Library Journal's "Best Books for Spring"
- The Sea View Hotel (1978) - ALA Notable Book
- Monty (1979) - School Library Journal's "Best Books for Spring"
- Fast Friends: Two Stories (1979) - ALA's Notable Book designation
- The Worst Person in the World (1979) - Children's Choice Award (International Reading Association)
- Howard (1980) - New York Times' "Best Illustrated Book" and New York Times' "Outstanding Book"
- That Terrible Halloween Night (1980) - ALA's Notable Book designation and Children's Choice Award (International Reading Association)
- The Wish Card Ran Out! (1981) - School Library Journal's Best Books of 1981
- The Night after Christmas (1982) - Children's Choice Award (International Reading Association) and Boston Globe/Horn Book honor list
- We Can't Sleep (1982) - Christopher Award
- Oliver, Clarence, and Violet (1982) - Parents' Choice Award
- What's Under My Bed? (1983) - Boston Globe/Horn Book's honor list, ALA's Notable Book designation, and School Library Journal's Best Books of 1983
- Grandpa's Great City Tour: An Alphabet Book (1982) - Garden State Children's Book Award (New Jersey Library Association)
- Higher on the Door (1987) - Parents' Choice designation and Redbook award
- Georgia Music (1987) - Boston Globe/Horn Book honor list
- Granddaddy's Place (1987) - Parents' Choice Picture Book award
- The Supreme Souvenir Factory (1989) - Children's Choice Award (International Reading Association)
- Oh No, It's Waylon's Birthday! (1990) - Children's Choice Award (International Reading Association)
- Something Big Has Been Here (1992) - Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- Don't You Know There's a War On? (1992) - Parents' Choice Picture Book award
Select bibliography
[edit]Children's books
[edit]- Walker, the Witch, and the Striped Flying Saucer
- If I Owned a Candy Factory
- Just Around the Corner
- Lost and Found New York: Oddballs, Heroes, Heartbreakers, Scoundrels, Thugs, Mayors, and Mysteries
- Rolling Rose
- Here Comes Herb's Hurricane (1973)
- That's Exactly the Way It Wasn't
- Monty
- No Need for Monty
- Howard
- The Most Amazing Dinosaur
- Clams Can't Sing (1980)
- A Village Full of Valentines (1995)
- The Castaway (2002)
Grandpa, Mary Ann and Louie series
[edit]A series of tales told by a grandfather character to his grandchildren. Usually containing outrageous and unbelievable tales:
- Could Be Worse! (1977)
- That Terrible Halloween Night (1980)
- We Can't Sleep (1982)
- The Great Big Especially Beautiful Easter Egg (1983)
- Grandpa's Great City Tour: An Alphabet Book (1982)
- What's Under My Bed? (1983)
- Worse Than Willy (1984)
- That Dreadful Day (1985)
- There's Nothing to Do (1986)
- No Friends (1986)
- Will You Please Feed Our Cat? (1987)
- We Hate Rain! (1988)
- Grandpa's Too-Good Garden (1989)
- Brrr (1991)
- That's Exactly the Way It Wasn't (1991)
Emma series
[edit]Featuring Emma, a good witch, and her nemeses Dolores and Lavinia:
- Yuck! (1984)
- Emma (1985)
- Fried Feathers for Thanksgiving
- Happy Valentine's Day, Emma! (1987)
- Un-Happy New Year, Emma!
- Emma at the Beach (1990)
The Worst series
[edit]Featuring a crotchety old man:
- The Worst Person in the World
- The Worst Person in the World at Crab Beach
- The Worst Person's Christmas
- Worse than the Worst
- The Worst Goes South
Mr. Frimdimpny series
[edit]These books feature the alligator Mr. Frimdimpny who has rules about no laughing:
- Don't Make Me Laugh (1999)
- No Laughing, No Smiling, No Giggling (2004)
Mud Flat Friends series
[edit]- Mud Flat Spring
- Christmas at Mud Flat
- Mud Flat Mystery
- Mud Flat April Fool
- Flying Feet: A Mud Flat Story
- The Mud Flat Olympics
- Yard Sale
- Heat Wave at Mud Flat
Autobiographical and reminiscent picture book series
[edit]A series of books illustrated in a softer watercolor style:
- When I Was Nine
- Higher on the Door (1987)
- July
- Don't You Know There's a War On?
- Fun No Fun (1994)
- I Had a Lot of Wishes (1995)
- I Meant to Tell You (1996)
Young Adult novels
[edit]- The Bones in the Cliff
- The Unprotected Witness
Poetry
[edit]Collections of James Stevenson's poetry, illustrated by himself.
- Candy Corn
- Popcorn
- Cornflakes
- Sweet Corn
- Corn Chowder
- Corn-Fed
- Just Around the CORNer
Cartoons collections
[edit]- Sorry, Lady. This Beach Is Private! (1963)
- Let's Boogie! (1978)
Novels
[edit]- Do Yourself a Favor, Kid (1962)
- The Summer Houses (1963)
- Sometimes, But Not Always (1967)
- Something Marvelous Is About to Happen (1971)
- Cool Jack and the Beanstalk (1976)
- Uptown Local, Downtown Express (1983)
Illustrations for other authors
[edit]- If I Owned a Candy Factory (1968) by James Walker Stevenson (James Stevenson's son)
- "Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day" by Donald J. Sobol
- Tony's Hard Work Day (1972) by Alan Arkin
- Cully Cully and the Bear (1983) by Wilson Gage
- I Know a Lady (1984) by Charlotte Zolotow
- I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! (1987) by Dr. Seuss
- Percy and the Five Houses by Else Holmelund Minarik
- Loop the Loop (1992) by Barbara Dugan
- The Royal Nap (1995) by Charles C. Black
- Rocks in His Head (2001) by Carol Otis Hurst
- Happily Ever After (2001) by Anna Quindlen
Illustrations for Judy Blume
[edit]The following books by Judy Blume feature cover artwork and inner illustrations by James Stevenson:
- Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (August 28, 2007) ISBN 0-385-73305-4
- Cool Zone! with the Pain and the Great One (May 13, 2008) ISBN 0-385-73306-2
- Going, Going, Gone! with the Pain and the Great One (August 12, 2008) ISBN 0-385-73307-0
- Friend or Fiend? with the Pain and the Great One (May 12, 2009) ISBN 0-385-73308-9
Illustrations for Janet Schulman
[edit]James Stevenson illustrated three of Janet Schulman's Jack the Bum series:
- Jack the Bum and the Halloween Handout (1977)
- Jack the Bum and the Haunted House (1977)
- Jack the Bum and the UFO (1978)
Illustrations for Helen V. Griffith
[edit]James Stevenson illustrated a few of Helen V. Griffith's books:
- Georgia Music (1986)
Helen V. Griffith's Grandaddy trilogy
[edit]All illustrated by James Stevenson:
- Grandaddy's Place (1987)
- Grandaddy and Janetta (1993)
- Grandaddy's Stars (1995)
- Grandaddy and Janetta Together: The Three Stories in One Book (2001) (anthology that collects the three previous Grandaddy books)
Illustrations for Jack Prelutsky
[edit]The following books of children's poetry by Jack Prelutsky are illustrated by James Stevenson:
- The Baby Ugs are Hatching (1982)
- The New Kid on the Block (1984)
- Something BIG Has Been Here (1990)
- A Pizza the Size of the Sun (1996)
- It's Raining Pigs and Noodles (2000)
- My Dog May Be a Genius (2008)
References
[edit]- ^ "James Stevenson, Longtime New Yorker Cartoonist, Dies at 87". New York Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ "James Stevenson: biography". HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ The Yale Record ("Smut!" Issue). New Haven: Yale Record. February, 1951. p. 3.
- ^ Stevenson, James (March 10, 1956). Cartoon. The New Yorker. New York: Conde Nast.
External links
[edit]- Biography and bibliography at Answers.com (Gale Biographies of Children's Authors)
- James Stevenson at Library of Congress, with 144 library catalog records