Books with author James E. Ransome

Ruth Ellen's odyssey on the New York Bound Silver Meteor is the start of a new life up North that she can't begin to imagine in this gorgeously illustrated picture book.In poems, illustrated with collage art, a perceptive girl tells the story of her train journey from North Carolina to New York City as part of the Great Migration. Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view.Overground Railroad offers a window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators behind Finding Langston, Before She was Harriet, Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson, and Just a Lucky So and So.A Junior Library Guild SelectionPraise for Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome's Before She Was Harriet, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and winner of the Christopher Award* "Simultaneously simple enough for young children to understand and sophisticated enough to inspire adults."--Booklist, Starred Review* "Ransome's lavishly detailed and expansive double-page spreads situate young readers in each time and place as the text takes them further into the past."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review* "a powerful reminder of how all children carry within them the potential for greatness."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review* "This lovely tribute effectively communicates Tubman's everlasting bravery and resolve, and will inspire curious readers to learn more."--School Library Journal, Starred Review

"This deceptively simple-seeming picture book offers a clever take on sharing.Up and down! Round and round! Tom is having a blast zooming all over the neighborhood on his new red bike. But when Tom stops by Sam's house to show off his wheels, he's in for an unhappy surprise. The new bike is suddenly . . . gone. Could his best friend Sam be the culprit?"

So what if Gunner is rounder than most football players? He throws a stellar pass! When he becomes third-string quarterback on his Pee Wee Football team, he fears he won't ever get to take the field. But in the championship game his team's luck runs out, and it is up to Gunner to lead them to victory. Will his awesome arm save the game? James Ransome's illustrations add humor and life to this unusual story about sportsmanship.

This is the story of early iron mining and manufacturing, and what remains to be seen today, in the hills that cross the northeastern border of New Jersey into New York. Centrally located in the Colonies, New Jersey was in an especially advantageous position: its waterways provided power and excellent transportation and its dense forests furnished the charcoal essential for making pig and bar iron. During the two major wars on American soil New Jersey and New York ironworks turned out badly needed supplies―among them the huge chains and booms used to block the British advance up the Hudson during the Revolution; and ordnance, made and shipped in record-breaking time, for Union troops.This is also the story of the hardy men who made this industry possible―where they came from, what their homes and company towns that grew up near each ironworks were like, how they lived, and left their mark on American history. James Ransom spent twenty-five years inspecting remains of mines (75 are described and located), furnaces and forges, dams and millraces, and other ruins closely associated with iron production in the Ramapo region. But not all was on-the-spot research. He also searched through old account books, newspapers, and records, and he has evaluated their historical importance. When word spread of his intense interest in the field, he was offered material unknown to historians―in particular, a collection of old ledgers, some dating back two hundred years, and a group of rare photographs from 1865 to 1905. From such extensive investigation, Mr. Ransom has uncovered previously unknown facts, filled in gaps, and corrected mistakes made by earlier writers on the subject.

Some say Leroy Paige was born with his right fist curled around a baseball. By the age of ten he could outthrow anyone, small or grown. When he wasn't toting baggage at the depot (that's how he earned money and the nickname "Satchel"), he was pitching. His coach at school told him, "You concentrate on baseball, and you might make something of yourself." And that he did. Satchel Paige developed his own pitches (he even named them!) and a unique pitching style, complete with a grin he flashed as he released the ball. Fans packed the stands to see how many batters he could strike out in one game. They loved his confidence, his fast-talking, and the way he followed his own rules. After just one year in the semi-pros Satch was playing in the Negro major leagues. He went on to become the first African American to pitch in a major league World Series, and the first black to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. By the time he died in 1982, he had enjoyed one of the longest and brightest careers in baseball history. Lesa Cline-Ransome's spirited, folksy narrative and James Ransome's boldly colored, exciting paintings capture the challenges, rewards and, most of all, the unique brand of showmanship in the life of the tall, lean legend named Satchel Paige.

Bestselling author Jonah Winter and award-winning illustrator James E. Ransome knock it out of the park with this tribute to one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, Joe DiMaggio.In the golden age of baseball, sports announcers ruled the radio, winning and losing was front-page news, and just about every young boy wanted to grow up to wear Yankee pinstripes, including Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr., a first generation Italian from San Francisco. “Baseball is not a job,” said young Joe’s dad, but through hard work and dedication, Joe grew up to make headlines as a top centerfielder and ace hitter—Joltin’ Joe, the Yankee Clipper. And when the paychecks started rolling in and the newspaper reporters wouldn’t stop calling, you can bet Pop was mighty proud! During the Depression and WWII the country needed something to cheer for, and Joe was the star player who outshone the rest, even marrying movie star Marilyn Monroe—all by keeping his mouth shut and his eye on the ball.

HOW DID A POOR BOY named Edson—who kicked rocks down roads and dribbled balls made from rags—go on to become Pelé, the greatest soccer player of all time? While other kids memorized letters, Edson memorized the scores of soccer matches. And when Edson finally played in a youth soccer tournament in the town of Bauru, Brazil, he focused on only one thing from the moment the whistle blew: the goal. Here is the picture book biography of the boy who overcame tremendous odds to become the world champion soccer star Pelé.

Bestselling author Jonah Winter and award-winning illustrator James E. Ransome knock it out of the park with this tribute to one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, Joe DiMaggio.In the golden age of baseball, sports announcers ruled the radio, winning and losing was front-page news, and just about every young boy wanted to grow up to wear Yankee pinstripes, including Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr., a first generation Italian from San Francisco. “Baseball is not a job,” said young Joe’s dad, but through hard work and dedication, Joe grew up to make headlines as a top centerfielder and ace hitter—Joltin’ Joe, the Yankee Clipper. And when the paychecks started rolling in and the newspaper reporters wouldn’t stop calling, you can bet Pop was mighty proud! During the Depression and WWII the country needed something to cheer for, and Joe was the star player who outshone the rest, even marrying movie star Marilyn Monroe—all by keeping his mouth shut and his eye on the ball.

“Powerful storytelling and immersive art.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Vibrant writing and magical realism lift this story to one of triumph.” —Publishers Weekly In this inspiring story in the tradition of American black folktales, an enslaved brother and sister are inspired by a majestic and mysterious bird to escape to freedom in this dramatic and unforgettable picture book.There was nothing civil about that war. They should have called it what it was: a big, bad war. Brother and sister Millicent and John are slaves on Simon Plenty’s plantation and have suffered one hurt and heartbreak after another. Their parents had told them old tales of how their ancestors had flown away to freedom just as free and easy as a bird. Millicent and John hold these stories in their hearts long after their parents are gone. “Maybe such a time will come for you,” their parents said. Then one day a mysterious bird appears in their lives. The bird transforms them and gives them the courage to set their plan into motion and escape to freedom.