With his 30-year career as a children's book illustrator James E. Ransome will examine how pictures are worth a thousand words. The picture book format is a perfect union for words and pictures. Illustrations are not just pretty pictures; they are an essential part of storytelling. His presentation will take you on a journey that shares how illustrations communicate with words to make a wonderful marriage.

Illustrator of over 60 books, James E. Ransome has been named by the Children’s Book Council as one of 75 authors and illustrators everyone should know. Ransome has also received several Coretta Scott Honors for many of his other books as well as The Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance award, the NAACP Image Award for Illustration and is an ALA Notable Book recipient.

The exhibitions and programs of the NIU Art Museum are sponsored in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Friends of the NIU Art Museum, the NIU Arts and Culture Fee; and the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Season Presenting Sponsor Shaw Media. Additional funding for the programs related to our fall 2022 shows came from the Barbara Cole Peters Fund for the NIU Art Museum; the Jerry L. Johns Literacy Clinic; NIU Center for Black Studies; NIU Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the illustration department of the NIU School of Art and Design; and the College of Visual and Performing Arts DEI Initiative.