James Stevenson (illustrator)

James Stevenson
James Stevenson
Born	July 11, 1929; New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	February 17, 2017 (aged 87); Cos Cob, Connecticut, U.S.
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
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

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

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

Children's books

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

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

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

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

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)

Autobiographical and reminiscent picture book series

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

The Bones in the Cliff
The Unprotected Witness

Poetry

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

Sorry, Lady. This Beach Is Private! (1963)
Let's Boogie! (1978)

Novels

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

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

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

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

James Stevenson illustrated a few of Helen V. Griffith's books:

Georgia Music (1986)

Helen V. Griffith's Grandaddy trilogy

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

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

^ "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

Biography and bibliography at Answers.com (Gale Biographies of Children's Authors)
James Stevenson at Library of Congress, with 144 library catalog records