Jim! - by Jerrold Connors (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A picture book biography of the late, great James Marshall--illustrator of Miss Nelson is Missing and the George and Martha series..."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The award-winning picture book biography of the late, great James Marshall--illustrator of Miss Nelson is Missing and the George and Martha series--as clever, delightful, and daring as Jim himself, and featuring detailed backmatter, including a robust author's note and timeline.

Author and illustrator James Marshall let kids in on the joke. He knew little kids were smart, and he didn't talk down to them in his stories. He was right--kids loved his picture books. Decades after his death, the characters he illustrated--Miss Nelson, Viola Swamp, George and Martha, Goldilocks, Fox and His Friends--are still beloved. James Marshall should be at least as famous as his characters, and now he is, in his own picture book biography. Created in an irreverent style inspired by James Marshall's own art and storytelling, this delightful biography, featuring James as a fox, celebrates in both form and content what made James--"Jim" to his friends--so talented, funny, and special, and what has made his tales last. This time, Jim is the main character.

"Funny and filled with [insights.]" --Booklist, starred review
"A better bio of Jim could hardly exist." --Kirkus, starred review
"Poignantly, comically human." --Publishers Weekly
"Extraordinarily tender and clever." --BCCB, starred review
"Full of heart and humor . . . Wonderful." --SLJ, starred review

Review Quotes

* Lambda Literary Award Finalist *
* Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year *
* Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year *
* Evanston Public Library Best Books of the Year *
* BCC Blue Ribbon Selection *
* American Library Association Rainbow List Selection *
* ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection *
* Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection *
* Cybils Award Selection *

★ "Funny and filled with [insights.] Smart kids (and adults) love James Marshall, and they will love this biography." --Booklist (starred review)

★ "Extraordinarily tender and clever . . . This tribute will absolutely send listeners in search of [James Marshall's] works. [A rich] homage to Marshall, who always knew that picture books were so much more than cute things for children." --BCCB (starred review)

★ "Charming, funny, strange, and sad. A better bio of Jim could hardly exist." --Kirkus (starred review)

★ "Connors honors the wit and humor of Marshall's art and storytelling . . . A wonderful tribute to the creator of characters and stories that are still loved today." --School Library Journal (starred review)

"Poignantly, comically human--just like the beloved characters he created and the generations of readers who have embraced his stories." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jerrold Connors was born in the United States, raised in Indonesia and Canada, and currently makes his home in the Bay Area in Northern California. He has taught STEAM in elementary schools, has made games for websites like PBSkids.org and Noggin.com, and interactive exhibits for museums like The Lawrence Hall of Science and the Children's Creativity Museum. Jerrold has had an illustration featured in The New Yorker and was the 2017 James Marshall Fellow at the University of Connecticut. Most recently, he's been livestreaming on YouTube, where he connects with young creators around the world. Jim! is his debut picture book with a major publisher.