Jim!
Six True Stories About One Great Artist: James Marshall
This week I’m highlighting Jim! Six True Stories About One Great Artist: James Marshall written and illustrated by
! This book came out on May 20, 2025. So it’s a newie and a goodie!
I really enjoyed this picture book biography of the late James Marshall. And if you don’t know of James Marshall, he was an illustrator and author of kids books such as the George and Martha books, the Fox books, retellings of Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Three Little Pigs, and more! He was such a funny and talented illustrator and close friends with other known illustrators such as Maurice Sendak.
In this book, Jerrold shares some stories to help us get to know James, or Jim as his friends called him, and how he got into illustration and what it felt like for Jim as he built up his career. I especially liked that Jerrold’s illustrations captured the lightheartedness of Jim’s own illustrations as well as the colors. I also liked how in the book, he made Jim a fox as a nod to Jim’s own Fox character.
Here’s one of my favorite spreads from the book. I picked this because as an illustrator myself, I could relate to Jim’s feelings here of self-doubt and comparison, which Maurice responds to with encouragement. It was a good reminder that everyone has something different to offer and that’s beautiful. I don’t have to be anyone other than myself.
Ok, now for the Picture Book Look! I wore a black dress with colorful embroidery that I bought in Tulum a while back with some tan strapped heels. I also wore some colorful beaded flower earrings that one of my tías made me. Gracias tía!
I think it was pretty clear that this was another instance of the book being able to blend in with my dress haha!
Anyway, thanks for reading along! Jim! is a great book for learning about a really wonderful and funny illustrator and for those on their own illustration journeys looking for some inspiration.
As always you can grab a copy of Jim! at Warwick’s or Bookshop.org.
Why does it keep unsubscribing me?? Anywho so cute!