Home » Museum » Exhibitions » Holidays & Snowdays: Illustrations for Three Children’s Books

Holidays & Snowdays: Illustrations for Three Children’s Books

November 03, 2018 - January 06, 2019
James Ransome, b. 1961, Cover illustration for The Nutcracker in Harlem, 2017, Mixed medium, 15 1/2 x 15 inches, Collection of the artist
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James Ransome, b. 1961, Cover illustration for The Nutcracker in Harlem, 2017, Mixed medium, 15 1/2 x 15 inches, Collection of the artist

Beth Krommes, b. 1956, Cover illustration for Before Morning, 2016, Watercolor on scratchboard transfer, photo-mounted onto Bristol Board, 14 3/8 x 21 inches, Collection of the artist
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Beth Krommes, b. 1956, Cover illustration for Before Morning, 2016, watercolor on scratchboard transfer, photo-mounted onto bristol board, 14 3/8 x 21 inches, Collection of the artist

Matthew Trueman, b. 1972, Cover illustration for Simon and the Bear, a Hanukkah Tale, 2014, Mixed media and collage, 13 x 21 ½ inches, Private collection
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Matthew Trueman, b. 1972, Cover illustration for Simon and the Bear, a Hanukkah Tale, 2014, Mixed media and collage, 13 x 21 ½ inches, Private collection

Everyone has favorite memories of those delightfully illustrated stories we take off the bookshelves at special times of the year. For the coming holidays and snowdays, the Brandywine presents work by three highly talented artists who have recently envisioned additions to that seasonal library.

Caldecott medalist Beth Krommes gives us the beauty of an unexpected snow storm. James Ransome, winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, sets a traditional holiday story in the jazz-inspired Harlem of the 1920s. And Matthew Trueman depicts an unlikely twosome to illustrate the spirit of Hanukkah. There’s a variety of media, from scratchboard to collage, a celebration of color, and a gallery of seasonal cheer.

Work featured in the exhibition illustrates these books: 

  • Before Morning, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016)
  • The Nutcracker in Harlem, written by T. E. McMorrow and illustrated by James Ransome (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2017)
  • Simon and the Bear, a Hanukkah Tale, written by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Matthew Trueman (Disney Hyperion, 2014)

Holidays and Snowdays is made possible by Linda L. Bean, the Davenport Family Foundation, and William C. and Laura Buck. Additional support is provided by Herr Foods, Inc. and The Frelinghuysen Foundation.