Simont, Marc

Marc Simont was born November 23, 1915, in Paris, and first came to the United States in 1927. He studied art in New York and Paris in the 1930s. He served in the United States Army during WWII, and in 1945 married Sara Dalton, with whom she had 1 son. He has worked as an artist and illustrator since 1939, and has also written and translated children's books. He worked as an illustrator for 5 decades, including a number of series books for young readers. In 1950 he received a Caldecott Honor for The Happy Day, and won the Caldecott Medal in 1957 for A Tree is Nice . Critics note that Simont is proficient in many styles, and that his illustrations always suit the text and subject matter. His illustrations are also noted for their sense of humor and fun, as well as their simplicity and emotion. His illustrations have a great appeal for children, as they can touch a wide range of their emotions. Biographical Sources: Something About the Author, vols. 73, 129

From the guide to the Marc Simont Papers, 1949-1980, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])

French born, American illustrator, author, and translator of children's books; Caldecott Award winner, 1957.

From the description of Papers, 1949-1980. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62423465

Marc Simont, of West Cornwall, CT, is an illustrator and author of picture books for children. He has illustrated books for numerous authors in addition to himself, among the most notable are James Thurber and Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. His illustrations for Janice May Udry's A Tree is Nice won the Caldecott Award in 1957, and he received Caldecott Honors for his pictures in Ruth Krauss's The Happy Day. Simont has been recognized by the Child Study Association, Society of Illustrators, New York Academy of Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Today Show.

From the description of Marc Simont papers, 1939-1997. (University of Connecticut). WorldCat record id: 45965525

French born, American illustrator and author of children's books.

From the description of If you listen : production material. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62423466

From the description of A tree is nice : production material. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62489094

From the description of The happy day : production material. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62436013

From the description of The big world and the little house : production material. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62489093

Marc Simont was born November 23, 1915, in Paris, France to Joseph and Dolores Simont from the Catalonia n region of northeastern Spain . Joseph was an illustrator and artist/reporter for L'Illustration in Paris. Because his parents moved frequently Marc attended schools in Paris, Barcelona, and New York and became a U.S. citizen in 1926. Though he later attended art schools he considers his father his greatest teacher. He studied art in Paris at Académie Julian, Académie Ranson, and Andre Lhoté School . In the U.S. he attended the New York National Academy of Design and Jerry Farnsworth 's summer school in Provincetown, Mass. He worked as assistant to mural painters Francis S. Bradford (1939 N. Y.World's Fair) and Ezra Winter ( Library of Congress )

Simont's first illustration job was for a pulp magazine that folded before he could collect his $25. Eventually he became an author and illustrator of children's books, greatly influenced by Ursula Nordstrom, editor of Harper Bros. He illustrated books by Ruth Krauss, James Thurber, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Karla Kuskin among others. His illustrations for Janice May Udry 's A Tree is Nice won the Caldecott Medal in 1957, and he received Caldecott Honors for his pictures in Ruth Krauss 's The Happy Day and his own The Stray Dog . Simont has also been recognized by the Child Study Association, Society of Illustrators, N.Y. Academy of Sciences, N.J. Institute of Technology, American Institute of Graphic Arts, and Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor.

In 2008 his political cartoons were awarded the Hunter College James Aronson Award for "Cartooning With A Conscience."

From the guide to the Marc Simont Papers., 1939-1997., (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center .)