Marc Simont Papers

Collection

Identifier: 1997-0002

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection contains illustrations and text for approximately eighty books. There is almost no correspondence and several of the titles are missing illustrations.

Dates

1939-1997

Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

Biography

Marc Simont was born November 23, 1915, in Paris, France to Joseph and Dolores Simont from the Catalonian 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 was also 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." Simont passed away at his home in West Cornwall, CT on July 13, 2013. He is survived by his wife Sara, known as "Bee, their son Marc Dalton Simont, and a sister Genevieve Simont Ireland.

Extent

110 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

An illustrator and author of picture books for children, Marc Simont illustrated books for numerous authors in addition to his own, among the most notable being 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 Ruth Krauss's The Happy Day and his own The Stray Dog. Simont was also 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.

Acquisition Information

Marc Simont began to donate his Papers to the Northeast Children's Literature Collection in September of 1997 and continued to add materials until his death in 2013.

Bibliography

Ant Plays Bear, 1997. Dodd Call No. CLC C1130Backward Day, 1950. Dodd Call No. CLC C1363Beetle Bush, 1976. Dodd Call No. CLC C1361Big World and the Little House, 1949. Dodd Call No. CLC C1364Billy and the Unhappy Bull, 1946. Dodd Call No. CLC B244Bruno the Pretzel Man, 1984. Dodd Call No. CLC C1132Chasing After Annie, 1980. Dodd Call No. CLC A403Contest at Paca, 1959. Dodd Call No. CLC A405Dallas Titans Get Ready for Bed, 1986. Dodd Call No. CLC C1136Danger in Dinosaur Valley, 1978. Dodd Call No. CLC C1141Deer Mountain Hideaway, 1954. Dodd Call No. CLC C1368Deer River Raft, 1955. Dodd Call No. CLC A402Duckfooted Hound, 1960. Dodd Call No. CLC C1362Elephant Who Couldn't Forget, 1979. Dodd Call No. CLC C1139First Christmas, 1948. Dodd Call No. CLC A432Fish Head, 1954. Dodd Call No. CLC B567From Sea to Shining Sea, 1993. Dodd Call No. CLC C1161Glaciers, 1986. Dodd Call No. CLC C1158Glenda, 1969. Dodd Call No. CLC A407Good Luck Duck, 1950. Dodd Call No. CLC C1358Good Man and his Good Wife, 1962. Dodd Call No. CLC C1366How Come Elephants?, 1965. Dodd Call No. CLC A406How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side, 1979. Dodd Call No. CLC C1369I Know a Magic House, 1956. Dodd Call No. CLC C1143If You Listen, 1980. Dodd Call No. CLC C1165In the Year of the Boar and Jackie, 1984. Dodd Call No. CLC C1137Jareb, 1952. Dodd Call No. CLC C1370Journey Into a Black Hole, 1986. Dodd Call No. CLC C1128Knight of the Golden Plain, 1983. Dodd Call No. CLC C1135Lovely Summer, 1952/1992. Dodd Call No. CLC C1374/C1157Many Moons, 1990. Dodd Call No. CLC C430Martin's Hats, 1984. Dodd Call No. CLC C1127Mimi, 1954. Dodd Call No. CLC C1375Mouse and Tim, 1978. Dodd Call No. CLC C1140Mr. Robbins Rides Again, 1955. Dodd Call No. CLC C1377My Brother Ant, 1996. Dodd Call No. CLC C1131My Uncle Nikos, 1983. Dodd Call No. CLC C1133Nate the Great, 1972. Dodd Call No. CLC C1145Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag, 1987. Dodd Call No. CLC C1146Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize, 1985. Dodd Call No. CLC C1147Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt, 1989. Dodd Call No. CLC C1148Nate the Great and the Lost List, 1975. Dodd Call No. CLC C1149Nate the Great and the Missing Key, 1981. Dodd Call No. CLC C1150Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine, 1994. Dodd Call No. CLC C1151Nate the Great and the Musical Note, 1990. Dodd Call No. CLC C1152Nate the Great and the Phony Clue, 1977. Dodd Call No. CLC C1372Nate the Great and the Pillowcase, 1993. Dodd Call No. CLC A2385Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail, 1982. Dodd Call No. CLC C1373Nate the Great and the Sticky Case, 1978. Dodd Call No. CLC C1153Nate the Great and the Stolen Base, 1992. Dodd Call No. CLC C1154Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise, 1995. Dodd Call No. CLC A404Nate Goes Down in the Dumps, 1989. Dodd Call No. CLC C1155Nate Goes Undercover, 1974. Dodd Call No. CLC C1156Nellie and her Flying Crocodile, 1956. Dodd Call No. CLC A408No More Monsters for Me!, 1981. Dodd Call No. CLC C1142Now I Know, 1955. Dodd Call No. CLC C1144Philharmonic Gets Dressed, 1981. Dodd Call No. CLC C467Pigeon, Fly Home!, 1956. Dodd Call No. CLC A431Polly's Oats, 1951. Dodd Call No. CLC C1376Quiet Mother and the Noisy Boy, 1989. Dodd Call No. CLC C1160Reddy Rattler and Easy Eagle, 1979. Dodd Call No. CLC C824Sing a Song of Popcorn, 1988. Dodd Call No. CLC C1162Space Story, 1978. Dodd Call No. CLC C693Speak Up, 1980. Dodd Call No. CLC C1138Ten Copycats in a Boat, 1979. Dodd Call No. CLC C1371Thirteen Clocks, 1951. Dodd Call No. CLC C1378Three Day Enchantment, 1985. Dodd Call No. CLC C1164Timmy and the Tiger, 1952. Dodd Call No. CLC C1193Top Secret, 1985. Dodd Call No. CLC C1134Trail Driving Rooster, 1955. Dodd Call No. CLC C1360Volcanoes, 1985. Dodd Call No. CLC C1129What Happened to the Dinosaurs?, 1989. Dodd Call No. CLC C1250Wolfie, 1969. Dodd Call No. CLC C1357Wonderful O , 1957. Dodd Call No. CLC C1159