Richard Jacobson

Richard Allen "Rick" Jacobson^[1] (born January 7, 1959) is a Toronto, Ontario, artist, illustrator, and writer of children's books who uses the names "Richard A. Jacobson" and "Rick Jacobson" professionally (see bibliography).

Background

Jacobson was born in Nipawin, Saskatchewan,^[2] and is a graduate of the Alberta College of Art (with Honours), where he met his future wife (now divorced), and co-illustrator Laura Fernandez.^[2] He works as an illustrator, painter, and writer.

Career

Partnered with Laura Fernandez, Jacobson has produced major commercial illustration and design work for Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Air Canada.^[2] His painting for the cover of Christopher Ondaatje's book 'Sindh Revisited' is now in the private collection of the Royal Geographic Society Collection.^[3] In addition to commercial design work, Jacobson has co-illustrated 16 children's books with Fernandez, and received several awards and nominations.^[2]

Jacobson was the co-recipient of the Ruth Schwartz Award for "Jeremiah Learns to Read (Scholastic).^[4][5] He was also the co-recipient of the 2001 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award for "The Magnificent Piano Recital" (Orca Books).^[6]

In 2004, Jacobson authored and co-illustrated his first full publication, "Picasso: Soul on Fire" (Tundra), on the life of the famous painter's life landmarks. The book was shortlisted for the 2005 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award,^[7] and listed by the Globe and Mail on the list of "Ten terrific tomes, tots to teens" list.^[8]

Jacobson followed "Picasso: Soul On Fire" with "The Mona Lisa Caper" (Tundra) in 2005 and is working on his fourth publication.^[2]

Jacobson has contributed illustrations to Smithsonian, Applied Arts, and Artist's magazines.

Published books

As writer

• Picasso: Soul on Fire (Tundra Books, 2004)
• The Mona Lisa Caper (Tundra, 2005)
• The Master's Apprentice (Tundra, 2008)

As illustrator only

Jacobson and Laura Fernandez

• Nancy Hundal, I Heard My Mother Call My Name, Harper Collins (New York, NY), 1994.
• Esther Kalman, Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Lester Publishing (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1994, Orchard (New York, NY), 1995.
• Jo Ellen Bogart, Jeremiah Learns to Read, Scholastic Canada (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 1997, Orchard (New York, NY), 1999.
• Norah McClintock, Sins of the Father, Scholastic Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.
• Michael Bedard, Glass Town, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1997.
• Maxine Trottier, Prairie Willow, Stoddart Kids (New York, NY), 1998.
• L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, foreword by Kate Macdonald Butler, Tundra (Plattsburgh, NY), 2000.
• Maxine Trottier, Little Dog Moon, Stoddart Kids (New York, NY), 2000.
• Marilynn Reynolds, The Magnificent Piano Recital, Stoddart Kids (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2000, Orca (Custer, WA), 2001.
• Rukhasana Khan, King of the Skies, North Winds Press (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 2001.
• Douglas Cowling, Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery, North Winds Press (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

Jacobson alone

• Original Thoughts from the Enterprising Mind of Cheryl Lousley, Gordon Suavé, Cheryl Lousley, Reigad Wai (Toronto: Storybook, 1989)
• Crime in 2001: Original Thoughts from the Enterprising Mind of David Strobel, David Strobel (Storybook, 1989)
• Diary of an Alien: Original Thoughts from the Enterprising Mind of Benjamin Evans, Gordon Suavé, Benjamin Evans (Storybook, 1989)

References

External links

• Official website
• Jacobson Fernandez Illustration and Design (archived 2014-12-20)
• Picasso: Soul On Fire review by Ann Stinner for CM Volume XI Number 5 October 29, 2004
• The Mona Lisa Caper review by Ann Stinner for CM Volume XI Number 18 May 13, 2005
• Works by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson in WorldCat library records
• Works by or about Rick Jacobson in libraries (WorldCat catalog)