Today marks the birthday of one of our most innovative illustrators and Caldecott winners, Simms Taback. When Simms won the award in 2000 for Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, so many members of the illustration community delighted in this news not only because they had long admired his work but also because he had worked on behalf of all artists for decades.
Born in New York, Simms Taback grew up in the Bronx. A graduate of Cooper Union, he served in the Army, and then worked at CBS Records, the New York Times, and as an advertising art director. In 1963 Simms and Reynolds Ruffin formed Ruffins/Taback Inc., a design and illustration studio. In 1986 they created a diecut greeting card company, Cardtricks. A tireless advocate of the rights of artists, Simms founded The Illustrators Guild, which became the New York Graphic Artists Guild. During this period, he designed the first McDonald’s Happy Meal Box!
These accomplishments don’t even include his more than forty children’s books. Even in winning awards, Simms broke new ground. Both his Caldecott Honor Book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, and Joseph Had a Little Overcoat were the first books using die-cut holes to be so honored. This technique had begun with Peter Newell’s The Hole Book at the beginning of the twentieth century, but such books had always been considered “toy books,” not worthy of awards. In Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, based on a Yiddish folk song, Simms relied on a child-like folk art style that incorporates watercolor, gouache, collage, and die cuts. With one of the best color senses in the industry, Simms creates vibrant and saturated hues that immediately please the eye of a child.
His books for babies and toddlers have frequently won Parents’ Choice Awards, and they have become a beloved part of story hours everywhere. Simms Taback’s City Animals and Simms Taback’s Safari Animals use a guessing game format, made perfect by Taback’s bright colors and strong line. Parents or preschool providers can pick up any Taback title—I Miss You Every Day, Where Is My Friend? Simms Taback’s Big Book of Words, or Peek-a-Boo, Who?—and know they are exposing young children to some of the best artwork available.
Regina Hayes, publisher of Viking Children’s Books, worked with Simms for over twenty years. In talking about their relationship Regina said “we laugh all the time. Simms has a warmth and humor that draws people to him. He has so many interests; he can talk about everything—books, movies, photography. Although Simms does not take himself too seriously, he takes his work very seriously. The ultimate professional, he cares about every single detail, down to creating a special typeface for each book.”
Simms Taback died on December 25, 2011. But his books continue to give joy to children and adults.
Here’s a page from Joseph Had a Little Overcoat:
