David Small facts for kids

David Small (born February 12, 1945) is an American writer and illustrator. He is famous for creating children's picture books. His books have won important awards. These include the Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honor awards.

About David Small

David Small was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was the second son in his family. David started drawing when he was only two years old. He spent a lot of time at home due to health issues. This helped him practice and improve his drawing skills. He attended Cass Technical High School. During his teenage years, he enjoyed writing plays.

When he was 21, David decided to focus on art. He earned a special art degree from Wayne State University. Later, he got another advanced degree from Yale University. For many years, Small taught art at colleges. He also ran a film series and drew funny pictures for school newspapers. His very first book, Eulalie and the Hopping Head, came out in 1981. He wrote and illustrated this book himself.

Awards and Recognition

David Small has received many awards for his work. In 1997, he earned a Caldecott Honor for The Gardener. He worked on this book with his wife, Sarah Stewart. She is also a well-known author.

In 2001, Small won the top Caldecott Medal. This was for his book So You Want to Be President?. This book combines political cartoons with children's book art. He received another Caldecott Honor in 2013. This was for illustrating One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo. David Small's drawings have also appeared in famous newspapers. These include the New Yorker and the New York Times. In 2014, he was a finalist for the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature.

In 2020, Western Michigan University Libraries announced something exciting. They would keep David Small and Sarah Stewart's important works. This includes their original drawings, sketchbooks, and writings. David Small and his wife Sarah Stewart live in Mendon, Michigan.

Stitches Graphic Memoir

Small also wrote a special kind of book called a graphic memoir. It is titled Stitches and was published in 2009. This book tells the story of David's childhood. It shares his journey from being a sickly child to facing health challenges. It also covers his difficult teenage years. He ran away from home at sixteen to become an artist.

Stitches became a #1 New York Times Best Seller. It was also named one of the top ten books of 2009. This recognition came from Publishers Weekly and Amazon.com. The book was a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Stitches has been translated into seven languages. It has been published in nine different countries around the world.

David Small's Books

David Small has created many wonderful books. He has written and illustrated some of them himself. He has also illustrated books written by other authors, including his wife.

Books Written and Illustrated by David Small

• Eulalie and the Hopping Head (Macmillan, 1982)
• Imogene's Antlers (Crown Publishers, 1985)
• Paper John (Farrar, Straus and Giroux [FSG], 1987)
• Ruby Mae Has Something to Say (Crown, 1992)
• Hoover's Bride (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1995)
• Fenwick's Suit (FSG, 1996)
• George Washington's Cows (FSG, 1997)
• Stitches (W.W. Norton, 2009)
• Home After Dark (Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2018)

Books Illustrated for Sarah Stewart

David Small has illustrated several books written by his wife, Sarah Stewart. These books were published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG).

• The Money Tree (FSG, 1994)
• The Library (FSG, 1995)
• The Gardener (FSG, 1997) – This book received a Caldecott Honor.
• The Journey (FSG, 2001)
• The Friend (FSG, 2004)
• The Quiet Place (FSG, 2012)
• This Book Of Mine (FSG, 2019)

Books Illustrated for Other Writers

David Small has also brought stories to life for many other authors.

• Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift (William Morrow & Co., 1983)
• The Dragon Who Lived Downstairs, Burr Tillstrom (William Morrow & Co., 1984)
• Company's Coming, written by Arthur Yorinks (Knopf, 1988)
• A Surfeit of Similes, Norton Juster (William Morrow & Co., 1989)
• Petey's Bedtime Story, Beverly Cleary (HarperCollins, 1993)
• The Christmas Crocodile, Bonnie Becker (Simon & Schuster, 1998)
• Huckabuck Family: And How They Raised Popcorn in Nebraska and Quit and Came Back, Carl Sandburg, (FSG, 1999)
• So You Want to Be President?, Judith St. George (Penguin Philomel, 2000) – This book won the 2001 Caldecott Medal.
• Company's Going, Arthur Yorinks (Hyperion Books for Children, 2001)
• The Mouse and His Child, Russell Hoban (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001)
• So You Want to Be an Inventor?, Judith St. George (Philomel, 2002)
• The Essential Worldwide Monster Guide, Linda Ashman (Simon & Schuster, 2003)
• So You Want to Be an Explorer?, Judith St. George (Philomel, 2005)
• My Senator and Me: A Dog's Eye View of Washington, D.C., Ted Kennedy (Scholastic Books, 2006)
• Once Upon a Banana, Jennifer Armstrong (Simon & Schuster, 2006)
• When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, Elise Broach (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007)
• That Book Woman, Heather Henson (Atheneum, 2008)
• The Underneath, Kathi Appelt (Atheneum, 2008)
• One Cool Friend, Toni Buzzeo (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012) – This book received a Caldecott Honor.
• Long Road to the Circus, Betsy Bird (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2021)
• Cat's very Good Day, Kristen Tracy (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2023)