David Small

Last updated
David Small
Born (1945-02-12) February 12, 1945 (age 78)
Detroit
OccupationIllustrator, writer
NationalityAmerican
Education Cass Technical High School
Wayne State University
Yale University
Genre Children's literature
Notable worksThe Gardener (1998)
Stitches (2009)
Spouse Sarah Stewart (author)
Website
davidsmallbooks.com

David Small (born February 12, 1945) is an American writer and illustrator who is best known for children's picture books. His books have been awarded a Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors, among other recognition.

Contents

Biography

David Small was born in Detroit, Michigan. He began drawing at the age of two years, and health problems that kept him home for much of his childhood, also led to his developing his drawing skills. [1] He attended Cass Technical High School and wrote plays throughout his teenage years.

At age 21, he switched to art. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at Wayne State University and a master of fine arts degree at Yale University. Small taught art for many years on the college level, ran a film series, and made satirical sketches for campus newspapers. His first book, Eulalie and the Hopping Head, which he wrote and illustrated, was published in 1981. [2]

Small earned a 1997 Caldecott Honor and The Christopher Medal for The Gardener, [3] with Sarah Stewart, his wife. She also received the 2007 Michigan Author Award.

In 2001 Small won the Caldecott Medal for So You Want to Be President? , combining political cartooning with children's book illustration. [3] [4] He received a second Caldecott Honor in 2013 for illustrating Toni Buzzeo's One Cool Friend. [5] Small's drawings have appeared in the New Yorker and the New York Times. [3] On July 15, 2014, he was announced as a finalist for the 2015 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. [6]

In 2020 it was announced that Western Michigan University Libraries would acquire David Small and Sarah Stewart's archives, including their original artwork, sketchbooks, journals, published and unpublished writings. [7]

David Small and his wife Sarah Stewart make their home in an historic manor house in Mendon, Michigan. [8]

Stitches

Small's graphic memoir, Stitches , was published in September 2009. It tells the story of Small's journey from sickly child to cancer patient, to troubled teen who ran away from home at sixteen to become an artist. [9] Stitches was reviewed by the New York Times [10] and the Los Angeles Times. [11]

It was a #1 New York Times Best Seller, [12] and was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by Publishers Weekly and Amazon.com. [13] [14] It was a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. [15] Stitches has been translated into seven different languages and published in nine different countries.

Works

As writer and illustrator

As illustrator with Sarah Stewart

Small has illustrated several books written by Sarah Stewart and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG).

As illustrator with other writers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caldecott Medal</span> Annual U.S. childrens book illustrator award

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The Caldecott and Newbery Medals are considered the most prestigious American children's book awards. Beside the Caldecott Medal, the committee awards a variable number of citations to runners-up they deem worthy, called the Caldecott Honor or Caldecott Honor Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Clements</span> American writer (1949–2019)

Andrew Elborn Clements was an American author of children's literature. His debut novel Frindle won an award determined by the vote of U.S. schoolchildren in about 20 different U.S. states. In June 2015, Frindle was named the Phoenix Award winner for 2016, as it was the best book that did not win a major award when it was published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Steig</span> American cartoonist, illustrator, and writer (1907-2003)

William Steig was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book Shrek!, which inspired the film series of the same name, as well as others that included Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Abel's Island, and Doctor De Soto. He was the U.S. nominee for both of the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Awards, as a children's book illustrator in 1982 and a writer in 1988.

Karen Ackerman is an American author of children's books.

Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon were American illustrators of children's books and adult paperback book and magazine covers. One obituary of Leo called the work of the husband-and-wife team "a seamless amalgam of both their hands". In more than 50 years, they created more than 100 speculative fiction book and magazine covers together as well as much interior artwork. Essentially all of their work in that field was joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane Smith (illustrator)</span> American illustrator and writer of childrens books

Lane Smith is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He is the Kate Greenaway medalist (2017) known for his eclectic visuals and subject matter, both humorous and earnest, such as the contemplative Grandpa Green, which received a Caldecott Honor in 2012, and the outlandish Stinky Cheese Man, which received a Caldecott Honor in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Falconer</span> American author and illustrator (1959–2023)

Ian Woodward Falconer was an American author and illustrator of children's books, and a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created 30 covers for The New Yorker as well as other publications. Falconer wrote and illustrated the Olivia series of children's books, chronicling the adventures of a young pig, a series initially conceived as a Christmas gift for his young niece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Wiesner</span> American illustrator and writer of childrens books

David Wiesner is an American illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books including some that tell stories without words. As an illustrator he has won three Caldecott Medals recognizing the year's "most distinguished American picture book for children" and he was one of five finalists in 2008 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest recognition available for creators of children's books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Pinkney</span> American writer and childrens book illustrator (1939–2021)

Jerry Pinkney was an American illustrator and writer of children's literature. Pinkney illustrated over 100 books since 1964, including picture books, nonfiction titles and novels. Pinkney's works addressed diverse themes and were usually done in watercolors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Goble (writer and illustrator)</span> British-American writer and illustrator

Paul Goble was a British-American writer and illustrator of children's books, especially Native American stories. His book The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses won a Caldecott Medal in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Díaz (illustrator)</span> American childrens illustrator

David Díaz is an American illustrator of children's books. He won the 1995 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration recognizing Smoky Night by Eve Bunting. He currently lives in Carlsbad, California.

Richard Egielski is an American illustrator and writer who has worked on more than fifty children's picture books, eight of which he authored. He received his education at Parson's School of Design.

<i>So You Want to Be President?</i> 2000 picture book by Judith St. George

So You Want to Be President? is a children's picture book written by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small. Published in 2000, the book features a comprehensive guide to the Presidents of the United States. The book includes information about the education, family, and prior occupations of Presidents, as well as facts about their Vice Presidents. David Small won the 2001 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations. In 2002, the animated adaptation, narrated by Stockard Channing, with music by Scotty Huff and Robert Reynolds, was released. In 2003 it won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atheneum Books</span> New York City publishing house

Atheneum Books was a New York City publishing house established in 1959 by Alfred A. Knopf, Jr., Simon Michael Bessie and Hiram Haydn. Simon & Schuster has owned Atheneum properties since its acquisition of Macmillan in 1994 and it created Atheneum Books for Young Readers as an imprint for children's books in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Selznick</span> American illustrator and writer (born 1966)

Brian Selznick is an American illustrator and author best known as the writer of The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007), Wonderstruck (2011), The Marvels (2015) and Kaleidoscope (2021). He won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration recognizing The Invention of Hugo Cabret. He is also known for illustrating children's books such as the covers of Scholastic's 20th-anniversary editions of the Harry Potter series.

Peter Kommer Parnall is an American artist and writer, best known for his work on books for younger readers. His work has earned him high praise and a number of awards. Some of his books have become collector items.

Sarah Stewart is an American author of children's books. She is married to David Small and lives in a manor house in Mendon, Michigan.

Jean Edna Karl was an American book editor who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young adult and science fiction imprints at Atheneum Books, where she oversaw or edited books that won two Caldecott Medals and five Newbery Medals. One of the Newberys went to the new writer E. L. Konigsburg in 1968 for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Molly Leach is an American graphic designer best known for her award-winning children's books.

Barb Rosenstock is an American author and illustrator of children's literature books. In 2015, her book The Noisy Paint Box, illustrated by Mary Grandpré, received a Caldecott Honor,The Secret Kingdom and Otis and Will discover the deep won Orbis Pictus Honor, and Through the Window won Sydney Taylor Honor and the California Library Association Beatty Award as well as numerous national and state recognitions.

References

  1. ↑ "Online biography from Parent's Choice Foundation". Archived from the original on 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  2. ↑ "David Small: Biography". Authors/Illustrators. Pippin Properties, Inc (pippinproperties.com). Archived July 4, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 American Library Association: Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938–Present. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  4. ↑ CNN Book News report on David Small and U.S. News & World Report, 29 January 2001. pg 8 ("The cartoonist in chief"). Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Kylee (2013-01-10). "Caldecott Winners and Honor Books". Madison Public Library. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  6. ↑ neustadtprize.org
  7. ↑ "University Libraries acquires David Small and Sarah Stewart archive" . Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  8. ↑ "It's a David Small World: The Artwork of Caldecott Medal Winner David Small: Educator Guide". Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Multnomah County Library. October 24, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  9. ↑ Feiffer, Jules. Blurb in "About the Book: Early Praise" Archived 2013-02-12 at the Wayback Machine . Stitches official website. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  10. ↑ Konigsberg, Eric. "Finding a Voice in a Graphic Memoir". The New York Times, September 6, 2009.
  11. ↑ Woods, Paula L. "Book Review: 'Stitches: A Memoir' by David Small". Los Angeles Times. September 13, 2009.
  12. ↑ Gustines, George Gene. Graphic Books Best Seller List. The New York Times. September 18, 2009.
  13. ↑ Best Books of 2009. Publishers Weekly. November 2, 2009.
  14. ↑ Best Books of 2009 – Editors' Picks: Top 100 Books. Amazon.com.
  15. ↑ National Book Awards – 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.