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Small, David, 1945-

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1945-

Biography

David Small 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. He was born and raised in Detroit and began drawing at an early age.

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.

Small earned a 1997 Caldecott Honor and The Christopher Medal for The Gardener, with Sarah Stewart, his wife. In 2001 Small won the Caldecott Medal for So You Want to Be President?, combining political cartooning with children's book illustration. He received a second Caldecott Honor in 2013 for illustrating Toni Buzzeo's One Cool Friend. Small's drawings have appeared in the New Yorker and the New York Times. On July 15, 2014, he was announced as a finalist for the 2015 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature.

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

His current work and list of awards can be found on his website.

Found in 325 Collections and/or Records:

Gulliver's Travels 1/1, 1983

 File — Frame 127: [Barcode: 31141024383361]
Scope and Contents

A pencil and charcoal piece of a man being held in the palm of a much larger person.

Dates: Publication: 1983

Gulliver's Travels - Envelope 1/2 (O/A), 1993

 File — Envelope 24: [Barcode: 31141024382173]
Scope and Contents

23 photographs and 48 pieces of original art in ink and pencil pieces and 10 pieces (one watercolor piece) from Gulliver's Travels. (pages 30-31, 38-39, and 82-83 are missing from the collection).

Dates: 1993

Gulliver's Travels - Envelope 2/2, 1983

 File — Envelope 25: [Barcode: 31141024382413], Object: 1
Scope and Contents

7 draft artwork pieces in watercolor, pastel, pencil, and ink (needs preserving) pieces and 35 draft pieces in pencil and pen

Dates: 1983

Home After Dark - Box 1/2 (O/A), 2018

 File — Envelope 28: [Barcode: 31141024381647]
Scope and Contents

Over 300 pieces of original art in watercolor and ink.

Dates: 2018

Home After Dark - Box 1/6 , bulk: 2015 - 2018

 File — Envelope 29: [Barcode: 31141024381662]
Scope and Contents

214 pieces of sketches, line work, and inkings by David Small for Home After Dark. Early draft pages; includes character of "Ellen," later cut from the final draft.

Dates: Majority of material found within 2015 - 2018

Home After Dark - Box 2/6, bulk: 2015 - 2018

 File — Envelope 30: [Barcode: 31141024381670]
Scope and Contents

209 pieces of sketches, and inkings by David Small for Home After Dark. Later draft than Box 1/6; closer to finished product, but still with notable differences (i.e different designs for certain characters and Russel's paper route)

Dates: Majority of material found within 2015 - 2018

Home After Dark - Box 3/6, bulk: 2015 - 2018

 File — Envelope 31: [Barcode: 31141024381688]
Scope and Contents

243 pieces of sketches, inkings, and prints by David Small for Home After Dark. Draft pages, different than final product, but similar to the previous two boxes. This box, however, includes an alternate ending to the character of Mike and contains an extended prologue.

Dates: Majority of material found within 2015 - 2018

Home After Dark - Box 4/6, bulk: 2015 - 2018

 File — Envelope 32: [Barcode: 31141024381696]
Scope and Contents

About 300 pieces of sketches, paintings, prints, and a few full color pages by David Small for Home After Dark. An early draft that still includes the character Ellen. It also includes an alternate climax and an early title page concept. A bundle of prints appears to be an draft that was sent for review. It contains prints from the latter portion of the novel.

Dates: Majority of material found within 2015 - 2018

Home After Dark - Box 5/6, bulk: 2015 - 2018

 File — Envelope 33: [Barcode: 31141024381704]
Scope and Contents

231 pieces of sketches, paintings, prints, and inkings by David Small for Home After Dark. Later draft, still contains the character Ellen and the character of Warren, in this draft, is named Brennan. This box also contains an expansion on the death of Willie's father. There are also some notes and photo references.

Dates: Majority of material found within 2015 - 2018

Home After Dark - Box 6/6, bulk: 2015 - 2018

 File — Envelope 34: [Barcode: 31141024381712]
Scope and Contents

5 collections of drafts sent in to editors by David Small for Home After Dark. Draft 1 (April 2015) contains 93 photocopied drafts pages, draft 2 (no date) consists of 112 large draft pages, draft 3 (October 2015) consists of 41 large drafts sheets, draft 4 (February 2016, sent to editor Holly) contains 289 photocopied draft pages with notes from the editor and draft 4 (sent to Bob) consists of 343 photocopied draft pages, also with notes from the editor

Dates: Majority of material found within 2015 - 2018