![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() in Marketing and Behavioral Science from New York University. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. As a young woman, Smalls won the Miss Black New York State contest in 1967. She was raised in the Harlem district of New York City, which would later become one of the recurring settings of her picture books. Smalls was born Irene Jennie Smalls on February 11, 1950, the daughter of Charles Smith and Mary Smalls. Throughout her career, Smalls has been recognized for her nostalgic depictions of African American families and their culturally rich communities, as well as her portrayals of the relationships between adults and children within this context. In her evocative texts, including Jonathan and His Mommy (1992) and Kevin and His Dad (1999), Smalls examines the playful and loving bonds between children and their parents, highlighting the importance of creativity, compassion, and tradition. Smalls has authored a series of popular picture books focused on African American children and their families set against such varied backdrops as Southern plantations during the era of slavery, New York's Harlem in the 1950s, and present-day urban neighborhoods. The following entry presents an overview of Smalls's career through 2003. (Full name Irene Jennie Smalls has also written under the pseudonym Irene Smalls-Hector) American author of picture books. ![]()
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