author
E. Boyd (Elmer Boyd) Smith
1860–1943
A painter, illustrator, and storyteller, this Canadian-born artist helped shape the early picture book with lively drawings and a strong sense of adventure. His books often bring myths, folklore, and childhood wonder to the page with warmth and motion.
2 Audiobooks
The story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith
by E. Boyd (Elmer Boyd) Smith
The Seashore Book: Bob and Betty's Summer with Captain Hawes
by E. Boyd (Elmer Boyd) Smith
About the author
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on May 31, 1860, and raised in Boston, Elmer Boyd Smith became known as a writer and illustrator of children's books as well as a painter. He studied art in Paris at the Académie Julian with Gustave Boulanger and Jules Joseph Lefebvre, training that helped give his later book work its confident draftsmanship and dramatic energy.
Smith went on to illustrate and write many books for young readers, and he is often credited simply as E. Boyd Smith. His work is especially remembered for helping pictures carry much of the story, a quality that made his books feel vivid and immediate for children.
After years spent studying and working abroad, he eventually settled in Wilton, Connecticut. He died on October 5, 1943, leaving behind a body of work that links fine art, illustration, and the growing tradition of the modern children's picture book.