author
Will James
1892–1942
A cowboy storyteller and artist of the American West, he turned ranch life and hard-won trail experience into vivid books and illustrations. Best known for Smoky the Cowhorse, he brought frontier scenes to life with unusual honesty and warmth.
2 Audiobooks
Smoky, the cow horse
by Will James
On the dodge
by Will James
About the author
Born in Quebec in 1892 as Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault, he later became known as Will James and built a new identity around the cowboy life he admired. He worked on ranches in the West and drew deeply from that experience, becoming known for stories and artwork that felt close to the rhythms of horses, open country, and working cowboys.
His best-known book, Smoky the Cowhorse (1926), won the 1927 Newbery Medal and remains one of the classic horse stories in American children’s literature. He went on to write and illustrate many books and articles, often blending adventure, observation, and a plainspoken style that helped readers feel they were hearing from someone who had truly lived the life.
James died in 1942 in Hollywood, California. His work still stands out for its mix of storytelling and visual art, and for the way it helped shape popular ideas of the American West while keeping its focus on the daily lives of cowboys and horses.