Early Life

David Small was born on February 12, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan to Edward and Elizabeth Small. At a young age, David’s parents discovered he was gifted with incredible artistic skills. This led to his mother enrolling him in in art lessons at the Detroit Institute for Arts, where his artistic gifts would flourish. David suffered from an illness at a young age, where he felt isolated causing him to grow shy^[1]. He spent the majority of his youth fixated on writing plays in hopes of becoming a playwright. David grew up in the busy suburban and industrial setting of Detroit but often visited his grandmother's home in rural Indiana where he developed a fondness for nature and the peace and quiet that existed there[2]. Convinced that he would make it as an artist over a writer, he applied to art programs for his post-secondary education. He was then later accepted into Yale University where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree. There he would meet his later wife and collaborator, Sarah Stewart.

[1] "The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature - The NCCIL." Arist Profile: David Small. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. 

[2] "The Evolution of Sarah Stewart and David Small, by Katherine Romano."The Evolution of Sarah Stewart and David Small, by Katherine Romano. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.