Emma Bland Smith is a librarian and the award-winning author of many books for children (including The Gardener of Alcatraz; Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator; and The Pig War). She lives in San Francisco in an old creaky house with her family, pets, and too many cookbooks and coffee mugs.

A strong sense of place is one thing that Emma tries to put in all her books. She herself spent several years in France as a child. Later she lived in Santa Barbara, Paris, and New York, before returning to settle down just a block from her childhood home.

Emma writes primarily narrative nonfiction picture books. Her books have received honors such as the Cook Prize, the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, the Louisiana Readers' Choice Award, and the Towner Award. The Gardener of Alcatraz is currently a 2024-5 finalist for the California Young Reader Medal.

Emma is inspired by places she loves, amazing people, and incredible animals. The Fabulous Fannie Farmer: Kitchen Scientist and America's Cook comes out in January 2024.

Go to emmabsmith.com to read more about her publications.

Emma is represented by Essie White.

Publications

• The Fabulous Fannie Farmer: Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook, Calkins Creek, 2024
  

  • Best STEM Book - NSTA and the Children's Book Council
    

  • 2025 Mathical Book Prize for elementary readers
    

• The Gardener of Alcatraz: A True Story, illustrated by Jenn Ely, Charlesbridge, 2022
  

  • Washington Library Association's Towner Award
    

  • Winner of the 2025 California Young Reader Medal
    

  • Winner of the 2024 Towner Award (Washington State)
    

• The Pig War: How a Porcine Tragedy Taught England and America to Share, Calkins Creek, 2020
  

  • 2021 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies book: cbcbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NSSTB2021_Preview1.pdf
    

  • Starred review, School Library Connection
    

  • Starred reviews from Booklist and The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
    

  • A fall 2020 Junior Library Guild selection
    

• Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator, Little Bigfoot, 2020
  

  • Ten weeks on the Northern California Independent Booksellers Bestseller List
    

  • Missouri School Librarians Dogwood Book List for Nonfiction
    

  • Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020
    

  • Starred review from Kirkus
    

• Odin: Dog Hero of the Fires, West Margin Press, 2020
  

• Gavin McNally's Year Off (series of four), ABDO, 2019
  Gavin McNally's Year Off, Escaping the Fire (Book #1)
  Gavin McNally's Year Off, Weathering the Blizzard (Book #2)
  Gavin McNally's Year Off, Saving the Alligators (Book #3)
  Gavin McNally's Year Off, Hunting the Treasure (Book #4)
  

• To Live on an Island, Little Bigfoot, 2019
  

  • Northern California Independent Booksellers Bestseller List
    

• Maddy McGuire, CEO (series of four), ABDO, 2018
  Maddy McGuire, CEO, Pet Camp (Book #1)
  Maddy McGuire, CEO, Pop-Up Movie Theater (Book #2)
  Maddy McGuire, CEO, Crafting for a Cause (Book #3)
  Maddy McGuire, CEO, Bring Back the Bees (Book #4)
  

• Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West, Little Bigfoot, 2016
  

  • Bank Street College's Cook Award
    

  • Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award
    

  • Finalist Crystal Kite
    

  • Finalist WA State Book Award
    

• Dogs Save the Day series, ABDO, September 2026

Twitter: @EmmaBlandSmith • Facebook: Emmablandsmith • Instagram: emmasmithsf • Website: emmabsmith.com