Danna Smith

Danna Smith is the award-winning author of over twenty books for children, including The Hawk of the Castle (Candlewick), a 2018 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, Swallow the Leader (Clarion), a number of Little Golden Books, the forthcoming Wake Up, Freight Train! (Little Simon, March 2022), One Blue Gnu (Amicus Ink, March 2022), Rooftop Garden(Barefoot Books sing-along, May 2022), The Thank You Book (Little Simon, Fall 2022) and Peek-a-Boo Haiku (Little Simon, 2023). The Complete Book of Aspen is her debut novel based on her true DNA experience.

When she was young, a pencil was Danna's favorite toy. She grew up weaving words into silly poems or stories that sparked emotion. She wrote her first poem when she was eight, her first short story when she was ten, and her first picture book when she was seventeen. It took years of practice and perseverance before she sold her first picture book manuscript to Disney-Hyperion in 2002.

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, she was exposed to all sorts of creatures through her father who trained, bred, and rehabilitated animals. It was not uncommon to find bobcats, alligators, monkeys, hawks, or even vultures at her home. A love of animals and nature has spilled over into her love of writing.