Urania Smith

I write funny books, I think. Humor in picture books is the one thing that drew me to the children’s genre of writing. I envisioned myself as a romance writer until Mo’ Willems’ pigeon stole my heart. All those hours penning steamy romance scenes never prepared me to fall in love with a pigeon.

I believe when you make someone laugh, you’ve touched them in some way. Laughter is universal. We do it when we’re happy, and we do it when we’re sad. As a writer, it’s my mission to break through all the crap that kids deal with in their life and make them smile. And for the kids that look like me, who are growing up in the inner city like I did, I don’t want them to just see themselves in books. I want them to see themselves in books and laugh out loud.

When I’m not writing, you can find me volunteering for The Society of Children’s Book Illustrators-Illinois’ Equity and Inclusion Team, as a team member for KidLitGN, and as a Co-Founder of KidLit Nation. I’m also an avid decorator, DIYer, and cook. My key lime pie should be sold in stores. It’s seriously that good!