If you’ve ever walked into a library and seen a book that looks like it’s vibrating, you’ve probably met the work of Charles R. Smith Jr. It isn't just about the words on the page. No. It’s about the rhythm. It’s about the way a basketball thumps against a dusty asphalt court or how a poem can feel like a drum solo.
Most people think children’s authors are these quiet, reserved types who sit in mahogany studies with tea. Charles R. Smith Jr. isn't that. He’s a photographer. He’s a poet. He’s a guy who clearly remembers what it feels like to be twelve years old with too much energy and a ball under one arm. Honestly, his career is a masterclass in how to bridge the gap between "high art" and the stuff kids actually care about—like sports, rap, and the sheer joy of movement.
Who is Charles R. Smith Jr. Anyway?
Basically, he’s a storyteller who uses whatever tool is closest to him. Sometimes that’s a Nikon camera. Sometimes it’s a pen. Born and raised in California, he didn't start out wanting to be the guy who won a Coretta Scott King Award. He wanted to play. He wanted to see.
You see his photography in books like Rimshots. It isn't polished, corporate photography. It’s gritty. It’s real. He captures the sweat on a player's forehead and the frayed edges of a basketball net. He once mentioned in an interview that his interest in photography started because he wanted to show things from a different perspective. That’s the key. He doesn't look at kids; he looks with them.
He’s written over thirty books. That is a lot of paper. But if you look at the body of work, there is a pulse running through all of it. Whether he’s writing about Muhammad Ali or the legendary Negro Leagues, he’s hunting for the "soul" of the subject.
The Rhythm of the Page
Have you ever tried to read poetry to a room full of bored teenagers? It’s tough. Most poetry feels like homework. Smith changes the game because he treats words like percussion.
In Hoop Kings and Hoop Queens, the poems aren't just lines of text. They are shaped. They bounce. They mimic the flow of a fast break. This is where his "human-ness" really shines through. He isn't trying to be Shakespeare. He’s trying to be the beat-boxer at the back of the bus.
Breaking the Mold of Biographies
Standard biographies are boring.
"He was born in 1942. He did this. Then he did that."
Charles R. Smith Jr. doesn't do that.
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Take Twelve Rounds to Glory. It’s a biography of Muhammad Ali, but it’s told through rap-inspired verse. It’s big. It’s loud. It matches the personality of the man it’s about. You can’t write a quiet book about Ali. It wouldn't make sense. Smith knows this. He understands that the medium has to match the message.
His work on 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World is another example. It’s a daily journey. It’s digestible. It takes massive, world-altering events and breaks them down so a kid eating cereal can actually process them. He’s a bridge-builder. That’s his real job.
Why the Coretta Scott King Award Was a Big Deal
In 2010, he won the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators for My People, a book featuring the poem by Langston Hughes. This was a massive moment. It solidified him as a heavy hitter in the world of African American literature.
But here is the thing: he didn't draw the pictures. He took photographs.
Using photography in a picture book is risky. Usually, people want watercolors or whimsical sketches. Smith used sepia-toned, stunningly intimate portraits of Black faces. It was raw. It was beautiful. It forced the reader to look at the "people" Hughes was talking about as real, living humans, not just characters in a story. It was a bold move that paid off because it felt authentic.
The Sports Connection
Let’s talk about the sports.
A lot of people dismiss sports books as "fluff." They think they are just for kids who don't want to read "real" books. Smith treats sports as a legitimate form of expression. He sees the poetry in a jump shot.
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- Rimshots
- Diamond Life
- Hoop Kings
- Stars in the Shadows
He covers basketball, baseball, even the Olympics. But he’s always looking for the struggle. He’s looking for the kid who’s practicing until their fingers are cold. He’s looking for the history of the Negro Leagues, where players had to be twice as good just to get half the credit.
In Stars in the Shadows, he brings the history of the Negro Leagues to life. He doesn't just list stats. He tells the story of the fans, the buses, the hot dogs, and the pride. It’s immersive. You can almost smell the grass.
What People Get Wrong About His Process
Some folks think he just snaps a few pictures and jots down some rhymes. Kinda insulting, honestly.
His process is actually pretty rigorous. When he’s doing a book like Black Jack: The Life and Times of John Arthur "Jack" Johnson, he’s digging through archives. He’s looking at old fight films. He’s trying to figure out the why behind the person.
He’s also a perfectionist with his layouts. Because he’s both a writer and a photographer, he thinks about how the words sit next to the images. He doesn't want them to fight. He wants them to dance.
The Impact on Reluctant Readers
If you’re a teacher or a parent, you know the "reluctant reader." The kid who would rather do literally anything else.
Charles R. Smith Jr. is the "secret weapon" for these kids. Why? Because his books don't look like "school." They look like magazines. They look like art galleries. They look like the world the kids actually live in.
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He uses "concrete poetry"—where the words are arranged to look like the subject. If he’s writing about a ball going through a hoop, the words might literally curve into a circle. It’s visual. It’s tactile. It’s smart.
Actionable Insights: How to Use the Spirit of Smith's Work
You don't have to be an award-winning author to take a page out of Charles R. Smith Jr.’s book. Whether you're a creator, a teacher, or just someone trying to communicate better, here is what we can learn from him:
1. Mix your media. Don't just stick to one way of telling a story. If you're explaining something, use a photo. Use a rhythm. Break the format. If the standard way is boring, do it the non-standard way.
2. Find the "Beat" in your subject. Everything has a rhythm. A business plan, a history lesson, a cooking recipe. If you can find the pulse, people will listen. Smith found the pulse in basketball and turned it into literature.
3. Respect the audience. He never talks down to kids. He assumes they can handle complex emotions and gritty reality. Whether you are writing for five-year-olds or fifty-year-olds, don't play it safe. Be real.
4. Focus on the "Soul" not just the Stats. If you’re telling a story about a person, don't just give their resume. Tell people what made them sweat. Tell people what made them get up in the morning.
5. Study the greats to create the new. Smith constantly references giants like Langston Hughes or Muhammad Ali. He stands on their shoulders to see further. Know your history, then add your own flavor to it.
Charles R. Smith Jr. is still out there, probably with a camera around his neck or a notebook in his pocket. He’s a reminder that art isn't something that lives in a museum. It lives on the court, in the street, and in the rhythm of our own voices.
To really appreciate his work, don't just read it silently. Read it out loud. Feel the syllables. That’s where the magic is. It’s not just ink on paper; it’s a heartbeat.