Jerry Smath
As children, our first exposure to art is usually children’s books, and that magic never leaves us. I set about trying to capture that same magic in my paintings – with the warmth of folk art, the exuberance of abstraction and sometimes humor.
An award-winning illustrator and author of more than 160 children’s books, Jerry Smath created books that have been phenomenally popular, repeatedly winning prizes like the Children’s Choice Award, Kids First Award and Parents Choice Award, as well as being selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club. His first book, But No Elephants, became a children’s classic, selling more than a million copies.
Jerry’s astonishing talent and range as a painter was on full display 24 years ago, when the Croton Council on the Arts sponsored the first solo exhibit of works from his private collection. From 19th Century-style landscapes and seascapes to contemporary abstracts, fanciful fairytale scenes to familiar settings in Croton and the Hudson Valley, Jerry painted them all, infusing them with his signature wit and élan.
The art shown in the Spring 2025 issue of the New Croton Review (NCR)
demonstrates this range, and conveys the charm, the inventiveness and the cheerfulness that are the hallmarks of Jerry Smath’s art.
There was a special exhibition of Jerry's art during June 2025, as described below (scroll down to see it).
Jerry Smath's Books on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APGSLUJerry Smath's Books on Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/28754/jerry-smath/
Would you like to own one of Jerry's original drawings or paintings? Jerry created hundreds of illustrations for his books and, in a dazzling array of styles and media, many more paintings. You can make an appointment with his wife Valerie, or daughter Judy, to see Jerry's work. They live locally (in the Croton area), and would be happy to show the collection to interested buyers. Just fill out the form below, and Valerie or Judy will be in touch with you.
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Jerry Smath, whose paintings light up the covers, front and back, of NCR’s Spring 2025 issue,
was one of Croton’s most notable artists/authors.
Known primarily as the creator and illustrator of phenomenally popular,
prize-winning children’s books (his best seller,
But No Elephants, sold more than a million copies),
Jerry was also a master of many other styles and genres,
as shown in the special portfolio of his paintings in
NCR's Spring 2025 issue.
Jerry’s admirers and the community at large witnessed the full range of his talent at
a special two-day pop-up exhibit of his work on June 21 and 22 of 2025.