Charles R. Smith, Jr. is an award-winning author, photographer and poet with over thirty books to his credit. His awards include a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration for his photographs accompanying the Langston Hughes poem, My People , and a Coretta Scott King Honor Author Award for his biography on Muhammad Ali, Twelve Rounds to Glory . He grew up in California and attended the Brooks Institute of Photography. Charles currently lives with his family in Poughkeepsie, New York. Visit him at CharlesRSmithJr.com.