Will James

William Roderick James (born Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault; June 6, 1892 – September 3, 1942) was a Canadian-American artist and author renowned for his depictions of the American West. He wrote and illustrated 23 books, including the Newbery Medal-winning Smoky the Cowhorse (1926) and his fictionalized autobiography Lone Cowboy (1930), blending cowboy life stories for adults and children with his own illustrations. After a youth in Quebec, he became a cowboy, served time for cattle rustling, worked as a stuntman, and transitioned to writing after art training in San Francisco.Will James (artist) - Wikipedia)