Chef and opera singer Alexander Smalls will release his first children’s book next year, People magazine reports.
Denene Millner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, will publish When Alexander Graced the Table, co-written with Millner and illustrated by Frank Morrison, in the winter. The press calls the picture book “a tender celebration of family, traditions, and the little moments shared at the dinner table that make all the difference.”
Smalls won Tony and Grammy awards in 1977 as part of the cast of the Houston Grand Opera’s production of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and, starting in the 1990s, opened a series of restaurants including Café Beulah, Sweet Ophelia’s, Minton’s, and The Cecil.
His previous books include Grace the Table: Stories and Recipes From My Southern Revival and Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen, co-written with Veronica Chambers.
His children’s book follows Alexander, a boy who looks forward to Sunday meals after church and is asked to contribute a dish for the first time.
Smalls announced his book on Instagram, writing, “Beyond excited…grateful and thankful to my amazing team of artists and collaborators who helped and supported me in fulfilling yet another dream…life goal and milestone.”
When Alexander Graced the Table is scheduled for publication on Jan. 7, 2025.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
