Roland Smith is an American author renowned for his contributions to young adult fiction as well as nonfiction books for children. Born in Portland, Oregon, Smith graduated from Portland State University. He embarked on a 20-year career as a zookeeper, working at the Oregon Zoo and the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington.

Smith's experiences in wildlife rescue, including efforts following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, inspired his first book, Sea Otter Rescue, published in 1990. This non-fiction work delves into the process of animal rescue.

He continued to draw upon his zookeeping experiences for other non-fiction titles, including Journey of the Red Wolf, which won an Oregon Book Award in 1996.

In 1997, Smith published his first novel, Thundercave, marking his entry into young adult fiction.