The invention belongs to the technical field of seed emulsion polymerization, relates to a preparation of a high polymer material, and especially relates to a small-particle-size carboxylic styrene-butadiene latex and its preparation method. Technical problems comprising unadjustable particle size, bad mechanical stability, bad chemical stability and the like of latexes in the prior art are solved in the invention. The preparation method which adopts a seed emulsion polymerization technology and adopts butadiene and styrene as monomers comprises the following steps: adding soft water, a seed latex, an electrolyte, a chelating agent and a pH buffering agent; heating; adding functional monomers, unsaturated carboxylic acid, a molecular weight adjustment agent, a composite emulsifier and an initiator; degassing when the conversion rate reaches above 98%; cooling; and synthesizing the carboxylic styrene-butadiene latex. Compared with the prior art, the preparation method of the small-particle-size carboxylic styrene-butadiene latex has the advantages of realization of the adjustment of the particle size of the latex, and simple operation; and compared with present carboxylic styrene-butadiene latexes, the carboxylic styrene-butadiene latex prepared in the invention has the advantages of narrow monodispersion, good fluidity, excellent mechanical stability and excellent chemical stability.