photo by Phyllis Graber Jenson

Matt Tavares was born in Boston, Massachusetts on December 4, 1975. He grew up in Winchester, a suburb just outside of Boston.  Matt wrote and illustrated his first picture book, Sebastian's Ball, as his senior thesis at Bates College. Two years later, after much revision, Sebastian's Ball became Zachary's Ball, his first published picture book. Zachary's Ball went on to win an Oppenheim Gold Seal Award, a Massachusetts Book Award Honor, and was named one of Yankee Magazine's 40 Classic New England Children's Books. Since then, Matt has published five more books, all with Candlewick Press: he was the author-illustrator of  Mudball and Oliver's Game, and the illustrator of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, attributed to Anonymous, Jack and the Beanstalk, written by E. Nesbit, and Iron Hans: A Grimms' Fairy Tale, retold by Stephen Mitchell. Jack and the Beanstalk won a Parents' Choice Gold Award, and was named to the New York Public Library's "Children's Books 2006: 100 Books for Reading and Sharing" list. Mudball was a finalist for several state book awards, and won a Parents' Choice Gold Award. Oliver's Game won a Parent's Choice Silver Honor and an International Reading Association Children's Book Award. Matt's illustrations have been exhibited at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, and at the Brandywine River Museum. Matt lives in Ogunquit, Maine with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters. For more information about Matt, visit the Candlewick Press website.