Matt Tavares
Illustration — Tavares at the 2019 Texas Book Festival. Matthew Manuel Tavares (born December 4, 1975) is an American illustrator and writer of children's picture books.
Also recorded as Matthew Manuel Tavares
Matt Tavares
Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
- Born
- 1975 · Boston.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- writer · illustrator
- Education
- Bates College
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wikidata · Q15461936 · wikipedia · Matt Tavares
In this article
Biography
Biography
Tavares was born in Boston. During his childhood, his mother read to him every night and his family often visited the local library. He majored in studio art at Bates College. As his senior thesis at Bates, Tavares wrote and illustrated "Sebastian's Ball", a story about a boy who catches a magical foul ball at a Boston Red Sox game. Three years later in 2000, after much revision, it became his first published picture book, Zachary's Ball from Candlewick Press. Zachary's Ball went on to win a Massachusetts Book Award Honor and to be named one of "40 Classic New England Children's Books" by Yankee Magazine. At least 20 more books illustrated by Tavares have been published since then, including several for which he has written the text. They have won several awards including three Parents' Choice Gold Awards. His artwork has been exhibited at the Museum of American Illustration, the Brandywine River Museum, and the Mazza Museum of Picture Book Art. When not working in his studio, Tavares travels the country speaking and drawing at schools, libraries, conferences, and bookstores. He has presented at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Eric Carle Museum, and the White House Easter Egg Roll, and has done book signings at Fenway Park. Tavares lives in Maine with his wife and two daughters.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Recorded with the occupation writer. Recorded with the occupation children's writer. Institutional cataloguing adds that matt Tavares is recorded with the occupation picture book writer. Recorded with the occupation illustrator. Recorded as a citizen of United States. Institutional cataloguing adds that matt Tavares is recorded with the gender male. Born on 4 December 1975.
Published books
Where no writer is named, Tavares is the writer as well as the illustrator. • Zachary's Ball (Candlewick Press, 2000) • Twas the Night Before Christmas, or Account of A Visit from St. Nicholas, Anonymous, 1823 (Candlewick, 2002) • Oliver's Game (Candlewick, 2004) • Mudball (Candlewick, 2005) • Jack and the Beanstalk, by E. Nesbit, 1908 (Candlewick, 2006) • Iron Hans: A Grimm's Fairy Tale, retold by Stephen Mitchell (Candlewick, 2007) • Lady Liberty: A Biography, by Doreen Rappaport (Candlewick, 2008) • The Gingerbread Pirates, by Kristen Kladstrup (Candlewick, 2009) • Henry Aaron's Dream (Candlewick, 2010) • Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy, by Doreen Rappaport (Disney-Hyperion, 2010) • Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy's Song about Thanksgiving Day, by Lydia Maria Child, 1848 (Candlewick, 2011) • There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived (Candlewick, 2012) • Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, by Doreen Rappaport (Disney-Hyperion, 2012) • Becoming Babe Ruth (Candlewick, 2013) • Jubilee: One Man's Big, Bold and Very, Very Loud Celebration of Peace, by Alicia Potter (Candlewick, 2014) – about P. S. Gilmore • Growing Up Pedro (Candlewick, 2015) – about Pedro Martínez • Crossing Niagara: The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin (Candlewick, 2016) • Lighter Than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot, by Matthew Clark Smith (Candlewick, 2017) • Red & Lulu (Candlewick, 2017) • Dasher (Candlewick, 2019) • A Ben of All Trades, by Michael J. Rosen (Candlewick, 2020) • Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, by Jeff Gottesfeld (Candlewick, 2021 • Hoops: A Graphic Novel (Candlewick, 2023) • Dasher Can't Wait for Christmas (Candlewick, 2023)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Matt Tavares”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q15461936: Matt Tavares
General reference · Wikidata
Awards and honors
Awards: • New England Book Award: Hoops, 2023 • Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Award: Hoops, 2023 • California Young Reader Medal: Helen's Big World, 2016 • Lupine Award: Helen's Big World, 2012 (Honor Books: Henry Aaron's Dream, 2010; Jubilee, 2014; Growing Up Pedro, 2015) • Parents' Choice Gold Award: Mudball, 2005, Jack and the Beanstalk, 2006, Lady Liberty: A Biography, 2008 • The Audrey Geisel Friend of Military Children Award, awarded by United Through Reading: Twenty-One Steps, 2021 Other honors: • Massachusetts Book Award Honors: Zachary's Ball, 2000; There Goes Ted Williams, 2012; Jubilee, 2014; Growing Up Pedro, 2015) • Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, awarded by the National Council of Teachers of English: Henry Aaron's Dream, Recommended Book, 2010; Growing Up Pedro, Honor Book, 2015 • Texas Bluebonnet Award, master list: Lady Liberty: A Biography, 2009-2010 Other listings: • ALA Notable Books (Growing Up Pedro, 2016; Helen's Big World, 2013; Twenty-One Steps, 2022) • Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (Mudball, 2005; Lady Liberty, 2008; Becoming Babe Ruth, 2013; Jubilee, 2015; Crossing Niagara, 2016) • Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Awards: Zachary's Ball, Lady Liberty, Over the River and Through the Wood, Becoming Babe Ruth, Jack's Path of Courage, There Goes Ted Williams • New York Times Best Seller list: Dasher, 2019-2022 • Indiebound National Best Seller list: The Gingerbread Pirates, 2009; Red & Lulu, 2017; Dasher, 2019; Hoops, 2023 • USA Today Bestseller list: Dasher, 2020-2022 • Indiebound Kids' Next List: Hoops, 2023
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Matt Tavares, revision 1350903815 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
References
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References
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reference work
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General reference
Further particulars
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Further particulars
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This entry is compiled from 7 catalogued sources across 4 independent registers. The registers consulted are Crossref registry, Wikidata, Internet Archive and Wikipedia. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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