Becoming Babe Ruth

New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Matt Tavares was born in Boston and grew up surrounded by books and reading. From the time he was very young, his mother read to him every night, and his family made countless trips to the public library. Years later, as a studio art major at Bates College, he rediscovered his love for picture books and decided to try to make his own. For his senior project, he wrote and illustrated a story called Sebastian’s Ball. Three years later, after much revision, Sebastian’s Ball became Zachary’s Ball, his first published picture book. Zachary’s Ball went on to receive a Massachusetts Book Award Honor and was named one of Yankee Magazine’s 40 Classic New England Children’s Books. Since then, Matt Tavares has created more than twenty other books, including the New York Times best-selling Dasher series, which has been translated into eight languages, and his debut graphic novel, Hoops, which won a New England Book Award. His artwork has been exhibited at the Brandywine River Museum, the Eric Carle Museum, and the Mazza Museum. When he’s not working in his studio on his latest book project, Matt Tavares travels the country speaking and drawing at schools, libraries, conferences, and bookstores. He has presented at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the White House, and he's even done a few book signings at Fenway Park. Matt Tavares lives in Maine with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters.