If the Moon

Written by Matthew Burgess

Stonefruit Books, Summer 2026

Befana

Aggie and the Ghost

Written by Matthew Forsythe

Published by Simon & Schuster 2025

A story about setting boundaries with your ghost.

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Best of 2025 NY Magazine

Best of 2025 School Library Journal

Best of 2025 Globe & Mail

2025 JLG Gold Selection

2025 Indie Kids’ Next List

Indie Best Seller in US / #1 Best-Selling Cdn Book in Canada

REVIEWS:

★ “This might be a perfect picture book.

“I love everything about Matthew Forsythe’s Aggie and the Ghost. I love Aggie. I love the ghost. I love the writing, the themes, the illustrations, and the close attention paid to page-turns, colours, and mood.” -Quill & Quire

★ “Forsythe's wry humor and whimsical illustrations are a masterclass in comedic timing.” - Shelf Awareness

★ “A subtle, sweet friendship story from a true original.” - Booklist

★ “Many astute moments of comedy in a book that captures the dance of unlikely bonds” - Publisher’s Weekly

“Children and adults will howl at the deadpan comedy of this tale about making room in the spirit of friendship.” - Washington Post

“A wonderful smudgy color scheme that is all his own… Reliably funny.” - Wall St Journal

“No one renders a more emotive, inviting, and luminous aesthetic.” - Orion Magazine

“A witty year-round ghost tale that delivers a wonderfully unconventional conclusion.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Again, his art just glows on the page. Again, he is some kind of literary genius, capable of fantastic storytelling, utilizing only the barest minimum of words. And again, he’s funny. Seriously funny.” - Betsy Bird, Fuse8

“Breathtaking illustrations typical of the author's work. A heartwarming read that will be requested on repeat in libraries.” - School Library Journal

“A rare picture book that delights in the unexpected.” - Bookpage

Blog Reviews

“Forsythe’s signature illustrations masterfully supply both emotional depth and charm. A witty year-round ghost story tale that plenty of introverted youngsters will find resonant.” - Kirkus

“Easily one of the very top picture books of 2025.” - DadSuggests

“A masterclass in storytelling for young readers… layered, luminous, and laugh-out-loud funny.” - Momma Braga

“A master at the page-turn-punchline” - Tara Ludwin, Northshire Bookstore

“Unique and lovably, stubbornly, insistently weird, and I am here for it.” - Rebecca Waesch, Joseph Beth Booksellers

Adventure Time

“Tied Together”

I was lead designer on the original Adventure Time series at Cartoon Network and I’m currently working on Adventure Time: Side Quests at Warner Bros.

I made this painting for Adventure Time’s 15th Anniversary show at Gallery Nucleus

Grammar of Fantasy

The Grammar of Fantasy (Enchanted Lion, 2025)

by Gianni Rodari

From the father of modern Italian children’s literature, this is one of the great works on the imagination and how stories get made—with illustrations from Matthew Forsythe and a refreshed translation from Jack Zipes.

Reviews:

“A Literary Genius Who Championed Nonsense,” - NYTimes Review

“The ultimate synthesis of Rodari’s exuberant knowledge, a book of both pedagogy and poetics, poetry for teachers and pedagogy for poets.” —Italo Calvino

★ “A must-have for educators and librarians looking to inject creativity into their classrooms. Rodari provides a thoughtful, informed approach to how imagination and play can foster critical thinking.” —School Library Journal,

MINA

Written by Matthew Forsythe

Published by Simon & Schuster 2022

A story about a family of mice that gets a pet cat.

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2023 Marilyn Baillie Prize Winner

2022 Governor General’s Award Finalist

2023 Wanda Gag Read Aloud Award Winner

A 2022 Kirkus Book of the Year

A 2022 Shelf Awareness Book of the Year

A 2022 CBC Books Book of the Year

2022 Quebec Writers Federation Prize Winner

2022 Barnes & Noble Prize Shortlist

2022 Society of Illustrators: Original Art Show Selection

REVIEWS:

★ “Pitch Perfect.” - Shelf Awareness

★ “Unpredictable and uproarious.” - Booklist

★ “More, please, of Forsythe’s richly imagined worlds.” - The Horn Book

★ “Expertly crafted . . . Engaging, perfectly paced and full of controlled suspense and biting humor.” - School Library Journal

“A laugh-out-loud tale with a meaningful message that will resonate with children of all ages.” - Marilyn Baillie Award Committee

“Employing a range in picture books that is rarely seen and even more rarely with this strength and tenderness. “ - Neue Züricher Zeitung, Switzerland

“Rarely does a children's book cast such a spell even on adults.” - Frankfurter Allemagne Zeitung

“This uniquely told, beautifully illustrated story manages to look directly at the big idea of parental fallibility—wrapped up with love and faith and trust—from such a distinctly child’s eye that we don’t even know it’s doing it.” - Jury’s Notes, Quebec Writers’ Federation

“Instant classic.” - Barnes & Noble

“Captivating.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Timeless.” - Daddy Mojo

“A deliciously suspenseful fantasy.” - Publisher’s Weekly

Read the Publisher’s Weekly Interview

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Athens

Painting of central Athens from Mount Lycabettus. (2022)

Robin Robin

Production design and concept art for the Oscar-nominated Aardman Animations holiday musical.

Watch on Netflix

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Les chats de l’Acropole

Traînent ça et là comme des bandes de poètes

Qui auraient appris tous les secrets

Pour les oublier à nouveau

Comme des sculptures

Taillées à même les carrières du Pantélique

Ramenées du passé pour venir nous juger

Mais ils s’étirent et respirent

Et séduisent les touristes

Une fillette se penche pour en caresser un

Et son père dit Nous avons fait tout ce chemin

Pour voir des chats

———

Originally published in Chat, Chat, Chat (Marchand de Feuilles, 2020)

Illustoria Cover

Les Libraires

Pokko and the Drum

Written by Matthew Forsythe

Published by Simon & Schuster 2019

A book about art. And persistence. And a family of frogs that lives in a mushroom.

“Book of the Year” - Publisher’s Weekly

“Book of the Year” - NPR

“Book of the Year” - Quill & Quire

“Book of the Year” - Amazon

“Book of the Year” - NBC / TODAY Show

“Classic.” - NY Times

“Intelligent writing for kids that will not just appeal, but engage and entice.” - Elizabeth Bird

“A funny, quirky, really singular book. There is nothing else out there like this.” -Iowa Public Radio

“Stirring and darkly funny, but his art is just plain gorgeous.” - The Boston Globe

“Instant classic.” - Quill & Quire

“Forsythe’s coy, playful writing is a wonder on its own but the lush watercolour, gouache and coloured pencil illustrations elevate the tale creating a warm and wonderful world.” - Booklist

“Laugh-out-loud funny with a subtle dark side… an ode to creativity and confidence.” - Shelf Awareness

“One of those books you'll always remember reading for the first time.” - Margie Myers-Culver

“Delightful… Forsythe’s vibrantly rich illustrations are fantastically whimsical.” - Globe & Mail

“Dark and hilarious.” - Publishers Weekly

“A fine specimen of modern picturebookmaking - astonishing artwork, terrific writing.” - TODAY / NBC

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The March

Wolf Mother

Mushroom Village

Burning

The Letter

Collaboration with Shonda Rhimes for this book about books. edited by Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick. All proceeds go to the NY public library system.

Cover illustration by Ping Zhu.

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The Brilliant Deep

Images from the book, The Brilliant Deep.

Written by Kate Messner.

A picture book biography about Ken Nedimeyer - a Florida diver who started a global movement to heal coral.

Chronicle Books, 2018

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Pokko Pin

I made this pin with with Gallery Nucleus in Portland.

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Jemima Puddleduck

A painting for the book, A Celebration of Beatrix Potter: Art and letters by more than 30 of today's favorite children's book illustrators (Penguin/Random House, 2016).