Matthew Burgess 's Avatar

Matthew Burgess

@matthewburgessj.bsky.social

Poet, Professor, & Children's Book Author. Brooklyn College. Forthcoming: Words With Wings & Magic Things, illust. Doug Salati (Tundra / Penguin Canada, 2025) & Fireworks, illust. Cátia Chien (Harper Collins, 2025). www.matthewjohnburgess.com

232 Followers  |  151 Following  |  7 Posts  |  Joined: 26.01.2025  |  1.6077

Latest posts by matthewburgessj.bsky.social on Bluesky

Preview
Fireworks

#CallingCaldecott "When I think of the #Caldecott terms + criteria, I think of all the ways Cátia Chien’s explosive + evocative visuals in FIREWORKS more than honors them" www.hbook.com/story/firewo... @bribop.bsky.social @matthewburgessj.bsky.social @clarionbooks.bsky.social @harperkids.bsky.social

23.10.2025 16:37 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Post image

Cover Reveal for "Mungo On His Own" written by @matthewburgessj.bsky.social and published by @harpercollins.bsky.social The book follows young Mungo who ventures on his own for the first time in search of some berries.

In stores January 27th, 2026!

09.10.2025 13:08 — 👍 10    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Post image

What's your favorite summer activity? 🎆

We personally love spending our time reading fun, colorful picture books that radiate summer joy 📚 FIREWORKS by @matthewburgessj.bsky.social and Cátia Chien is the ideal read-aloud book—and it includes a special surprise that will surely delight readers!

10.06.2025 15:17 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Actually, the other review in my forever file is the one you wrote about Drawing on Walls, where you zero in on the cuddle between Keith Haring and Juan DuBose. That was a huge moment for me.

10.05.2025 15:19 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

There are few reviews that really stay with you, that you slide into the forever file. This is one that makes the heart kaboom kaboom kaboom. Thank you @fuse8.bsky.social ❤️

10.05.2025 06:36 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Post image

Modern picture books captivate child & adult readers alike.

Join @kyomaclear.bsky.social w guest authors @bottomshelfbks.bsky.social, X. Fang, @matthewburgessj.bsky.social, & @dirtbagg.bsky.social for a practical and inspirational plunge into visual storytelling: offassignment.com/picture-books

22.04.2025 16:31 — 👍 2    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
The cover of children’s picture book The Red Tin Box by Matthew Burgess, Illustrated by Evan Turk. An impressionistic illustration of a young girl with curly brown hair, lowering a red tin box into a small hole in the ground. She’s kneeling in a field of grass beneath a flowering dogwood tree. The mood is peaceful and warm.

The cover of children’s picture book The Red Tin Box by Matthew Burgess, Illustrated by Evan Turk. An impressionistic illustration of a young girl with curly brown hair, lowering a red tin box into a small hole in the ground. She’s kneeling in a field of grass beneath a flowering dogwood tree. The mood is peaceful and warm.

Recently read The Red Tin Box by @matthewburgessj.bsky.social. A dreamlike story about growing up, growing old, nostalgia and promise. Evan Turk’s lush illustrations convey the intensity of memories and the power of sharing them. This one tugs the heart strings.

💙📚👍🏼 #BookSky #KidLit

17.04.2025 01:22 — 👍 10    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Quote from The Children's Book Podcast - A Puzzle to Solve with Matthew Burgess and Doug Salati Poetry is fun and anything is possible in a poem.

"Poetry is fun and anything is possible in a poem." - Matthew Burgess deepcast.fm/episode/a-pu... @matthewburgessj.bsky.social

17.04.2025 13:44 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 1
Picture of snowy owl with the book “Words With Wings And Magic Things.”

Picture of snowy owl with the book “Words With Wings And Magic Things.”

A spellbinding collection of poems for kids celebrating the power of words to awaken the imagination by author @matthewburgessj.bsky.social Caldecott medalist Doug Salati! A gorgeous gift book for fans of Shel Silverstein with seven die-cut spreads throughout. #booksky #kidlit #indiebookstore

29.03.2025 12:33 — 👍 10    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

Thank you for sharing our book! Love the owl. 🥰

29.03.2025 20:31 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

“extraordinary”?

15.02.2025 18:38 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Post image

"A spellbinding collection of poems for young readers that celebrates the power of words to awaken the imagination and alchemize the everyday."

Win a copy of @matthewburgessj.bsky.social & Doug Salati's "Words with Wings and Magic Things" from Tundra Books 💙📚

www.librarything.com/ner/detail/5...

13.02.2025 18:41 — 👍 6    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 0

Thank you!

15.02.2025 18:11 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

THE PURPLE ONE: A STORY OF PRINCE by @matthewburgessj.bsky.social is featured in @thehornbook.bsky.social’s round-up for #BlackHistoryMonth —alongside Jason Reynolds!

🎸🎶🕊️💜

#kidlit #picturebooks #picturebookbio #prince

12.02.2025 20:06 — 👍 5    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

I honestly believe our most powerful position in a toxic time that feeds on cynicism, apathy,& despair is to genuinely care and act for a better world.

Cynicism is our enemy. We should check it, incl. on the left. It’s not intellectually superior. It’s the virus they’re trying to infect us with. NO

31.01.2025 19:04 — 👍 146692    🔁 24307    💬 4211    📌 1480

Expect plenty more of Gus to grace your feed. 🐶

28.01.2025 00:08 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Post image

This is me waving hello to the Blue Sky people for the first time. Disgusted by META & giving this a try.

26.01.2025 19:51 — 👍 38    🔁 0    💬 7    📌 0

@matthewburgessj is following 18 prominent accounts