Matt Tavares' black and white drawing stirs memories of your first game at Fenway Park, seated among thousands of fans hoping that YOU will catch a foul ball. Look closely, it's the left field stands and in the background the "Green Monster," but with the nets--no "Monster Seats!" That's right! This drawing was done in 2001, before there were "Monster Seats!"


Perhaps the illustrator's name doesn't "hit a home run" with you, but it should. Baseball-loving Matt Tavares is the author and illustrator of Zachary's Ball, his first book and winner of an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award, a Massachusetts Book Award Honor and Yankee Magazine named it one of its 40 Classic New England Children's Books.



About the Illustrator: After Zachary's Ball, Matt has published more books including, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which he illustrated, and Oliver's Game, which he wrote and illustrated. He is working on more stories now.