Ted Williams and Randy Riley

Hey look, it's Chris Van Dusen and me on 207, talking about our new baseball books, There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived (by me) and Randy Riley's Really Big Hit (by Chris)!



Which reminds me... this is just a few days away!


OPENING DAY! A Book Launch Celebration with Chris Van Dusen and Matt Tavares
10:30 AM on Saturday, February 25 at  Kennebooks in Kennebunk, Maine
We'll read our new books, answer questions, and sign books. There will be ballpark food and plenty of fun baseball-themed stuff for everyone to do. Come dressed for the ballgame, in your favorite Red Sox gear (or Yankee gear, if you must). It should be a lot of fun.

Chris and I will be doing a mini-tour of some of our favorite independent bookstores around Maine and New Hampshire. So if you can't make it to this one, maybe we'll see you at one of the other events!

Early Reviews for THERE GOES TED WILLIAMS

A couple nice reviews for There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived...

From School Library Journal:

"Following his outstanding Henry Aaron’s Dream (Candlewick, 2010), Tavares has written an equally stunning book about another Baseball Hall of Famer....Williams’s charisma dominates the illustrations, from the very first one of a scrawny boy swinging under the palm trees of a San Diego playground, to his final trip around the bases at Fenway. Due attention is also given to Williams’s distinguished military career, which he approached with the same determination to dominate as he did hitting.... This is a glorious tribute to a baseball legend and a complicated human being."

and this from Kirkus:

"Williams was a complex and difficult personality, but Tavares chooses to focus on these larger-than-life heroics, telling of Williams’ desire to be the best at everything he attempted and the joy he felt when he accomplished his goals. The language is rich in imagery, with short, action-packed sentences.... Commanding watercolor, gouache and pencil illustrations depict Williams in action as a boy, a major-leaguer and a Navy pilot. Tavares captures him well in his Red Sox uniform, with his unique swing and home-run trot."

The book comes out in three weeks. So far, so good!

By the way, you can still enter to win a free copy!

THERE GOES TED WILLIAMS in The Horn Book Magazine!

One of my favorite gifts this past Christmas was a subscription to The Horn Book Magazine. I just got my first issue yesterday, and it was truly an honor to see a really nice review of There Goes Ted Williams, along with my illustration of Ted Williams on a combat mission during the Korean War. Here's a peek:

And here are some quotes from the review:

"Tavares’s present-tense narrative lends drama and immediacy to the all-smiles-and-heroics biography, and the watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations depict Williams as large as a double-page spread can hold. On one spread, Williams’s head, torso, and baseball bat, in typical homerun swing, consume the available space. Turn the page, and an F9F Panther fighter jet all but flies out of the book.... Published in time for Fenway Park’s centennial celebrations, this full-of-life biography will be a hit with young baseball fans." -The Horn Book Magazine

Not too shabby! But the real gem of the January/Febraury issue of The Horn Book Magazine is the incredible cover art by Sally Mavor. I got to see the original art when I met Sally at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair in November, and seeing it in person really made me appreciate how much work must go into making art like this. It's mind-boggling, and truly amazing...

To learn about Sally's process, read this.

By the way, you can still enter to win an advance copy of There Goes Ted Williams, here!

The Night I Slept at Fenway Park

This weekend I'm signing books at a wonderful event called New Stars for Young Stars, a fundraiser for The Jimmy Fund. It's a chance for kids to meet some of the rising stars in the Red Sox farm system, as well as their new manager Bobby Valentine, starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and one of my all-time favorite baseball players, Pedro Martinez. I am really excited to meet Pedro. I have so many great memories of watching him pitch, but this one might be my favorite:

It was the night before Game 3 of the 1999 American League Championship Series. The Sox had lost the first two games at Yankee Stadium, but now they were heading back to Fenway for game 3. Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez, the greatest pitcher in baseball coming off his greatest season, was set to face the greatest Red Sox pitcher of my childhood, Roger Clemens, now pitching for the Yankees. This was the first time the Red Sox and Yankees had ever faced each other in the postseason, and at the time this game really had that "once in a lifetime" feeling.

It was around midnight. I was at a party in Somerville, talking with some friends about the game, talking about how awesome it would be to be at Fenway for "Pedro vs. Roger". The game was sold out of course, but I had heard the Red Sox were going to make some tickets available at the Fenway ticket office on the morning of the game. I mentioned this, and someone suggested we head into Fenway right then to wait in line. A bunch of people liked the idea, but by the time the cab arrived, it was just me and one other guy. So he and I got in the cab and headed for Boston.

We arrived at Fenway around 12:30 am. There were already 117 people there. I know it was 117, because soon after I arrived, a man came up to me with a sharpie and wrote the number 118 on my hand. He was sort of the Mayor of this little world on Yawkey Way. This was his way of keeping order, and making sure the people who had waited here all night got first dibs on the tickets.

The Mayor of Yawkey Way, October 15, 1999

So we stayed there all night. By morning, there were probably 250 crazy Red Sox fans hanging out, taking turns heading into Kenmore Square for coffee and hot chocolate. It was a blast. Some people really came prepared, with beach chairs, sleeping bags, and food. Not me. At least I was wearing a jacket and a winter hat.

Me, with my pals 117 and 116, 115, etc.

Morning finally came.

Me in line. I look tired.

Around 9:00 am, the line started moving. I made it all the way to the front...

And I got two tickets! I called my dad, and he said he'd come in and join me. Then I went and took at nap at a friend's place.

My father at Fenway, before game 3 of the 1999 ALCS

The players warming up

The pregame ceremony

Pedro pitching!

Our view was a bit obstructed, but we had pretty awesome seats. And what a game! The Red Sox won 13-1. Pedro pitched seven innings and only gave up 2 hits while striking out 12. Clemens seemed rattled by the "Roger, Roger" chants, and was knocked out of the game with nobody out in the 3rd. I was exhausted, but it was a very exciting, exhilarating day. This was the only game they won in the series. I'm glad I was there to see it.

There Goes Ted Williams is a Junior Library Guild Selection!

Great news- my upcoming There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived is a 2012 Junior Library Guild Selection! The release date is still 6 months away, and it's very exciting to get some early positive feedback. You can check it out on the JLG website. Of all the books I've made, I think this one is my favorite. I can't wait for it to come out.

the cover illustration for There Goes Ted Williams, in progress