Matthew Burgess is a poet, educator, and the author of many celebrated children's books, including Fireworks, Words With Wings and Magic Things, and Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring. He edited an anthology of visual art and writing titled Dream Closet: Meditations on Childhood Space, as well as a collection of essays titled Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry. More books are forthcoming, including Mungo On His Own (HarperCollins 2026), Serafina Makes Waves (Penguin/Dial, 2026), and If The Moon (Sourcebooks, 2026). An Associate Professor at Brooklyn College, Matthew also taught poetry writing in NYC public schools for many years and he currently serves as senior editor of Teachers & Writers Magazine.