In the small backyard of a quiet Dutch Colonial home in Ardmore sits a time machine. Modest in size and clad in green siding, it also operates as a sanctuary and, most importantly, an art studio. The space belongs to illustrator and author Matt Phelan, who’s spent the past 20 years making a name for himself in the world of children’s literature.
Phelan has illustrated over 20 books from other authors, including Newberry Medal recipient The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron. He’s also written and illustrated four award-winning graphic novels, several picture books and a growing collection of chapter books. All are beloved by children, teachers, librarians and parents alike.
Phelan didn’t illustrate his first book until he was in his 30s. Now 54, he’s spent decades honing his craft. His work benefits from a heavy dose of imagination and a childlike sensibility attuned to the experiences of growing up. “I always had a sense that I wanted to do something creative,” Phelan says. “I was into puppets, special effects, movies, stop-motion and drawing.”
Entering Phelan’s studio, one gets a glimpse of that 12-year-old boy. The space is full of beloved items from his childhood. Bookshelves are stuffed with the likes of A. A. Milne, Charles Schulz, Walt Disney, Maurice Sendak and Ray Bradbury. Framed photos of creative heroes like Jim Henson, Orson Welles and Buster Keaton hang on the wall. Vinyl LPs from his teens are stacked to one side, and the model trains his family set up every year at Christmas sit above his drafting table. “The things that inspired me then still inspire me today,” Phelan says.
Phelan moved to Upper Darby at age 10 and eventually studied film at Temple University. While working in the children’s section of a bookstore after college, he began focusing on book illustration, spending the next five years developing his art and working on a portfolio. He’d draw before work and during lunch breaks to fine-tune his craft.
At age 33, he signed up for a portfolio review at a conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, which led to two assignments: The New Girl … And Me by Jacqui Robbins and The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney. Taking on both books simultaneously, he quit his day job and dove in.
It’s continued that way for the past 20 years. The Storm in the Barn, Phelan’s first graphic novel and winner of the 2010 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, takes young readers to Dust Bowl-era Kansas in the 1930s for a haunting tale of courage and maturation. Most recently, Phelan’s time has been spent writing and illustrating a series of beginner chapter books starring a peacock named Plum and a quirky cohort of animal friends.
Phelan’s sensibilities often mirror those of Mr. Rogers. Interestingly, Phelan illustrated 2019’s You Are My Friend: The Story of Mr. Rogers and His Neighborhood, written by Aimee Reid.
“If you told the 12-year-old me that my job would be books for kids, well, that checks out,” says Phelan.
Visit mattphelan.com.
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