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Matt Forrest Esenwine

Goodreads Author

Born

Baltimore, MD, The United States

Website

https://www.MattForrest.com

Twitter

mattforrestvw

Genre

Children's, Poetry

Influences

Dorothy Aldis, Shel Silverstein, Stan Freberg, Asimov, Poe, Frost, She ...more

Member Since

April 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/matt_forrest_esenwine

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As a radio broadcaster, Matt spent a good deal of time writing and producing commercials and comedy bits. He also wrote poetry, which was published in various national journals and anthologies including the Donald Hall tribute, "Except for Love" (Encircle, 2019). Little did he know all this short-form writing would lead to his debut picture book, the Kirkus-starred "Flashlight Night" (Astra Young Readers, 2017), which was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best Books for Kids 2017 and even showed up on Encyclopedia Brittanica’s list of “11 Children’s Books That Inspire Imagination.”

Matt now has more than a dozen books to his credit including "I Am Today" (POW! Kids Books, 2022), which received the 2023 NH State Literary ...more

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Matt Forrest Esenwine’s books

Average rating: 4.12 · 966 ratings · 316 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Fred Koehler (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations) 4.04 avg rating — 495 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Once Upon Another Time by Charles Ghigna (Goodreads Author), Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Andres F Landazabal (Illustrations) 4.09 avg rating — 203 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I Am Today by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Patricia Pessoa (Illustrator) 4.76 avg rating — 49 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Beginner's Guide to Being Human by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Andr� Ceolin (Illustrations) 4.13 avg rating — 53 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Don't Ask a Dinosaur by Deborah Bruss (Goodreads Author), Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Louie Chin (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.87 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 2018	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Jamey Christoph (illustrator) 4.23 avg rating — 35 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Thing to Remember about Stargazing by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Sonia Maria Luce Possentini (Illustrator) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 25 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Elliot The Heart-Shaped Frog 4.36 avg rating — 22 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Everybody Counts by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author), Emma Graham (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.82 avg rating — 17 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tractor Dance 4.70 avg rating — 10 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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by Jessica Whipple (Goodreads Author)

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Matt Forrest Esenwine said: " In a world where consumption is king and everyone wants more and more of everything, this book is like a light in the darkness for kids. In gentle language and loose narrative, Whipple and Wong show that "more," "most," and "better" aren't, in fact, ...more "

Jan 06, 2023 08:20AM · see review

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Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Music Plants Hope by Tonnye Fletcher	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A concert...for plants? Apparently, this happened during the pandemic - and I'm so glad Tonnye Fletcher wrote a book about it, because it's something everyone, young and old, will appreciate! With musical, lyrical language, Fletcher carries the reade ...more
Jan 23, 2026 12:54PM · like · see review
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it My Life as an Asthmanaut: A book about asthma (Disability Books for Kids) by Jake Lockett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
As a father of a child who suffers exertion-induced asthma, it was nice to see something on the bookshelf that relates to what they deal with. Lockett's book is accessible for young readers and easy to understand, and helps remove any stigma that mig ...more
Jan 13, 2026 01:21PM · 1 like · like · see review
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Little Seasons: Autumn Leaves: (With Memory Card Game!) by Mirka Hokkanen (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Rarely will you come across a nonfiction book that is so darned fun to read! The very child-friendly text shares the entire life cycle (and more) of various plants' leaves, and Mirka's illustrations are not only cute, they're witty, funny, and even o ...more
Sep 12, 2025 10:16AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Little Seasons by Mirka Hokkanen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Little Seasons by Mirka Hokkanen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
We've all been there as kids - you see someone who looks different, you start mumbling and guessing and coming up with stories. Well, maybe you could just ask! This semi-autobiographical picture book tackles what it feels like for a child on the rece ...more
Mar 31, 2025 12:30PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Bitsy Bat, Team Star (The Bitsy Bat Series) by Kaz Windness (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Our favorite neurodivergent bat, Bitsy, is back - feeling a little more confident in school, but less confident when it comes to competing in the Critter Games. When Bitsy loses a practice flying race to her owl friend Enzo, she's not sure what to do ...more
Mar 31, 2025 07:08AM · 1 like · like · see review
Matt Forrest Esenwine has read A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2025 08:27AM · like
Matt Forrest Esenwine has read Tractor Dance by Matt Forrest Esenwine (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 13, 2024 06:36AM · like
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An all-too-familiar issue (bullying) is solved in highly-unusual fashion (boy becomes a tree!) - but both parties learn there is a right way and a wrong way to solve a problem. Cute story, unusual plot, and wildly imaginative illustrations - a wonder ...more
Sep 08, 2024 06:38AM · like · see review
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Reaching for the Stars: A Mission to Space by Roxanne Troup (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Inspired by NASA's Artemis mission to return to us the the moon, this book puts young readers right into the heart of the adventure - from blast off to the outer limits! Rhyming verse moves the story forward with a rhythm that keeps kids looking towa ...more
Sep 08, 2024 06:34AM · like · see review
Matt Forrest Esenwine rated a book really liked it Not Pop-Pop by Angela De Groot (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Little Brian doesn't just find books at the local library - Brian finds compassion, kindness, and a spectacular new way of looking at humanity. A delightful book! ...more
Sep 08, 2024 06:19AM · 1 like · like · see review