Maria Gianferrari is a picture book reader/writer, animal lover, and birdwatcher with an M.A. in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in English. Maria’s books celebrate urban ecosystems and the natural world around us, and honor our bonds with creatures both domestic and wild. Maria’s most recent titles include To Dogs, With Love, Fungi Grow (winner of a Horn Book Honor), Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity, You and the Bowerbird and Thank a Farmer. Her next book, Rain and the Reading Horse, releases in October 2025. She lives with her family in Massachusetts where bobcats, coyotes and bears traverse her backyard.
Just One Oak: What a Single Tree Can Be, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
Puffins!, illustrated by Maris Wicks
Rain and the Reading Horse, illustrated by Hannah Salyer
To Dogs, with Love, illustrated by Ishaa Lobo
Fungi Grow, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
Thank a Farmer, illustrated by Monica Mikai
You and the Bowerbird, illustrated by Maris Wicks
Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity, illustrated by Pete Oswald
Ice Cycle: Poems About the Life of Ice, illustrated by Jieting Chen
Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness, illustrated by Pete Oswald
Bobcat Prowling, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Be a Tree!, illustrated by Felicita Sala
Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss
Play Like an Animal: Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl and Chase, illustrated by Mia Powell
Operation Rescue Dog, illustrated by Luisa Uribe
Hawk Rising, illustrated by Brian Floca
Terrific Tongues, illustrated by Jia Liu
Hello Goodbye Dog, illustrated by Patrice Barton
Officer Katz and Houndini: A Tale of Two Tails, illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou
Coyote Moon, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Penny & Jelly Slumber Under the Stars, illustrated by Thyra Heder
Penny & Jelly The School Show, illustrated by Thyra Heder