Matt James is a painter, illustrator and musician whose work has appeared in award-winning books both in Canada and internationally. He won the 2013 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature — illustration for his picture book The Northwest Passage.

His most recent work can be seen in the Governor General's Literary Award-nominated children's book, When The Moon Comes, written by Paul Harbridge.

When The Moon Comes was also named a finalist for the 2018 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award and won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.