McElligott's lively sense of humor and brilliant creativity pervade both his wide variety of books for school age children and his author talks. An associate professor of Graphic and Media Design at the Sage College of Albany, McElligott has written and illustrated more than a dozen books. Benjamin Franklinstein Meets Thomas Deadison (co-authored withLarry Tuxbury) and Even Aliens Need Snacks were published in 2012.
To tie in with a series of math-based programs the Youth Services department held in early 2013, Matt's presentation emphasized upper level picture books, such as The Lion's Share, which features both story and illustrations based on mathematical principles, and Bean Thirteen, which deals with prime numbers. Matt also mentioned his other books, such as the Benjamin Franklinstein novels for upper elementary students and his Backbeard the Pirate series for primary grades
