Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Jenson

Phone: 612-419-2805

ST. PAUL AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR CREATES COZY CHILDREN’S BOOK FOR AUTISTIC READERS

“Faun and Daisy: Tales of Autistic Friends” by Matt Jenson is now available.

St. Paul, MN, October 13, 2026 – St. Paul creative artist Matt Jenson has made a career of crafting stories for children as a playwright, director, storyteller, and teaching artist for over twenty-five years with organizations such as the Children’s Theatre Company, Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health, and Speaking Out Collective. Now Jenson adds author and illustrator to the list with the October 13th release of “Faun and Daisy: Tales of Autistic Friends,” a cozy children’s book for autistic readers.

“I created these stories as a treat for autistic readers,” said Jenson, who is autistic. “Many of us spend a lot of effort every day navigating a world that is overwhelming, overstimulating, and exhausting. These stories are crafted for autistic ways of taking in information, with relatable characters, and endings that are happy from an autistic point of view. But most of all, they’re full of imagination and fun!”

This collection of four stories follow Faun and Daisy through their first year of friendship. Faun was used to spending his days alone…until a green girl with petals for hair began counting all the nearby flowers. Faun’s favorite holiday is Halloween, but will he go inside a haunted house? Is Daisy really going to sleep through the whole winter? And what do you get for a friend who absolutely dreads opening birthday presents? Through it all, they always feel connected, accepted, and understood.

Faun and Daisy have already made the jump from page to stage. With an Arts Impact grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Jenson has adapted their stories into an interactive puppet show which has been performed at several Twin Cities libraries.

“Faun and Daisy (and Matt) are magical,” says Emily, a Youth Services Librarian. “As an autistic person myself, I was impressed with how smoothly and satisfyingly the characters expressed their unique autistic traits. Both book and show are necessary new classics. I’d watch/read them again in a heartbeat.”

“Faun and Daisy: Tales of Autistic Friends” can be purchased through most bookstores’ online shops. For more information about the book, upcoming puppet show performances, or to book a puppet show, please visit mattjensonarts.com.

Product Details

Title: Faun and Daisy: Tales of Autistic Friends

Author/Illustrator: Matt Jenson

Publisher: Matt Jenson Arts

Distributed by: Ingram Spark

ISBN: 979-8-9975010-0-6

LCCN: 2026921551

Ages: 4-9

Retail price: $7.99

Release Date: October 13, 2026

For an advance review copy, please email mattjensonarts@gmail.com

Book cover illustrated and designed by Matt Jenson

Author/illustrator Matt Jenson

Faun and Daisy puppets created by Matt Jenson

The Faun and Daisy Summer 2026 Puppet Show Tour was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.