Tatsuhide Matsuoka is a Japanese painter, graphic artist, and illustrator, born on May 5, 1944, in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, and a graduate of the Tokyo Design School. After moving to Tokyo at the age of 19 with the ambition of becoming a graphic designer, he made his debut as a picture book author in 1969. Over the course of his career, he has become recognized as a foremost illustrator specializing in the natural sciences, producing numerous works that reflect his lifelong passion for nature and insects. His artistic practice is centered on illustration for children's literature, and he has been the recipient of several Japanese awards, including the Japan Picture Book Award, the Japan Science Book Award, and the Shogakukan Children's Publication Culture Award.

In the context of anime, Matsuoka is credited as an original creator for the 2010 animated film Tobidasu Ehon 3D, a 30-minute anthology work produced by Kachidoki Studio. For this project, he is listed alongside other authors Noriko Ueno and Yoshio Nakae, with his contribution attributed to the works "Pyo-n" and "Shiritori". Beyond this specific credit, his industry significance is primarily rooted in his extensive body of illustrated children's books, many of which have been published internationally. His work is characterized by a focus on the natural world, and his career has been celebrated in major exhibitions, such as a 2024 retrospective at the Nagaoka City Tochio Art Museum, which showcased his picture book illustrations and personal insect specimens to mark his 56 years of artistic activity.