José Manuel Saraiva was born in Porto in 1974, where he graduated in Communication Design at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto. Awarded the prize Eng. António de Almeida for having licensed the highest course average college academic year 1997/98. He teaches at ESAD, School of Arts and Design in Matosinhos since the school year 1998/1999.

His work has been honored in Portugal and abroad highlighting the selection for the Illustrators Exhibition of the International Book Fair Bologna Children and Youth (2002), the annual exhibition of the Society of Illustrators; Comunication Arts Illustration Annual, Graphis New Talent Design, Una muestra Ilustracion of Contemporary Latin American in the National Library of Madrid; International Biennial of illustration for Children, ILUSTRARTE, (special Distinction, 2003); Biennial of illustration Bratislava (2005), illustrazione Mostra Internazionale d'per l'infanzia, Le Immagini della Fantasia (2004), 3x3 Children's Show (2012), special Mention at the 16th edition of the National Prize of Illustration (2012) or displays of Portuguese Illustration, by Bedeteca Lisbon. He was also invited by the French publisher Editions Sarbacane to illustrate the albums "Juste ce moment-là" (Lauréat Printemps 2004 da AMAZON.FR) and "Rouge Cerise" (2005).