Most Popular Books by Mac Barnett

“Conversational essays on wonder . . . A meditation on what gives life meaning. . . . A loving sermon on the rewards of children’s books.” ―Kirkus Reviews Make Believe is bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett’s rallying cry for art and imagination, and a celebration of the power of storytelling in all our lives. It’s anincisive, intimate, and timely invitation to approach children’s literature not only as an art form worthy of deep study and criticism, but as a portal into the lives of the children. And at a time when we are faced with a national literacy crisis, he champions the profound joys of literature and the importance of reading for pleasure. What if children are a great audience for art? What if they are in fact better equipped to engage deeply with stories than adults? What if humans’ ability to appreciate art is, if not innate, awakened early in childhood? Well, then we’d better do our best to make some good kids’ books. Written with humor and academic rigor, Make Believe reads like a letter from your smartest and funniest friend. Includes spreads from Goodnight Moon and Busy, Busy Town, illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen, and cover art by celebrated illustrator Carson Ellis.

This book is from the future. In the future, books are very popular. One of the most popular books in the future is called THE FUTURE BOOK, a silly, innovative picture book from two of today’s best picture book creators to read aloud again and again! You might think you know what the future is like, and what words and phrases we use. But lots of things are different here in the future. Have you seen the colour BLORANGE? You haven’t? And how is it you say “goodbye” again? It’s not “YOU SMELL LIKE A BABY?” Well . . . that might seem silly to you, but it’s absolutely normal for us in the future. We invite you to turn the pages of this book to discover what else has changed in the future, and to see how the funny word combinations lead to a brilliantly bonkers narrative that will have you rolling in the aisles of the BOLLY BOLLY HOO HOO (that''s what we call the supermarket in the future).

From multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Fall is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid’s point of view. the house / the tree / the garden / me Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In fall, the tree sheds its russet leaves, the sky turns pink and gold, a sweet treat is a candy apple and the perfect hat is plaid with flaps to cover your ears. Now I See Fall celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes – and shows why it’s their favorite time of year.

From multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Spring is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid’s point of view. the house / the tree / the garden / me Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree''s leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Spring celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes – and shows why it’s their favorite time of year.

From multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Summer is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid’s point of view. the house / the tree / the garden / me Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In summer, the tree has full green leaves, the sky is blue, a sweet treat is ice cream and the perfect hat shades you from the sun. Now I See Summer celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes – and shows why it’s their favorite time of year.

Multi-award-winning, New York Times best-selling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen deliver the final wry and resonant tale about Triangle, Square, and Circle. This book is about Circle. This book is also about Circle’s friends, Triangle and Square. Also it is about a rule that Circle makes, and how she has to rescue Triangle when he breaks that rule. With their usual pitch-perfect pacing and subtle, sharp wit, Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen come full circle in the third and final chapter of their clever shapes trilogy.

From multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Winter is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid’s point of view. the house / the tree / the garden / me Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In winter, the tree is bare, snow falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a candy cane and the perfect hat is one that keeps you warm. Now I See Winter celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes – and shows why it’s their favorite time of year.

A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book With perfect pacing, the multi-award-winning, New York Times best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen dig down for a deadpan tale full of visual humor. Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect.

Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith team up for an unforgettable celebration of Christmas. We all know that Santa makes everyone’s dreams come true every Christmas, but it turns out that he needs a little help getting into the holiday spirit himself. Instead of letting Santa get right back to work after he returns home to the North Pole on Christmas morning, his loyal elves want to make sure he experiences the same Christmas cheer he provides for others. With the perfect tree, lots of delicious treats, and, of course, presents, Santa experiences the magic of Christmas for the very first time. Beloved children’s book creators Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith have unveiled Santa unlike ever seen before, and as a result, created a merry new Christmas classic.

Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson tap deep into childhood curiosity with a mind-tickling ode to the open-ended. Not all questions have answers. Some have more than one answer. And others have endless answers, unfolding out to the edges of the world. In this spare yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and profound. Some make us giggle. Others challenge our assumptions. The result is a quirky, wandering exploration of where the best questions lead—to stories. Intriguing, richly interactive, and brought to vivid life by Caldecott Honor recipient Christian Robinson’s bright and whimsical illustrations, Twenty Questions is a charming invitation to speculate without limits and know no bounds.

Curious minds are rewarded with curious answers in a fantastical bedtime book by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault. Why is the ocean blue? What is the rain? What happened to the dinosaurs? It might be time for bed, but one child is too full of questions about the world to go to sleep just yet. Little ones and their parents will be charmed and delighted as a patient father offers up increasingly creative responses to his child’s nighttime wonderings. Any child who has ever asked “Why?” — and any parent who has attempted an explanation — will recognize themselves in this sweet storybook for dreamers who are looking for answers beyond “Just because.”

"Meet Triangle. He is going to play a sneaky trick on his friend, Square. Or so Triangle thinks."--Provided by publisher.

"A fearful ghost, a take-charge girl, an interracial friendship, and a tale in which fear is . . . sweetly tied to positive qualities of imagination." — The New York Times You would like being friends with Leo. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can''t even see him. Because Leo is also a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo''s efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin. This charming tale of friendship—from two of the best young minds in picture books: the author of the Caldecott Honor–winning Extra Yarn and the illustrator of the Bologna Ragazzi Award–winning Josephine—is destined to become a modern classic that will delight readers for years to come. "Enchanting." — The Washington Post "A whimsical tale from Barnett aptly accompanied by enthralling artwork by Robinson." — School Library Journal, starred review "A tender, touching story of friendship and the power of imagination." — Booklist, starred review "Warm and wise." — Publishers Weekly, starred review "This deceptively simple story examines deep themes of perception and truth, friendship and loyalty." — Shelf Awareness, starred review "A pleasure to read aloud." — Wall Street Journal "There is nothing spooky about this moving story of friendship, acceptance, and belonging." — Boston Globe A New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

A clever picture book about a multi-level apartment building''s occupants and their many nighttime noises. It''s a noisy night in this city building! The residents of each floor can hear their neighbors above them, and are wondering what''s going on above their heads. Climb floor by floor and page by page to find out whose singing, dancing, cheering, and cooing are keeping a grumpy old man awake. With innovative split-level spreads that offer the feeling of climbing an apartment building floor by floor, this clever and colorful collaboration between New York Times–bestselling author Mac Barnett and gifted illustrator Brian Biggs offers an irresistible investigation of one noisy night.

Meet Chloe: Every week, she collects loose change so she can buy tickets to ride the merry-go-round. But one fateful day, she gets lost in the woods on her way home, and a large dragon leaps out from-"Wait! It''s supposed to be a lion," says Mac Barnett, the author of this book. But Adam Rex, the illustrator, thinks a dragon would be so much cooler (don''t you agree?). Mac''s power of the pen is at odds with Adam''s brush, and Chloe''s story hangs in the balance. Can she help them out of this quandary to be the heroine of her own story? Mac Barnett and Adam Rex are a dynamic duo, and two of the strongest contemporary voices in picture books today. In an accessible and funny way, Chloe and the Lion talks about the creative process and the joys and trials of collaboration.

From the New York Times–bestselling author: "Great for read-alouds . . . [A] unique, clever book that young readers will love." — School Library Journal It''s time to fly home for dinner! In this witty picture book from Mac Barnett, a Caldecott Honor and E.B. White Read Aloud Award winner, a mother bird gives the bird next to her a message for little Peter. But passing messages on a telephone line isn''t as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird understands Mama''s message according to its own very particular hobbies, personality, and situation. Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a favorite children''s game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead to countless rereads. "Raucous." — The New York Times "Silly fun! (Pass it on.)" — Kirkus Reviews

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog. When Jack finds himself on the naughty list, he worries that Santa will bring him coal. But Jack wants presents--lots of them. Will Jack be able to prove to Santa that he''s not so bad after all? Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning team of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.

“Hilarious. . . . Studying the presidency need never be dull again.” — Booklist George Washington crossed the Delaware in the dead of night. Abraham Lincoln saved the Union. And President William Howard Taft, a man of great stature . . . well, he got stuck in a bathtub. Now how did he get unstuck?

“The captivating cut-paper–and-ink illustrations . . . perfectly suit the prose’s quiet grandeur. . . . Charming, scenic, and a winning must for the youngest polar bear lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Follow a magnificent polar bear through a fantastic world of snow and shockingly blue sea. Over the ice, through the water, past Arctic animals and even a human . . . where is he going? What does he want? Acclaimed author Mac Barnett’s narration deftly balances suspense and emotion, as well as poignant, subtle themes, compelling us to follow the bear with each page turn. Artist Shawn Harris’s striking torn-paper illustrations layer white-on-white hues with bolts of blue and an interplay of shadow and light for a gorgeous view of a stark yet beautiful landscape. Simple and thought-provoking, illuminating and intriguing, this engaging picture book will have readers pondering the answer to its final question long after the polar bear has continued on his way.

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog. The Lady gives Jack a gift. It''s a lab kit! Jack goes into the shed to experiment and doesn''t come out until he''s made another Jack and another Jack and another. But one Jack was already too many. Can Jack stop his naughty robot clones before they destroy the town? Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning team of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.