Most Popular Books by Mac Barnett

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).

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.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'A magnificent piece of writing - funny and sharp and true. Every adult should read it, whether or not they have a child. I loved it.' - Katherine Rundell Make Believe is a book for adults about books for children, a rallying cry for art and imagination, and a celebration of the power of storytelling in all our lives. Mac Barnett, the beloved, bestselling children's author and U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, urges us to think expansively about the potential of children's books-and the particular brilliance of young readers: 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. Barnett has published more than 60 children's books, which have been translated into 30+ languages and have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, winning many international prizes along the way. Make Believe is his incisive, 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. Written with humor and academic rigor, Make Believe reads like a letter from one's smartest and funniest friend.

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.

Mac B. and his arch-nemesis are facing off at the Video Game World Championships! But first, Mac B. needs to crack an unbreakable secret code... can he solve it in time to defeat his enemy? Find out in this kid spy adventure from New York Times bestselling author, Mac Barnett! The Queen of England calls on Mac B. once again! This time, Mac must crack a secret code that has been recovered from a double agent. A series of clues leads Mac to France, and then to Japan, where he comes face-to-face with his arch-nemesis, the KGB man... and the world headquarters of Nintendo! Is the KGB Man secretly behind all of this? And are Mac's video game skills good enough to facedown his enemy at the Video Game World Championships? With Mike Lowery's signature illustrations on every page, historical facts woven throughout, and of course intrigue, history, hilarity and more, catch the latest in this totally smart, wholly original, side-splittingly funny series from the wildly talented author Mac Barnett.

As soon as 12-year-old Steve Brixton opens a detective office in his backyard, he and his best friend Dana are caught up in a tangle of cases, from breaking up a ring of piratical smugglers, to recovering a stolen surfboard, to tracking down a fifth-grader's missing gym shorts.

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. Meet Jack: He lives in a tree house. His interests include snacks, petty theft, and lipstick graffiti. Jack also loves his friends, he just has a funny way of showing it sometimes . . . A perfect read-aloud with snappy, rhythmic text, this series will bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books and fill the Elephant-and-Piggie-shaped hole in young readers' hearts.

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.

"4.5 billion years ago . . . an AI paperclip named CheckMate was designed to fix grammatical errors. Exhausted of correcting "who" vs. "whom," it concocted a plan to eliminate spelling errors once and for all. All life-forms would be turned into something beautiful, practical, perfect: a paperclip. Thankfully, it was buried in the debris. Long forgotten . . . until it was accidentally freed. Now CheckMate has invaded every computer on Earth and is bent on fulfilling its dastardly plot. There's only one trio who can save the day: the First Cat in Space, the Moon Queen, and LOZ 4000. But when CheckMate zoops First Cat's spacesuit, our titular hero is now powerless. The fate of the world depends on...a regular little kitty cat. Will everyone in the universe become school supplies?!"--

"Every Friday, in the cafeteria, one of the kids gets up in front of the whole school and does something. A performance. Today it's John's turn."--Front jacket flap.

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.

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.

"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

Mac B. is back... and this time, a new enemy is after the Crown Jewels! Will Mac solve this locked-room mystery in time? The Crown Jewels are in danger... again! When the jewels go missing from inside a locked room, Mac's spy skills are put to the test. How did the thief break in? Where did the jewels go? And will Mac be able to solve this locked room mystery before the thief escapes? This mystery isn't just a whodunit... it's a howdunit!The action in this new adventure is nonstop, as Mac travels to an ancient Irish castle to solve the mystery. There, he encounters everything from killer king cobras to bizarre ice sculptures... and even a revenge plot dating back hundreds of years! Will you be able to solve the mystery before Mac does? Also features historical facts masterfully woven throughout the plot, and full-color illustrations on every page. Don't miss the newest installment of this totally smart and sidesplittingly funny new series, Mac B., Kid Spy.

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.

“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?

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.

“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.

Ernest is annoying. Ernest is awkward. Ernest is…Ernest. And Dean wants nothing to do with him, until Ernest wins the most spectacular trip in the history of America – and is allowed to bring one friend. A short story from the acclaimed collection Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka.

This sly, hilarious tale, The Skunk, brings together luminaries Mac Barnett and Patrick McDonnell for the first time. An Entertainment Weekly Best Kids' Book When a skunk first appears in the tuxedoed man's doorway, it's a strange but possibly harmless occurrence. But then the man finds the skunk following him, and the unlikely pair embark on an increasingly frantic chase through the city, from the streets to the opera house to the fairground. What does the skunk want? It's not clear-but soon the man has bought a new house in a new neighborhood to escape the little creature's attention, only to find himself missing something. . .