Mac Barnett is the ninth U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, appointed by the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader. He’s a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children and the writer, with Jon Klassen, of Looking at Picture Books, a newsletter for adults about how picture books work. Mac’s work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Mac’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil.

He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Mac lives in Oakland, California.

“[Mac Barnett is] a great young writer of books for young people. If you haven’t read his work, run somewhere and do that. Books for young people have a rich and I daresay limitless future—knock anyone who says otherwise into a ditch—and Mac has a central place within that limitless future. Don’t bet against him or anyone like him.”
— Dave Eggers

“[In Barnett’s books] there is no magic solution to any problem: The characters stumble through their dilemmas just as every one of us does. The world is a difficult yet good place, and there is no need for the typical rose-colored lenses that other children’s books put on situations in order to fend off the bad stuff.”
— Yiyun Li

“He is a believer that picture books can have Swiftian absurdity and untidy endings, and that ‘life is absurd, and kids know that.’”
— The San Francisco Chronicle

INTERVIEWS AND ARTICLES
Children’s author Mac Barnett wants the U.S. to appreciate picture books — San Francisco Chronicle
The Secret, Sacred Door: PW Talks with Mac Barnett — Publishers Weekly
Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen — Picturebook Makers
An Interview with Mac Barnett — Art of the Picture Book
Avant-Garde Children’s Lit: Mac Barnett on ‘The Skunk’ and Writing Picture Books — School Library Journal

AUDIO
Are picture books undervalued? This new ambassador of children’s literature thinks so — NPR
Mac Barnett on Why Picture Books Are Real Literature — KQED Forum
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett talks about his new book for adults — NPR
On The Little Brute Family, Morals, and Morality in Picture Books (feat. a reading by Catherine Keener) — The Organist (KCRW)
Mac Barnett on How Kids Can Teach Us to Be Better Readers — KQED Forum
Mac Barnett believes children’s literature deserves a grown-up conversation — Q (CBC)
Inquiring Minds Want to Know: ‘How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?’ — NPR
My First Existential Crisis: The Sweet Story of an Angsty ‘Square’ — NPR
Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen: An Evening for Adults on Books for Children — City Arts & Lectures
Goodnight Nobody — 99% Invisible

VIDEO
Why a good book is a secret door — TED
Mac Barnett and Jennifer Garner Consider the Picture Book — 92Y
Mac Barnett’s Inauguration as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature — Library of Congress
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett — C-SPAN Book TV
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole – Official Book Trailer

ESSAYS AND REVIEWS
Looking at Picture Books
The Picture Book Proclamation
Children’s picture books are a glorious art form — The Washington Post
A Literary Genius Who Championed Nonsense — The New York Times Book Review
Picture Books About Time and Space — The New York Times Book Review
Picture Books Where the Playground Is a Metaphor for Life Itself — The New York Times Book Review
A New ‘Hansel and Gretel’ Unites Stephen King With Maurice Sendak — The New York Times Book Review
We Picked the Top 25 Picture Books of the Past 25 Years. Then We Got Two Authors to Tell Us How We Did. — Slate

FOR STUDENTS
Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature — Library of Congress Research Guides
Mac Barnett — Reading Rockets

CONTACT
For rights inquiries, contact Steven Malk at Writers House: smalk@writershouse.com
Please submit appearance requests to Sara Ortiz, Lyceum Agency: sara@lyceumagency.com
Letters may be sent care of Mac’s publishers.