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Forum from the Archives: Mac Barnett on Why Picture Books are Real Literature

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Jul 10, 2025

Guest

Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett, a Bay Area children's author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, shines a light on the power of picture books. He passionately discusses their importance in engaging readers of all ages and how they blend text and illustrations. Alongside fellow authors Aida Salazar and Laura G. Lee, they explore personal childhood stories, the evolution of artistic styles, and the emotional depth of storytelling. Discover how picture books cultivate creativity and foster meaningful connections in family life.

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INSIGHT

Picture Books' Unique Storytelling

Picture books combine words and pictures to tell a story, sharing narrative responsibility.
Tension or contradictions between text and illustrations create a complex, engaging story experience.

insights

INSIGHT

Picture Books as Performance

Picture books are performative, requiring vocal expression and timing by the adult reader.
The act of turning pages provides rhythmic drama like a theatre curtain rising repeatedly.

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ANECDOTE

Margaret Wise Brown’s Child Writing Essay

Margaret Wise Brown wrote about writing for five-year-olds, capturing their sensory and imaginative experiences.
Her essay highlights the unique stage of rhyme, reason, and imagination in young children.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

The Power of Picture Books

05:17 • 10min

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Exploring the Art and Advocacy of Picture Books

14:56 • 4min

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The Magic of Picture Books

19:02 • 12min

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The Artistry of Picture Books

30:37 • 9min

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The Magic of Picture Books

40:06 • 13min

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Cherishing the Legacy of Picture Books

In the Spirit of a Dream

Aida Salazar

Alina Chau

This Little Light of Mine

Everybody Needs a Rock

Byrd Baylor

Peter Parnall

Byrd Baylor's "Everybody Needs a Rock" is a charming and insightful children's book that encourages children to connect with nature by finding and appreciating their own special rock. The book's simple yet evocative text and gentle illustrations create a calming atmosphere, perfect for sparking curiosity about the natural world. The story's message of finding beauty in everyday things resonates with readers of all ages. The book's enduring popularity stems from its ability to connect with children's emotions and experiences.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

William Steig

In this Caldecott Medal-winning book, Sylvester, a donkey, discovers a magic pebble that grants wishes. However, he accidentally turns himself into a giant rock. The story follows Sylvester's year-long wait through changing seasons until his parents find him and restore him back to his normal form. The book captures a range of emotions and emphasizes the importance of family and reunion.

Maurice Sendak's "Outside Over There" is a more complex and darker children's book compared to his other works. It tells the story of Ida, a young girl whose baby sister is kidnapped by goblins. Ida embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her sister, facing various challenges and magical creatures along the way. The book's themes of sibling love, fear, and courage are explored through vivid illustrations and a captivating narrative.

Goodnight Moon is a timeless children's book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. The story follows a young bunny as it prepares for bed, saying goodnight to all the objects in its green-walled bedroom. The book features a rhyming poem and detailed illustrations that capture the bunny's bedtime ritual, gradually transitioning from a lit room to a darkened one as the moon glows outside. The narrative is simple yet effective, creating a cozy and rhythmic bedtime journey that has delighted children and parents alike for generations. The book is notable for its focus on the minutiae of a child's surroundings and its ability to induce a sense of comfort and security.

Yertle the turtle

and other stories

Dr Seuss

Dr. Seuss's "Yertle the Turtle" is a satirical children's story that uses the allegory of a tyrannical turtle king to explore themes of power, oppression, and rebellion. The simple yet effective storytelling techniques and memorable illustrations make it a classic. The story's message of standing up to injustice resonates with readers of all ages. The book's enduring popularity stems from its ability to entertain and educate simultaneously.

I Want My Hat Back

Jon Klassen

In 'I Want My Hat Back', a bear searches for his missing hat by asking various animals in the forest if they have seen it. The story unfolds with the bear's polite inquiries and the animals' negative responses, until he realizes the hat's location and takes drastic action. The book is notable for its understated humor, visual wit, and a dark ending that has sparked discussion about its appropriateness for children. It achieved significant commercial success and received several awards, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book and being named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year.

Robert Munsch's "Bedtime for Frances" is a charming and relatable story about a young badger who resists going to bed. The book's simple yet effective storytelling techniques capture the essence of childhood defiance and the eventual acceptance of bedtime routines. The illustrations are warm and inviting, creating a cozy atmosphere that resonates with young readers. The book's enduring popularity stems from its ability to connect with children's emotions and experiences.

In the Night Kitchen

Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak's "In the Night Kitchen" is a surreal and imaginative children's book that follows a young boy's nighttime adventure in a bakery. The story is filled with fantastical elements, including three identical bakers and a journey in a dough-made airplane. The book's dreamlike quality and playful illustrations capture the boundless imagination of childhood. It's a visually stunning and emotionally resonant work that explores themes of independence and self-discovery.

Zoom

Istvan Banyai

In 'Zoom', Istvan Banyai employs a unique 'zooming out' technique where each subsequent page pulls back to reveal the context of the previous scene, often in unexpected ways. Starting with an abstract image, the book progresses through various scenes, including a farm, a ship, a city street, and eventually outer space. This visual trickery invites readers to consider their world from different perspectives, making it a fascinating and philosophical adventure for readers of all ages.

As the Library of Congress’s new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Bay Area children’s author Mac Barnett wants to reframe how we think about picture books. With his platform, “Behold the Picture Book,” he’s championing the vital role picture books play in engaging readers of all ages and why we love them. What’s the picture book you love reading over and over and over?

Guests:

Mac Barnett, author of the children's books "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle" which have been made into a new animated series "Shape Island" on AppleTV+; his books have won Caldecott honors and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards

Aida Salazar, children's book author, her picture books include "Jovita Wore Pants" and "In the Spirit of a Dream"

Laura G. Lee, children's book author and illustrator, her picture books are "Soy Sauce!" and "Cat Eyes"

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