Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett
Barnett in 2025
Born	(1982-08-23) August 23, 1982 (age 43) Castro Valley, California, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Alma mater	Pomona College
Period	2009–present
Genre	Children's books
Notable works	Extra Yarn The Terrible Two (book series) Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Notable awards	Caldecott Medal E.B. White Read Aloud Award Boston Globe-Horn Book Award German Youth Literature Award Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award Silver Griffel Premio Orbil
Spouse	Taylor Norman
Website
macbarnett.com

Mac Barnett is an American writer of children's books living in Oakland, California. He grew up in Castro Valley, California and Oakland. ^[1]

Barnett graduated from Pomona College, where he studied under the writer David Foster Wallace. ^[2]

Extra Yarn, a picture book illustrated by Jon Klassen, won the 2012 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and 2013 E. B. White Read Aloud Award. ^[3] It was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book. Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, illustrated by Jon Klassen, won a Caldecott Honor and the 2015 E.B. White Read Aloud Award. ^[4]

He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of the Emmy-award winning children's animated series Shape Island on Apple TV+, based on their Shapes trilogy of picture books.

In 2011, Barnett wrote the Picture Book Proclamation, an art manifesto about picture books signed by 21 other children's writers. ^[5]

In 2024, Barnett wrote La Porta Segreta, a book for adults about children's books, published in Italian by Terre di Mezzo. ^[6]

In February 2025, Barnett was inaugurated at the Library of Congress as the 2025-6 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. ^[7]

Works

Essays

• La Porta Segreta - Cover by Carson Ellis
• Make Believe - Cover by Carson Ellis

Novels

• The Brixton Brothers - By Mac Barnett, with illustrations by Adam Rex and Matthew Myers (Simon & Schuster) ^[8]

1. The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Oct. 6, 2009). ISBN   978-1-4169-7816-9
2. The Ghostwriter Secret (Oct. 5, 2010). ISBN   978-1-4169-7818-3
3. It Happened on a Train (Oct. 4, 2011). ISBN   978-1-4169-7819-0
4. Danger Goes Berserk, illus. Matthew Myers (Oct. 2, 2013). ISBN   978-1-4424-3978-8

• The Terrible Two - By Mac Barnett and Jory John, with illustrations by Kevin Cornell (Amulet Books)

1. The Terrible Two (Jan. 13, 2015). ISBN   978-1-4197-2737-5
2. The Terrible Two Get Worse (Jan. 12, 2016). ISBN   978-1-4197-2738-2
3. The Terrible Two Go Wild (Jan. 9, 2018). ISBN   978-1-4197-3205-8
4. The Terrible Two's Last Laugh (Dec. 24, 2018). ISBN   978-1-4197-3621-6

• Mac B., Kid Spy - By Mac Barnett, with illustrations by Mike Lowery

1. Mac B., Kid Spy: Mac Undercover (Sep. 11, 2018). ISBN   978-1-338-14359-1
2. Mac B., Kid Spy: The Impossible Crime (Dec. 26, 2018). ISBN   978-1-338-14368-3
3. Mac B., Kid Spy: Top-Secret Smackdown (Sep. 17, 2019). ISBN   978-1-338-14371-3
4. Mac B., Kid Spy: Mac Cracks the Code (Dec. 26, 2019). ISBN   978-1-338-59423-2
5. Mac B., Kid Spy: The Sound of Danger (Sep. 1, 2020). ISBN   978-1-338-59426-3
6. Mac B., Kid Spy: Mac Saves the World (Jun. 1, 2021). ISBN   978-1-338-74245-9

Picture books

• The Shapes Trilogy - By Mac Barnett, with illustrations by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)
  • Triangle (Mar. 14, 2017). ISBN   978-0-7636-9603-0
  • Square (May 8, 2018). ISBN   978-0-7636-9607-8
  • Circle (Mar. 5, 2019). ISBN   978-0-7636-9608-5
• A Jack Book - By Mac Barnett, with illustrations by Greg Pizzoli (Viking Books)

1. Hi, Jack! (Sep. 3, 2019). ISBN   978-0-593-11379-0
2. Jack Blasts Off! (Sep. 3, 2019). ISBN   978-0-593-11385-1
3. Jack at Bat! (Feb. 4, 2020). ISBN   978-0-593-11382-0
4. Jack Goes West (Feb. 4, 2020). ISBN   978-0-593-11388-2
5. Jack at the Zoo (May 5, 2020). ISBN   978-0-593-11392-9
6. Too Many Jacks (May 5, 2020). ISBN   978-0-593-11394-3
7. Jack and Santa (Oct. 13, 2020). ISBN   978-0-593-11398-1
8. Jack Gets Zapped! (Feb. 2, 2021). ISBN   978-0-593-11402-5

• Now I See books - By Mac Barnett, with illustrations by Jon Klassen (Tundra Book Group)
  • Now I See Spring (Apr. 7, 2026). ISBN   978-1-77488-673-1
  • Now I See Winter (Apr. 7, 2026). ISBN   9781774886693 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help)
  • Now I See Fall (Apr. 7, 2026). ISBN   978-1-77488-665-6
  • Now I See Summer (Apr. 7, 2026). ISBN   978-1-77488-677-9
• Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem, illus. Adam Rex (Hyperion Books, Jun 23, 2009). ISBN   978-0-7868-4958-1
• Guess Again!, illus. Adam Rex (Simon & Schuster, Sep. 15, 2009). ISBN   978-1-4169-5566-5
• The Clock without a Face: a Gus Twintig mystery , Mac Barnett, Eli Horowitz, & Scott Teplin. Illus. Adam Rex & numbers by Anna Sheffield (McSweeney's, Apr. 27, 2010). ISBN   978-1-934781-71-5
• Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World), illus. Dan Santat (Hyperion, Jun. 1, 2010). ISBN   978-1-4231-2312-5
• Mustache!, illus. Kevin Cornell (Hyperion, Oct. 25, 2011). ISBN   978-1-4231-1671-4
• Extra Yarn , illus. Jon Klassen (Balzer + Bray, Jan. 17, 2012). ISBN   978-0-06-195338-5
• Chloe and the Lion, illus. Adam Rex (Hyperion, Apr. 3, 2012). ISBN   9781423113349 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help)
• Oh No, Not Again! (Or How I Built a Time Machine to Save History) (Or at Least My History Grade), illus. Dan Santat (Hyperion, Jun. 5, 2012). ISBN   978-1-4231-4912-5
• Count the Monkeys, illus. Kevin Cornell, (Hyperion, Jun. 24, 2012). ISBN   978-1-4231-6065-6
• Battle Bunny, Mac Barnett & Jon Scieszka. Illus. Matthew Myers & Alex, but mostly Alex (Simon & Schuster, Oct. 22, 2013). ISBN   978-1-4424-4673-1
• President Taft is Stuck in the Bath, illus. Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick Press, 2014). ISBN   978-0-7636-6556-2
• Telephone, illus. Jen Corace (Chronicle Books, Sep. 9, 2014). ISBN   978-1-4521-1023-3
• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole , illus. Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press, Oct. 14, 2014). ISBN   978-0-7636-6229-5
• The Skunk, illus. Patrick McDonnell (Roaring Book Press, Apr. 14, 2015). ISBN   978-1-59643-966-5
• Leo: A Ghost Story , illus. Christian Robinson (Chronicle Books, Aug. 25, 2015). ISBN   978-1-4521-3156-6
• Rules of the House, illus. Matthew Myers (Hyperion, May 3, 2016). ISBN   978-1-4231-8516-1
• How This Book Was Made, illus. Adam Rex (Disney-Hyperion, Sep. 6, 2016). ISBN   978-1-4231-5220-0
• The Magic Word, illus. Elise Parsley (Balzer + Bray, Oct. 4, 2016). ISBN   978-0-06-235484-6
• Noisy Night, illus. Brian Biggs (Roaring Book Press, Mar. 7, 2017). ISBN   978-1-59643-967-2
• Places to Be, illus. Renata Liwska (Balzer + Bray, Apr. 4, 2017). ISBN   978-0-06-228621-5
• I Love You Like a Pig, illus. Greg Pizzoli (Balzer + Bray, Sep. 19, 2017). ISBN   978-0-06-235483-9
• The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse, illus. Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press, Oct. 10, 2017). ISBN   978-0-7636-7754-1
• The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown, illus. Sarah Jacoby (HarperCollins, May 21, 2019). ISBN   9780062393448 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help)
• Just Because, illus. Isabelle Arsenault (Candlewick Press, Sep. 10, 2019). ISBN   978-0-7636-9680-1
• Paolo, Emperor of Rome, illus. Claire Keane (Amulet Books, Mar. 31, 2020). ISBN   978-1-4197-4109-8
• A Polar Bear in the Snow, illus. Shawn Harris (Candlewick Press, Oct. 13, 2020). ISBN   978-1-5362-0396-7
• What Is Love? , illus. Carson Ellis (Chronicle Books, Dec. 28, 2021). ISBN   978-1-4521-7640-6
• John's Turn, illus. Kate Berube (Candlewick Press, Feb. 24, 2022). ISBN   978-1-5362-0395-0
• The Great Zapfino, illus. Marla Frazee (Simon & Schuster, Apr. 5, 2022). ISBN   978-1-5344-1154-8
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff , Illus. Jon Klassen. (Orchard Books, Oct. 18, 2022). ISBN   978-1-338-67384-5
• Twenty Questions, illus. Christian Robinson (Candlewick Press, Mar. 14, 2023). ISBN   978-1-5362-1513-7
• How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney , illus. Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press, Sep. 12, 2023). ISBN   978-1-5362-2376-7
• Santa's First Christmas, illus. Sydney Smith (Viking Books, Oct. 22, 2024). ISBN   978-0-593-52497-8
• Rumpelstiltskin, illus. Carson Ellis (Orchard Books, Feb. 3, 2026). ISBN   978-1-338-67385-2
• The Future Book, illus. Shawn Harris (Random House, Mar. 3, 2026). ISBN   979-8-217-03317-1

Graphic novels

• The First Cat in Space - By Mac Barnett, with illustrations by Shawn Harris (HarperAlley)

1. The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza (May 10, 2022). ISBN   978-0-06-308409-4
2. The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom (Oct. 3, 2023). ISBN   978-0-06-308411-7
3. The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip (Nov. 5, 2024). ISBN   978-0-06-331528-0
4. The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate’s Revenge (Nov. 4, 2025). ISBN   978-0-06-341550-8

Short fiction

• "Best of Friends", Funny Business (Guys Read, 1), ed. Jon Scieszka (NY: Walden Pond Press, Sep. 22, 2010). OCLC   758985737

Awards

• 2013 Winner, E. B. White Read Aloud Award
• 2013 Honor, Caldecott Medal ^[9]
• 2015 Winner, E.B. White Read Aloud Award
• 2015 Honor, Caldecott Medal ^[9]
• 2015 Winner, Irma Black Award ^[10]
• 2018 Winner, E.B. White Read Aloud Award
• 2020 Winner, Picture Book Category of the German Youth Literature Awards for the 2020 one-volume German edition of his trilogy "Triangle", "Square", and "Circle" ^[11]

References

1. Berry, Michael (2018-05-28). "YA Author Mac Barnett Releases Three Books This Year". www.oaklandmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
2. "The quirky lives of childrens'[sic] book writers – Part 1". Ratna Kamath. Bookshelf. October 12, 2011. Pomona College. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
3. "E. B. White Read Aloud Award Winners". the American Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
4. "ABA Announces 2015 Indies Choice and E.B. White Award Winners". the American Booksellers Association. 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
5. Lodge |, Sally. "Mac Barnett Spearheads 'A Picture Book Manifesto'". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
6. "Mac Barnett: La Porta Segreta an interview with Nikki Gamble". 19 October 2024.
7. "Mac Barnett Named New National Ambassador for Young People's Literature | Timeless".
8. Mac Barnett (macbarnett.com): About; Brixton Brothers. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
9. admin (1999-11-30). "Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Retrieved 2017-12-30.
10. "Past Winners (Irma Black Award)". www.bankstreet.edu. Bank Street College of Education. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
11. "Die Sieger des Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreises 2020". jugendliteratur.org. Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• The Picture Book Proclamation
• Interview of Barnett and illustrator Adam Rex
• Mac Barnett at Library of Congress , with 19library catalog records
• Inauguration of 9th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature: Mac Barnett - Library of Congress