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?
Mac Barnett on Why Picture Books are Real Literature
Mac Barnett reads from The Shapes Trilogy Series. (Photos courtesy of Mac Barnett's team)
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+. Barnett is also the author of the "Mac B. Kid Spy" and the "Jack" series. 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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List of Books Mentioned, Recommended in Listener Comments
Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown
The Important Book, Margaret Wise Brown
Good Dog, Carl, Alexandra Day
In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendrak
Outside Over There, Maurice Sendrak
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Jovita Wore Pants, AIdan Salazar
In the Spirit of a Dream, Aida Salazar
Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein
Everybody Needs a Rock, Byrd Baylor
Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, William Steig
Kitchen, Maurice Sendak
Zoom, Istvan Bagnai
Soy Sauce, Laura G. Lee
Cat Eyes, Laura G. Lee
Bedtime for Frances, Russell Hoban
Pancakes for Breakfast, Tomie dePaola
I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen
Yertle the Turtle, Dr. Suess
Count the Monkeys, Mac Barnett
This Little Light of Mine, Public Domain, E.B. Lewis
We Are Definitely Human, X. Fang
Du Iz Tak?, Carson Ellis
Amos & Boris, William Steig
Too Many Tamales, Gary Soto
A Hungry Lion, Or Dwindling Assortment of Animals, Lucy Ruth Cummins
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viors
Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein
The Madeline Series, Ludwig Bemelmans
Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure, Carolyn Lunn
The Ship’s Cat, Richard Adams
The Carrot Seed, Ruth Krauss
The Water Hole, Graeme Base
The Day the Babies Crawled Away, by Peggy Rathmann
Rainbow Crow, Nancy Van Laan
The Amelia Bedelia Series, Peggy Parish
The Farmer and the Clown, Marla Frazee
Ish, Peter Reynolds
All the World, Liz Garton Scanlon
Rotten Teeth, Laura Simms and David Catrow
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, Chris Raschka
The Big Orange Splot, Daniel Pinkwater
The Tall Book of Mother Goose, Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky
Pantuflas de Perrito, Jorge Lujan
Author Shoutouts from Mac, Alexis, and Listeners
Christian Robertson
Carson Ellis
X. Fang
The Pumphrey Brothers
Jess Hannigan
Mo Willems
Bill Peet
Maurice Sendak
Richard Scarry