Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. This hardcover book by Mac Barnett is a profound exploration for adults about the art, imagination, and power inherent in children's literature. As the beloved, bestselling children's author and U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Barnett offers an incisive, intimate, and timely invitation to view children's books as a worthy art form for deep study and criticism, and as a portal into the lives of children.

• A rallying cry for art and imagination, celebrating the power of storytelling in all lives.
• Challenges assumptions by asking if children are a great audience for art, potentially better equipped to engage deeply with stories than adults.
• Champions the profound joys of literature and the importance of reading for pleasure, especially during a national literacy crisis.
• Written with both humor and academic rigor, reading like a letter from a smart and funny friend.

Mac Barnett has published over 60 children's books, which have been translated into more than 30 languages and sold over 5 million copies worldwide, earning numerous international prizes.

• Author: Mac Barnett
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Print Length: 112 pages
• Dimensions: 13.5 x 1.4 x 21.6 cm (135x14x216mm)
• Item Weight: 220 g
• Publisher: Leap
• Publication Date: June 11, 2026
• ISBN-10: 180617314X
• ISBN-13: 978-1806173143
• EAN: 9781806173143
• Release Date: 11 Jun 2026

This essential volume for educators, critics, and parents offers a compelling argument for taking children's literature seriously as a vital component of human experience.