a book about children's books

make believe

It's a book by Mac Barnett. It's funny and insightful and feels like a conversation with the author. The vocabulary can be complex at times but in a good way, being able to precisely cut through to what he means (for example, "exegetical"). Also filled with lots of fun footnotes!

It makes me want to write some children's books. Or at least explore making some art where the intended audience is children. Or connect back to the child within me or the child I was in some way by doing something artistic. It's an inspiring book!

I hadn't heard of Mac Barnett before this, but I like this book he wrote and I'm very happy he exists in the world and is spreading the knowledge and love of children's books and what it means to give children art to experience. To me, it sounds like if you want to write a children's book, just write a fun story. It doesn't need a moral or a takeaway or filled with pandering. It just needs a story that both humans and little humans can connect to. And you can get as fun as you want with the pictures and the prose and the medium and all the details because it's art!

He's also friends with Jon Klassen. I was in a bookstore a few weeks ago and happened to read a few children's books while I was there, and one was by Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett. I think it was Now I See Spring. I also read one by Jon Klassen about a forest. The other book I read in that bookstore was about a narwhal and jelly. I liked all those books. They made me feel happy.

The cover art of Make Believe is also really cool and it's by Carson Ellis.