Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

The author’s voice comes alive, as if he’s talking to you over coffee. Kirkus

"Children's books are widely read, deeply loved, highly profitable literature that receives almost no serious critical attention - a least not from adults. Children's books are often misunderstood, dismissed, and ignored."

"Kids' books merit grown-up conversation."  Kids "deserve entertaining stories and meaningful art."

"The children's writer must always respect the child. It is our job to approach the reader in a spirit of play and fellow feelings."

"Childhood is a long series of experiments - testing our hypotheses and making adjustments. It seems only right that so much of the best children's literature is experimental too."

There has been SO much controversy over this slim 90-page book/essay but in my reading I feel as though the anger and upset have come from people who just 'didn't get' the tone of this book. Sure this book is discussing a very serious topic or topics, but the commentary comes with a huge dose of the cheeky voice of Mac Barnett. By the end of page ten he had me totally hooked because even that early in the book, I had nodded and smiled and resoundingly agreed with his analysis several times.

Here are lots of quotes from this book that resonated deeply with me!

When will you write a real book (meaning an adult book): "After twenty years of writing children's books I have become so practiced at answering this question that sometimes I'm even able to appear not remotely annoyed when I recite some version of the same thing: Children's books are real books; kids are ideal readers, especially of literary fiction; and finally no, I do not plan on ever writing a book for adults."

My comment - people ask me what adult books I read. Why do I blog and read kids books? It also infuriates me. It totally valid to read kids books, to love reading kids books, to want to share kids books and to want to talk about (only) kids books.

"Didactisim, always the enemy of good storytelling, is rampant in children's books, thanks to our long-standing insistence on stories that teach kids lessons."

My comment Hooray - I am SO aware of this, especially in picture books and books like this generally make me cringe and certainly make discard them quickly.

"The children's book author is under no obligation to instruct or encourage or explain. Our only duty is to tell good stories. And the best stories for kids - like the best stories for adults, tell the truth about what it means to be human in the world. But it means some thing very different to be a child in this world than it does to be an adult. The best children's writers tell the truth in a way that is recognisable and authentic to children."

My comment YES YES authentic please. I won't share the title or author here but there is a book from a couple of years ago that featured a melting glacier and a child on a journey. Surely by the end of the book, in the warm sunshine, the little piece of ice would all be gone - but NO. An utterly ridiculous book and such a waste of resources to publish it but of course this is one of those dreadful celebrity titles. If you browse (sorry to name names) Scholastic Australia book club brochures you will discover lots more examples of this - bad stories, bad storytelling, books that in my view should never have been published.

" ... children's books must be as varied as the lives of the children who read them. When children cannot find their experiences and emotions - their fear, jealousy, sadness and anger - reflected in the stories they read, two things can happen ... kids may abandon reading (or) ... children may decide that there is something wrong with themselves, ... this outcome should be unbearable to us all."

"By treating the child's experiences with dignity and compassion, the children's writer can often get to the very essence of human experience."

My comment - thank goodness for book lists such as The Empathy Lab and three cheers for all the people who talk about representation in books for kids. This is a huge topic and one I am sure you are very familiar with.

94.7% is crud

The BIG arguments around this book, though, come on page 19 and that wild statistic of 94.7%! More on that in a minute BECAUSE previously on page 11 Mac Barnett says:

"A healthy children's literature will contain great works of art, but there will also be plenty of trash, because trash is a necessary by product of art making, and also because trash can be fun to read, and children as much a right to enjoy trash as adults do."

"There are so many bad kids' books and kids' books are bad in so many different ways. There are treacly ones, and preachy ones, and ones that don't make any sense; books that are supposed to rhyme but don't; books with amateurish writing, or amateurish illustrations, or both; bland books; boring books. But I would point out lots of adults books are bad too!"

I am tempted at this point to share with you the covers of a couple of books that are really bad especially ones by 'sports stars' and comedians.

"People get the idea that it's easy to write a children's book, when really it's just easy to write a bad one."

My comment - this has the same effect on me as the people who wonder when I am going to read 'grown-ups' books. It is not easy to write a fabulous book for children - the best evidence of this comes from the really top authors such as Kate DiCamillo who often talks about her own writing journey. I recently attended an author talk about a picture book and the creator said it took four years from the original idea through to its publication this year. And Anna Walker (an award-winning Australian author/illustrator) took seven years to create her latest book. When I worked as a national judge for our Children's Book Council annual awards I was utterly shocked by so many of the truly awful picture books that were submitted. I have kept a small collection of the worst ones which most certainly demonstrate 'it's really easy to write a bad one.'

Mac Barnett describes categories or buckets that we could use to sort kids' books - one is propaganda and another is books that are '"soul nourishing, entertaining, and well crafted - stories written for children as they actually are and not as adult would like them to be." I know which ones I want to read.

Paraphrasing he says 'many adults are often surprised by the meaning they find in the pages of kids' books'. I could cite so many fantastic examples.

"A children's writer must have the same talents that all writers, in varying amounts possess - control of language, a sense of rhythm and pace, appreciate of beauty, a knack for character, a strong point of view - an on top of all of that, the ability to connect with kids."

"Even a story with a lesson should always be judged by how effectively that lesson is conveyed, not how worthy its message or how important we think it is for kids to hear."

Mac Barnett suggests we look no further an Aesop for terrific examples of this. 

"when (kids) encounter a story that makes demands of the reader - a story that requires thought and feeling and imagination in order to be fully understood - kids do what they do so well, so many times each day. They bravely work to comprehend the new."

My comment - share this with the parents in your school - the ones who ask for easy books, the ones who ask for 'hard' books and the ones who settle for and even encourage their kids to read every book from a mediocre series.

I love his two examples on page 38 - garbage trucks and the moon - here are the wonderful books I thought of as my examples:

Every Monday Mabel

Happy Birthday Moon

A very large section of Make Believe is dedicated to an analysis of Goodnight Moon. This is not a book that really appeals to me, but Mac Barnett has made me revisit it with fresh eyes. One thing that does make sense is the way he explains its popularity with US families. When it was published this book was read to kids - they loved it. When they had kids of their own, they bought this book to share with their child. When those kids had kids, they bought this book and so on! If you are familiar with this book or you are curious about it take a look at pages 60-69 of Make Believe but try to do this with the actual picture book in your hands. Also read more about Bank Street on pages 44-47. Then take a look at my recent post about their top 100 titles. 

I love that Mac Barnett does not like the term "middle grade" and much prefers the words kids use - chapter books! Maybe I can find a way to change my lexicon. Mac Barnett also rails against the idea that picture books are for young kids and that all kids must move on to harder books and put away those childish ones! In my view (which your surely know from reading this blog if indeed you have ever read any of my posts) picture books are for everyone - even adults! And kids do not grow out of picture books and it is okay to revisit your collection of Board Books too.

I laughed out aloud several times reading Mac Barnett's thoughts. And one part that resonated with me, because it happens way too often, was when he described in a footnote on page 2 "people saying they always wanted to write a kids' book because it seems so easy." When people say this to ME it drives me crazy too - I am too polite to fire back with a resounding NO but in my head this comment always makes me rage.

One more idea that Mac Barnett discusses - kindness (pages 51-57). You might like to look at my post on a related idea - picture books with no narrative - I call them homily books. We do want kids to be kind and generous, and happy and mindful but many books that fall into this category will not be the ones kids ask to have 're-read and when a child says 'read it again' that is one of the highest forms of praise for the parent but more importantly for the author and illustrator.

"Four pages into this slim new volume of narrative theory, I began pumping my fists in the air like a roomful of elementary-schoolers when someone hits play on 'Golden.' A few pages later, I began texting quotes to friends and reading bits out loud to my family." New York Magazine

"A magnificent piece of writing—funny and sharp and true. Every adult should read it, whether or not they have a child. I loved it.” Katherine Rundell, author of Impossible Creatures (Make sure you read this book about kids and books and read by Katherine Rundell). 

Going back to the 94.7 comment. First off this is a crazy and therefore in my view rather silly statistic - it is not meant to be taken literally. I loathe the use of statistics in our modern world. To my eye this number is designed to jolt you, yes, but not mean only 5 books in one hundred are 'good'. The real impact/condemnation of this comment by Mac Barnett more appropriately comes from his use of the word 'crud'. That is indeed a strong word. It did jolt me but I actually agree with Mac about this - not the percentage. There are so many fantastic books but of course there are also too many that could/should be so much better. 

I was intrigued to read the review of Make Believe in our Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald last weekend.  First off children's books or books about children's books very rarely reach this newspaper column which is one of Mac Barnett's main reasons for writing Make Believe. I had already seen all the vitriol and commentary about that 94.7 comment so I expected the reviewer to add her 'five cents worth' to this debate but she didn't. She did focus on part of the book which explores Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown - meaning this book could have less interest to an Australian adult, who enjoys reading literary criticism of children's books, because Goodnight Moon is not a very high-profile book here. Mac Barnett talks about Goodnight Moon here if this topic interests you.

Make Believe has only just been released here in Australia (June 2026) - it arrived in the US a few months ago. I was pleased to see it in a local bookstore this morning but sadly it was hidden on a shelf filled full of other literary criticism titles - I do wish the shop had put this book over near the children's section so it might be found and read.

Now that you have read my rambling thoughts about Make Believe take a look at these posts if you want to better understand both sides of the debate and controversy:

Mac Barnett Is Right. Mac Barnett Is Also a Snob. Afoma Umesi

Mac Barnett Responds Amid Continued Backlash SLJ Kara Yorio

A New Manifesto for Children’s Literature New York Times by Gregory Maguire (DNYUZ)

National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Mac Barnett talks about his new book NPR

A Beloved Children’s Book Author Said Most Children’s Literature Is “Crud.” It Has Not Gone Well. Laura Miller SLATE

The Kid Lit Ambassador Has No Diplomatic Immunity Kirkus

Nearly there - 4000 blog posts

Approaching 4000 Blog Posts

A few years ago I set a target of 4000 blog posts by the end of 2024 - sadly I did not quite reach that but now as we come to the end of 2025, I only need to pen a dozen more posts to reach my goal! My blog has 2.75 million views (2008-2025). How amazing.

I am also sitting at number 3 on the Feedspot Australian children's book bloggers list just behind CBCA and Kids' Book Review. I have moved up from number 8! earlier this year. And I am number 79 on their international list. Very strangely I am also sitting as number 2 on the Feedspot Retired Teachers blog list even though that is not the focus of my blog. 

Here's a screen shot of my most popular posts from 2008 onwards - it is a rather curious list I think.

Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson illustrated by Sally Deng

Subtitle: The woman who rescued a generation of children 

and founded the world's largest children's library

I am a member of IBBY Australia and so I am already familiar with the wonderful work of Jella Lepman but I learnt so much more from this new book. 

Dr Robin Morrow AM, past president of IBBY Australia said, in Magpies Volume 40, Sept 2025:

"... this comprehensive but accessible book (112 pages) is a must-have for public libraries and for upper primary and secondary collections, and an excellent resource for students researching influential women. ... The world has changed but the challenges for those who care about children, and good books and the possibilities for peace remain remarkably similar to those of eighty years ago."

The word that shines through most forcibly reading this book is determination. Jella Lepman acted on her vision that the children of Germany, who had lived through the most dreadful circumstances, children who had seen things no one, adult or child, should ever see, that these children needed to see different ways of living, and imagining and interacting and, she knew, that could come from children's books. But there were so many problems in Germany in 1945. She had to convince the authorities (men in the US army); she needed money; she needed books (lots of them hopefully for free); she needed helpers; she needed to maintain her strong voice and vision; she needed a space for her exhibition of books and children's drawings; and later she needed a space to set up a library. For all of this Jella Lepman used her determination. 

I loved the scene where she has to sneak in at night to use a typewriter and then has to invent 'a demanding high raking officer' who has ordered her to work late into the night. 

Because of her work and vision and fierce belief in the power of children's books as a force for good in the world today we have IBBY (The International Board on Books for Young People). Read more here.

I have read right through Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams twice. There are parts that made me cry. Jella sees a little child in a bombed out city holding a winter flower; Jella follows another little girl who had been begging for treats from US soldiers only to discover older children are using her and taking everything from her begging; Jella is given money for a book mobile but this never eventuates because bureaucrats raise issues of money and staffing; officious men tell her the children will steal the books (this does not happen) and others declare they should not be allowed to touch the books with their dirty hands. I loved the idea of children from all over the world sending paintings to the children in Germany and the way Jella insisted her library should have a space for children to create their own art projects. Imagine attending her conference in 1951:

"But onto her greatest achievement; Jella had been seeking to make peace through children's books since 1949. Perhaps she should gather people from around the world who also gave their lives to children and their books, who might also believe that books could be a bridge for peace. Jella made up a list of people she considered the who's who of children's literature and sent out 60 invitations. Very quickly the acceptances poured in, along with pleas from people who had not received an invitation but who wanted to come."

And did you know that today you can visit her library in Germany - it is in Munich and it is housed in a castle. It is my own dream to one day make a visit to see the now impressive collection of over 600,000 items.

When you pick up this book make sure you look really closely at the cover - there are some famous characters walking alongside the children and then take of the dust jacket (yes I love that this book has a dust jacket) and even better the case reveal shows children having fun with some of those characters from the cover. 

Publisher blurb: Jella Lepman was a woman who stood her ground, challenged convention, and worked fiercely to transform her biggest dreams into reality. In 1945, when Jella was tasked with what seemed like an insurmountable challenge―to create a haven of imagination and joy for the children of a Germany scarred by war—she turned to a steadfast companion: books. As a Jewish woman who had fled from the Nazis, Jella was determined to restore a sense of childhood to the young people who had only known conflict and violence. Despite constant obstacles, Jella persevered, and with the help of publishers and children from around the world, she amassed an extraordinary collection of 4,000 children’s books in pursuit of her mission to promote peace. The roving literary collection would eventually find a home as the International Youth Library in Munich ...

Anyone with a connection to IBBY will want to grab this book with both hands! It is a good price from this online book seller, or you could put in a request your local library might be able to source a copy. I did find this audio book version. You could also read this using Overdrive from your library. 

Jella Lepman established IBBY and the International Youth Library. Here is a quote from her biography:

We are looking for ways to introduce children in Germany to the children's books of other nations. German children have almost no books left after the children's and youth literature of the Hitler era was eliminated. Educators and publishers also need books from the free world for their orientation. Children are not to blame for this war, so let your books be the first messengers of peace! They are to be compiled into an exhibition that will first travel to Germany, and later perhaps to other countries. To overcome foreign language difficulties, we ask above all for picture books and illustrated books. But good narrative literature should also be made accessible to the children in group work. We hope that German publishers will be able to acquire the translation rights to many of these books. We also ask your country for children's drawings and children's paintings. These pictures speak an international language and will delight the children. (Lepman 1964, 51 f.) Read more here - the IBBY Congress in Trieste

One bookseller said this book is perfect for:

• Librarians, educators, and parents seeking engaging history and nonfiction books for kids
• Fans of true stories, biographies, and fascinating facts
• Anyone interested in learning about children’s literature and children's book libraries
• Special occasion or thank you gift for teachers and librarians
• Fans of Katherine Paterson and her award-winning books, including Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, and The Great Gilly Hopkins

White Rabbit books said:

WORLD HISTORY FOR KIDS: This book reflects on the aftermath of WWII and its effect on children in Germany. By Jella Lepman’s inspiring example, readers will learn how working together and being part of a community can help bring peace after war, displacement, and loss.

FASCINATING TRUE STORY: This picture book biography introduces a little-known historical figure who changed the world through children’s books. Anyone who loves history, biographies, or children’s literature will find themselves inspired by the life and work of Jella Lepman.

IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS & LIBRARIES: Featuring inspiring illustrations of global cooperation, crates of international books being shipped to the library, and children in the harshest of conditions finding solace in reading, this book is perfect for celebrating librarians and their positive impact on young lives. It also highlights the ongoing work of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organization that represents an international network of people who are committed to bringing books and children together.

A stirring, singular tribute to a woman well aware of the importance of children’s books in times of trauma and recovery. Kirkus Star review

Dr Robin Morrow mentioned Jella Lepman and her Library of Dreams could benefit from an index - but for my reading I wish there was a timeline - this would be an excellent way to gain an overview of Jella's work. I love these words from the Kirkus review I just quoted: The subject’s dedication, candor, and sheer chutzpah burst off the page.

Companion books:

The Lady with the Books

Katherine Paterson, as a supporter of IBBY and a HCAA winner, is the perfect person to take on creating this wonderful book so that children and adults can have a glimpse into the life and work of this incredible woman. I imagine she would have spent many years completing her research. You can see a list of all the awards given to Katherine Paterson. She is a Life Member of IBBY and a past winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Here are all the US winners of the HCAA:

• 1962 - Meindert DeJong (Author Medal)
• 1970 - Maurice Sendak (Illustrator Medal)
• 1972 - Scott O'Dell (Author Medal)
• 1978 - Paula Fox (Author Medal)
• 1992 - Virginia Hamilton (Author Medal)
• 1998 - Katherine Paterson (Author Medal)
• ​2020 - Jacqueline Woodson (Author Medal)

​