Heather and I attended Day 2 of the Zig Zag Festival (Thru the Bologna Book Fair ) The highly respected Mac Barnett and the incredible Felicita Sala (Bored and so many other fantastic books) discussed storytelling, creativity, and their long-standing friendship. It was an inspiring reminder of why we do what we do.
As for Mac and his book Make Believe—which I've been asked about almost daily for the past month or two—he and editor Sally Kim discussed it on stage.
My takeaways were pretty simple:
Mac Barnett is deeply passionate about storytelling.
He's incredibly smart.
He genuinely cares about the industry that has given him a career.
But my biggest takeaway was this:
He's just trying to make the world a better place and he has the platform to make that happen.
Mac has a young son. I remember reading to my own kids when they were little and thinking, "I could write that book." Most of us have had that thought at some point. What I heard from Mac was a parent who wants better books, better stories, and a better world for his child—and for all children. If we accomplish that, the world becomes a better place for everyone.
As for the "crud" he talks about in the children's book industry? He's right. Is 94.7% accurate? Hard to say without some deep research, right?
But I, as an author/illustrator have worked on projects that needed more time. I've put out underdeveloped designs. I've written stories that could have been stronger. I've created illustrations that could have been tighter, more meaningful, or more impactful.
What I believe he's asking of us—as creators, as an industry and as humans—is to be more thoughtful. Slow down. Push beyond the expected. Take creative risks. Give kids more surprises. Give them more wonder. Give them more time to simply be kids.
That was my takeaway.
If you get the chance to read the book (it's only 100 pages and a quick read) and engage critically with its ideas—or better yet, hear Mac speak in person—I highly recommend it.
