Reading Is Fundamental is honored to partner with the Library of Congress in support of the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program. The initiative raises national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Mac Barnett is the 2025-26 National Ambassador and the ninth writer to hold this position. Barnett is the author of more than 60 books for children.

During his two-year term as the National Ambassador, Barnett is celebrating the children’s picture book through his platform, Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See. Barnett explores the deeply impactful ways picture books blend words and illustrations to create a uniquely powerful reading experience, one that is often the foundation for a lifetime of reading. Ultimately, Barnett asserts the picture book is a quintessential American art form and deserves its rightful place among the best American literature.

Explore some of his featured titles here, along with related reading resources. Then, be sure to explore more about his platform: https://guides.loc.gov/mac-barnett/