✨ A live conversation about how picture books work, with two of the most celebrated creators in contemporary children’s literature.
This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from the award-winning duo whose books have inspired readers of all ages around the world.
They will share insights into the art of telling stories that are at once playful, profound, and unforgettable.
📅 Wednesday, September 24
6:00 -7:30 pm Talk with Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
7:45 – 9:00pm Dinner with the Authors
Live at SULLALUNA 41, Carmine Street 10014 NYC
Don’t miss this chance to join an extraordinary conversation about the past and future of children’s books!
And if you love picture books as much as we do, don’t miss Looking at Picture Books — a Substack newsletter created by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: a space where the two authors dive deep into picture books — how they work, what makes them special, and the importance of illustration, storytelling, rhythm, and other formal and aesthetic elements.
Here’s a closer look at the incredible talents joining us live!
Mac Barnett
Mac Barnett is a New York Times-bestselling author of more than 60 children’s books, including Extra Yarn, Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, Twenty Questions, A Polar Bear in the Snow, the “Mac B., Kid Spy” novels, The First Cat in Space graphic novels, and The Shapes Trilogy picture books.
His work has been translated into over 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.
Among his awards are two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and a variety of international prizes such as Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui Award, the Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil.
Barnett is also the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+ inspired by their bestselling Shapes picture book trilogy.
In February 2025, he was inaugurated as the 2025–26 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress, championing the picture book as a vital literary form.
He lives in Oakland, California
Jon Klassen
Jon Klassen is a Canadian-born author and illustrator, celebrated for his Hat trilogy—I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat—all of which are critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
This Is Not My Hat earned him both the Caldecott Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal, making him the first person to win both for the same work; I Want My Hat Back was a New York Times bestseller for over 40 weeks and, along with its sequel, was translated into over 22 languages with combined sales surpassing one million copies by April 2014.
Klassen began his career studying animation at Sheridan College, then worked as an animator on films like Kung Fu Panda and Coraline, and served as art director for projects including U2’s “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” music video.
His illustration debut was Cats’ Night Out, and he gained further prominence as the illustrator of Sam & Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett.
He resides in Los Angeles, California