Books by the author MAC BARNETT

Extra Yarn

Extra Yarn

Mac Barnett

On a cold afternoon in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box full of yarn of every color. It seemed like an ordinary box. But it turned out it wasn t.

Characters: Annabelle

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John's Turn

John's Turn

Mac Barnett

It’s John’s big day at school today – a performance for Sharing Gifts time. His bag is carefully packed and prepared, his classmates are ready, and the curtain is waiting to open. John is nervous, looking out at all the other children staring back at him. But he takes a big breath and begins. Mac Barnett’s compassionate text and Kate Berube’s understated and expressive art tell the story of a kid who finds the courage to show others his talent for dancing.

Characters: John

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Leo: A Ghost Story

Leo: A Ghost Story

Mac Barnett

Leo is any kid's best friend. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can’t even see him. Because Leo is also a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo’s efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin.

Characters: JaneLeo

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Paolo, Emperor of Rome

Paolo, Emperor of Rome

Mac Barnett

Paolo the dachshund is trapped. Though he lives in Rome, a city filled with history and adventure, he is confined to a hair salon. Paolo dreams of the sweet life―la dolce vita―in the Eternal City. And then, one day, he escapes! Paolo throws himself into the city, finding adventure at every turn. Join our hero as he discovers the wonders of Rome: the ruins, the food, the art, the opera, and―of course―the cats. Readers will cheer the daring of this bighearted dog, whose story shows that even the smallest among us can achieve great things.

Characters: Paolo

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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole

Mac Barnett

With perfect pacing, the multiple award-winning, best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen dig down for a deadpan tale full of visual humour.From the award-winning team behind Extra Yarn, and illustrated by Jon Klassen, the Kate Greenaway-winning creator of This Is Not My Hat and I Want My Hat Back, comes a perfectly paced, deadpan tale full of visual humour. Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find ... nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary – and finding it in a manner they'd never expect.

Characters: DaveSam

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Telephone

Telephone

Mac Barnett

It's time to fly home for dinner! In this witty picture book from award-winning and bestselling author Mac Barnett, a mother bird gives the bird next to her a message for little Peter. But passing messages on a telephone line isn't as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird understands Mama's message according to its own very particular hobbies. Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a favorite children's game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead to countless rereads.

Characters: Peter

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We check all suggestions, so please ensure that all recommendations are picture books aimed at children less than 6 years old.

Sam and Soraya

Built by Sam & Soraya

In 2022 we welcomed our little twins into the world. Since then we have been building up our home library full of baby books to try and give our boys the best start.

While books with characters called Sam are found in bookstores and charity shops throughout the land, we struggled to find any books with Soraya, Jasper, or Xander.

This gave Soraya the idea to compile a list of books for new parents and then Sam decided to turn it in to a website.