Mac Barnett is the ninth U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, appointed by the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader. He's a New York Times- bestselling author of stories for children and the writer, with Jon Klassen, of Looking at Picture Books, a newsletter for adults about how picture books work. Barnett's work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. His books have won many prizes, including 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,Germany's Jugendliteraturpreis, China's Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award, The Netherlands' Silver Griffel, and Italy's Premio Orbil.

Barnett lives in Oakland, California.