On February 3, 2025, the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader announced the appointment of Mac Barnett as the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Barnett is the ninth author to hold this position. He succeeds Meg Medina, who served as the National Ambassador from 2023 through 2024.

Barnett is the author of more than 60 books for children, including Twenty Questions, Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, A Polar Bear in the Snow, and Extra Yarn, as well as the popular Mac B., Kid Spy series of novels, The First Cat in Space graphic novels, and The Shapes Trilogy picture books.

Barnett began working with children as a high school and college student, and these early experiences inspired a dream of writing for them. Now an accomplished author, Barnett is known for his deep respect for children – for their intelligence, their emotional acumen, and their time and attention.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden offered the following remarks on Barnett's's appointment:

I’m excited for Mac Barnett’s tenure as the National Ambassador. The way he elevates the picture book with originality and intentionality, making space for young readers to embrace the unknown, is magical. I often mention the joy of seeing myself for the first time in Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli, a book about a young African American girl celebrating her 10th birthday. I look forward to the many joyous ways Mac will use picture books to inspire connections within our communities.

During his two-year term as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Barnett will celebrate the children’s picture book through his platform, Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See. Barnett will explore 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 will assert the picture book is a quintessential American art form and deserves its rightful place among the best American literature.

Barnett himself shared the following words on his appointment:

It’s a profound honor to serve as ambassador. When I got the news, I was speechless, which is unusual for me. Now I feel energized to proclaim the many glories of children’s literature, with a particular focus on a unique and marvelous way of telling stories: the children’s picture book.

Picture books are a beautiful, sophisticated and vibrant art form, the source of some of the most profound reading experiences in children’s (and adults’) lives. I am, of course, excited to talk to young readers. The joy of sharing picture books with kids is why I started writing children’s books in the first place,” Barnett said. “But I’m also eager to speak to adults – who often underestimate or overlook children’s literature – to champion the power of picture books and the brilliance of the kids who read them.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden inaugurated Barnett as the new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10:30 a.m. The event was streamed live External on the Library’s YouTube page External. The public had an opportunity to meet Barnett in a unique “Storytime for Grown Ups” event featuring author illustrators Cece Bell and Raúl the Third, and 2008-2009 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thomas Jefferson Building. This event was part of the Library’s signature Live at the Library! series.