Our Friend Mac Barnett.

A few weeks ago, Mac Barnett came to town for a few author talks and became Lily, Henry and Rosie's new best friend for a couple of days.

(alas, Jamie was away at camp and missed out) 

First, he spoke at Wordplay http://wordplaycincy.org/ a new creative writing center in Northside that develops and hosts all sorts of wonderful literary events for kids. Its a terrific spot and

Mac read his newest book the fabulous Count the Monkeys.
He was very entertaining and shared how he came up with different ideas and how they eventually became books.

Mac was so engaging and kind that my kids thought that he was both the funniest grown up they had ever met and their new best personal pal. 

So we went to see him at another bookstore the next day.

I guess we had become Mac groupies. 

And Mac very graciously remembered us and greeted my kids by name as we sort of semi-stalked him for a couple of days.

Rosie! tell me... what have you been up to since I saw you last night!

And now my crew are loyal Mac fans, because after all he is their buddy and how fabulous is it that one of your friends writes cool books for kids?

By the way...we have now read all of his books and they are all smart, funny and very lovely. He writes a wide variety of children's books, from beautifully illustrated picture books to a mystery series for middle readers called Brixton Brothers...inspired by Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown.

Lily inhaled the whole Brixton Brothers series...leaping in before we even left the book scene at Wordplay.

Thanks Mac for being so nice to my little guys, and for sharing your wit and good humor with the under 12 set... they appreciate it more than you know.  

http://macbarnett.com/