Mac Barnett’s picture books are as varied in style as they are playful and imaginative.

Barnett lists opera, theatre, ballet, and cinema as influences, and brings a knowing theatricality to his own readings. But even apart from the highly recommended experience of witnessing Barnett read, the pages of his books spill over with an enthusiasm for the intersection of written and visual media that bridges the chasms of age, genre, and attention span.