Join PBS Books for a joyful, laugh-out-loud, and insightful conversation with Mac Barnett, the 2025–2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, as we celebrate the power of storytelling to spark curiosity, build empathy, and nurture lifelong readers.
In this delightful interview, Mac chats with Heather-Marie Montilla about the magic of picture books and why they deserve a spot on every bookshelf—child and adult alike. With humor, heart, and imagination, Mac reflects on his journey as a beloved children’s book author and shares how young readers often bring the deepest insights to the stories he creates. From Sam and Dave Dig a Hole to President Taft Is Stuck in the Bath, Mac’s work is filled with wonder, surprising turns, and an open invitation to think, laugh, and connect.
This ambassadorial appointment is made possible through a collaboration between the Library of Congress, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader. As the 9th National Ambassador, Mac brings his signature wit and creativity to the role—championing picture books as one of the great, and often underappreciated, literary forms.
Don’t miss this engaging conversation that celebrates reading together, building community through books, and the storytelling that shapes thoughtful, imaginative young minds.
Host
Heather-Marie Montilla
Heather-Marie Montilla, a dynamic integrative leader, is an educator and nonprofit manager. She has worked in the nonprofit sector and libraries for over two decades, making a positive impact in arts, cultural, educational, and community-building arenas.
Having joined the PBS Books team as their Library Bureau Chief in Fall 2018, Montilla is now the National Director of PBS Books and has interviewed more than 150 writers. In addition, she is a faculty member at Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University for their Arts and Cultural/Entertainment Management Programs. Having been an Executive Director for 8 years, Heather has a wide range of experience in management, finance, strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. Heather holds a MPA From Columbia University, a MLIS from Wayne State University, and a bachelor’s from Duke University. She lives in Chicagoland, and is married with four children, a dog, and a bird.
Guest
Mac Barnett
Mac Barnett, the 2025–2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a New York Times best-selling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages and sold more than five million copies worldwide. Mac Barnett’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book 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’ Zilveren Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the cocreator, with Jon Klassen, of the Substack Looking at Picture Books, as well as Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Mac Barnett lives in Oakland, California.
