Mac Barnett is a force in children’s literature. I have several of his picture books on the shelf, and am looking forward to his book about writing for kids (Make Believe), which is due out in a couple of days.
However…
The Future Book (2026) is only fun, and misses a lot of opportunities. It starts boldly, with the claim that it is from the future, and goes on with equal boldness, explaining all the ways that life is different in the future. They are fun, and make for good simple images.
However, they all seem arbitrary. There aren’t really themes linking them (besides the general idea that things change with time), and little commentary on life, the world, or kids.
It’s fun, and kids who like to play with ideas will enjoy it. But it could have been so much more.
