Picture books are better when they’re oddly specific in a productive, story-enhancing way. What does that mean, and how can a writer do it?
“Simple books [are] for simple humans, and kids are not simple. They are so complex. They are so sophisticated, and they really need, like, a literature that is as rich and varied as their lives are.” ~ Mac Barnett
If you’ve read Mac Barnett’s book about children’s literature Make Believe, or if you were active in kidlit communities when it was released in May 2026, then you know the controversy it caused when he called 94.7% of children’s books “crud.” Writers were outraged, I tell you! Outraged.
Some of the book’s claims were valid… for example, he makes the point that kids books are created by adults, and that complicates them because the writers are not part of the target audience. That’s undeniably true. Adults and kids are different! The quickest demonstration of this is a side-by-side look at adult and kid perspectives—see below. Kids are unique, and that uniqueness is valuable.
Kids see like this:
Adults see like this:
Also, kids are weird. (To be clear, I love that about kids.) Mr. Barnett argues in favor of that weirdness in kidlit, and he’s right to do so. Is he doing it himself? Read The Future Book for your answer. I adore this book, and not because adults will love it. It’s PLAY. The authorial moves are productive. It’s kid-centric. It fits my definition of story, which is based on a craft book recommendation from Jon Klassen…A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing. For me, a story has an energetic beginning that, through messy-middle shenanigans, inevitably leads to its cathartic (read: satisfying) ending. Lots of “boring” work is formulaic—and that’s an important discussion for a later date, especially since many kidlit classes teach writing picture books in a formulaic way. So in my estimation, weird is great as long as it’s productive—as long as it’s story. And you can tell a story when you read one… it feels like a story!
But Mac’s book draws attention to the idea of book slop…in part, he means weirdness that’s not engaging. So let’s take a look at some weird books that ARE engaging. Below is my short list of “weird that works” picture books:
No Boring Stories by Julie Falatko (2018)
A motley crew of story writers reject an adorable bunny who wants to join their critique group because they’re absolutely sure that a cute bunny is incapable of writing anything but boring books. How wrong they are! Featuring a giraffe-necked weevil, vicious attacks on innocent kingdoms, lasers, and lots of strange sandwiches, this story feels refreshing. It’s also about what makes a good story, which makes it particularly relevant to today’s post!
We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang (2024)
When some aliens—who are “definitely human”—land on Earth, they’re looking to fix their “car.” How will everyone act? And what does it mean to be human? This unpredictable picture book evokes both tears and laughter, exploring kindness without ever saying the word.
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson (2025)
Doesn’t the cheeky title draw you in? It was a must-read for me, based on that alone. Fishy secrets, an insistent, “factual” voice, a steady build of ominous tension…it delivers a compelling, page-turning hilarity that can’t be fully replicated in describing it.
Specificity followed by yes-and logic is, in my opinion, one of the most important elements that make books weird-good instead of weird-not-working. But as Levar Burton says, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” What are your favorite weird books?
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Stephanie
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