how this book was made

How This Book Was Made is the latest book by Mac Barnett. The book’s illustrations are from Adam Rex and together they’ve made one of the most difficult to categorize, utterly strange and wildly enjoyable books we’ve read in a while. From the title you’ll think the book is an inside joke at how an author perceives a book’s creation process-and to an extent you’re correct.

But then you’ll dig into How This Book Was Made and see Barnett arm wrestling a tiger. We’ll meet his editor who eats fancy lunches in her skyscraper while wearing a tiara. Barnett’s multiple drafts will also be sent across the country, leaving dotted line like Billy from The Family Circus. The tiger returns with a fox, octopus, seagull, chef, panda and more to confront the author and look over the draft.

Continue reading How This Book Was Made, brilliant, unusual and really funny