Picture book author Mac Barnett has been named the Library of Congress' new ambassador for young people's literature. He discusses what the role means when engaging kids in reading can be a struggle.

MAC: Slate has asked us—indeed hired us—to talk about their big picture-book package, “The 25 Best Picture Books of the Past 25 Years.” (Did you like how I called it a “package”? Did it make me sound ...

Keats once said, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Some would say the same about a picture book. Many teachers and librarians believe that picture books aren’t just for the wee ones, and they are ...