Name: Why a good book is a secret door
Uploaded: 2014-09-17T15:00:03Z
Duration: 16 min 50 s
Description: Childhood is surreal. Why shouldn't children's books be? In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as a doorway to wonder -- and what real kids say to a fictional whale.

Mac Barnett: Why a good book is a secret door

Why a good book is a secret door

Childhood is surreal. Why shouldn't children's books be? In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as a doorway to wonder -- and what real kids say to a fictional whale.

Fiction creates a space where something can be both true and not true, unlocking a sense of wonder that children navigate naturally. At a summer camp, a child found a melon she 'grew' in a week, knowing it was both a trick and a triumph. Bookstores disguised as pirate shops and time travel marts invite kids to step through secret doors, turning stories into lived experience. Art’s real magic lies in its power to make belief feel possible, even for adults.