How ‘How This Book Was Made’ Was Made

On our unending hunt for funny picture books, one duo of picture book superstars pops up again and again: Mac Barnett and Adam Rex. In Chloe and the Lion, author Barnett and artist Rex break the fourth wall and clash over telling their preferred (and hilarious) version of the story.

They’re back again this fall with a new picture book with the same spirit, How This Book Was Made:

From Caldecott Honor author Mac Barnett and New York Times best-selling illustrator Adam Rex comes a metafictional peek behind the curtain of how THIS book was made–complete with astronauts and gorillas!

You may think you know how this book was made, but you don’t. Sure, the author wrote many drafts, and the illustrator took a long time creating the art, but then what? How’d it get into your hands? Well, open the cover and read through these pages to find out. Just beware of the pirates and angry tiger.

If you’ve never read a book by these two before, take an exclusive first look at how How This Book Was Made was made for just a hint of their playful humor.

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If your kids are curious about how books are made, or hope to be an author or artist themselves one day, keep an eye out for How This Book Was Made this September.

All images: Disney/Hyperion

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This post was last modified on December 8, 2017 1:54 am

Kelly Knox

Kelly Knox is a freelance writer in Seattle, WA. She also writes for StarWars.com, Marvel.com, Geek & Sundry, and Nerdist.

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