A fascinating picture book biography. what a charming strange human this book illustrates. I think it is an adult's picture book, as i can't imagine reading this to any children. ( )

The important thing about this book is that it is about Margaret Wise Brown. ( )

This book made me forking cry. ( )

“Kids and art have the same job; they are trying to find out what the world means. A good book looks at the world from a kid’s level. They are the ideal readers of literary fiction.” I loved how Mac Barnett didn’t sell kids short. They can read, retain, and understand far more than we give them credit for. I so enjoyed his reading through his book The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown. I had liked it before I heard him read it--and understand why he wrote as he did (to honor Margaret’s style.) And he loved Margaret Wise Brown as that is what he was read growing up. When you feel the personal connection, you understand the author and their book so much more. I peg this might win some honor at ALA Midwinter this year. (Worth watching is his TED talk from a few years ago) ( )

The important thing about this review is to say this picture book is great.

Here and now, we say to Barnett and Jacoby: We SEE what you’ve done. You’ve paid tribute to a woman who changed picture books. Forever. You’ve acknowledged her queerness, telling readers she fell in love “with a woman called Michael / and a man called Pebble.” You’ve honored her words with references to such titles as Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, The Little Fur Family, and more. You’ve sat with her respect for child readers as thinking, feeling, whole beings, and you’ve invited us, your readers, and hers, to do the same. You’ve framed her conflict with a stuffy librarian as an epic, funny battle. Just like Brown’s texts, yours is quirky, and sweet, experimental, funny, and at times heartbreakingly gorgeous. And Jacoby channels Clement Hurd, and Leonard Weisgard, and Garth Williams, and so many other Brown collaborators—and yet? Jacoby remains herself. Just like Margaret Wise Brown was herself, her whole life long. Or her whole life short, really, right? Isn’t it a shame she died so young? At 42—as you document in this picture-book biography, this love letter to her life, and to her astonishing legacy to children’s literature. Honestly? We don’t know what more to say. But we guess we will say this: have a carrot. You’ve earned it. And so much more. The important thing is that you wrote this picture book—this picture book about Margaret Wise Brown.

A runaway success. (Picture book/biography. 5-adult)

-Kirkus Review