Square by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Square by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Square by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Square by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

$12.99 Sale • Save
Adding to Cart Added to Cart

Canadian Illustrator

Ages: 5–9 years

Part of the Shapes Trilogy, the books that inspired Shape Island from Apple TV+

The beguiling second entry in the innovative shape trilogy by multi-award-winning, New York Times best-selling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.

This book is about Square. Square spends every day taking blocks from a pile below the ground to a pile above the ground. This book is also about Square’s friend Circle. Circle thinks Square is an artistic genius. But is he really? With the second story in a trilogy of tales about Triangle, Square, and Circle, Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen nudge readers toward a more well-rounded way of looking at things. Understated and striking in its simplicity, this funny, thoughtful offering from two of today’s most talented picture-book creators emphasizes the importance of keeping your eyes — and your mind — open to wonder where others see only rubble and rocks.

Mac Barnett is the ninth U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, appointed by the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader. He’s a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children and the writer, with Jon Klassen, of Looking at Picture Books, a newsletter for adults about how picture books work. Mac’s work has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Mac’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil.

He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Mac lives in Oakland, California.

Jon Klassen is a Canadian-born author-illustrator. His books include I Want My Hat Back; This Is Not My Hat, winner of the Caldecott Medal; We Found a Hat; and The Skull. Jon is also the illustrator of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and The Dark by Lemony Snicket, among many others. He is a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to children’s literature. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

Buy it with

About the Artist

Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen are friends who make children’s books. They were called “the picture book kings” by the New York Post, a newspaper that, to their knowledge, has never been wrong about anything.

Every book they’ve made together is a New York Times bestseller, except for one, Triangle, which is the one Jon likes best. Oh well!

Collectively, they have won two Caldecott Honors, a Caldecott Medal, a Kate Greenaway Medal, New York Times Best Illustrated awards, Society of Illustrators medals, E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards, Canadian Governor General's medals, and several other international prizes. Jon has received the Order of Canada. Mac is not Canadian.

They are the creators of Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books.

They have a substack together, Looking at Picture Books about how picture books work. The first time they met, at a party, they spent hours discussing picture books, and have been talking about them ever since.

Mac lives in Oakland, California. Jon Klassen lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

Shop All Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen