The Future Book

Mac Barnett ∙ Illustrated by Shawn Harris

Hardcover

Published on Mar 3, 2026 | 40 Pages

Amazon Barnes & Noble Books A Million Bookshop.org Target Walmart

Ebook

Published on Mar 3, 2026 | 40 Pages

Amazon Apple Books Barnes & Noble Books A Million Google Play Kobo

Audiobook Download

Published on Mar 3, 2026 | 0 Hours 8 Minutes

Apple Books Audible Barnes & Noble Google Play

Grades Preschool – 3
Ages 4–8

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Every other book was written in the past. But this book? This book was written in the future.

Do you want to know what the future is like? Turn the pages to get a glimpse at the world of tomorrow and its unexpected words, strange social customs, and mind-blowing colors!

From the award-winning duo Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris comes a funny, visionary picture book that kids will want to read again and again.

★ "Stock up well on this sure-fire crowd-pleaser, and brace yourself for a local evolution of language." —Booklist, starred review

★ "A nonsensical, surreal, and silly picture book....[Harris’] playful use of color imbue the future with joy and humor. Fans of The Book that Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed should add The Future Book to story time rotation." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Ideal for reading aloud at storytime....It doesn’t take a fortune teller to predict the laughter that will emanate from this world of tomorrow." —Kirkus Reviews

"An earnest first learning book that’s rendered in electric colors....it’s a solemnly silly look at social norms—and the authorities who decide them." —Publishers Weekly

"Two award-winning authors make for an explosive combination in this crowd-pleasingly zany story that is sure to be a story hour hit." —School Library Journal

"Barnett’s expert comedic pacing brings the silliness to another dimension....the visual humor has plenty of sly moments, sure to be appreciated on repeat visits....The future is weird; buckle up." —The Horn Book

"This silly book is sure to have kids screeching with laughter in a storytime....The book as a whole pokes gentle fun at both current society and sci-fi media that relies too heavily on fictional, incomprehensible neologisms." —The Bulletin

Download The Future Book activities

ISBN 9798217033171 (Hardcover)
Published on Mar 3, 2026
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages 40
Dimensions 8 x 11
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Lexile: 500L | Fountas/Pinnell: L

ISBN 9798217033195 (Ebook)
Published on Mar 3, 2026
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages 40
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Lexile: 500L | Fountas/Pinnell: L

ISBN 9798217284061 (Audiobook Download)
Published on Mar 3, 2026
Published by Listening Library
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Lexile: 500L | Fountas/Pinnell: L

Mac Barnett

MAC BARNETT, the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages and has sold more than five 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’ Zilveren Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of the Looking at Picture Books Substack, as well as Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their bestselling Shapes series of picture books. Mac lives in Oakland, California.

Shawn Harris

Shawn Harris is an award-winning creator of books for kids. His authorial debut, Have You Ever Seen A Flower, was called a “stunning tour de force…” by The New York Times, and was the recipient of a Caldecott Honor. The National Museum of Wildlife Art awarded Shawn’s cut-paper art in A Polar Bear in the Snow (by Mac Barnett) the Bull-Bransom Award for excellence in the field of children’s book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife. Harris has illustrated a number of other books, including Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, and Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy. Shawn lives in Northern California, where he also likes to write songs, surf, and play racquetball.