Mo Willems facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mo Willems
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Willems at the Mazza Museum Fall 2012 Conference
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| Born | February 11, 1968 Des Plaines, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, illustrator, animator, voice actor |
| Education | New York University (BFA) |
| Spouse |
Cheryl Camp
(m. 1997) |
| Children | Trix Willems |
Mo Willems (born February 11, 1968) is a famous American writer, animator, and voice actor. He is best known for creating popular children's books. You might know his animated TV show Sheep in the Big City from Cartoon Network. He also worked on Sesame Street and created the beloved Elephant and Piggie book series.
Willems was born in Des Plaines, Illinois, near Chicago. He grew up in New Orleans. He later studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Three of Willems' books have won a special award called the Caldecott Honor. These books are Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. The third book also won the Indies Choice Book Award.
Contents
Mo Willems' Early Life and Drawing Fun
When Mo Willems was about three years old, he loved drawing cartoons. He enjoyed making up his own characters. He also liked writing stories about them to share with others.
He wanted honest feedback on his stories. If adults just politely praised his work, he didn't know if it was truly good. So, he started writing funny stories. He figured if adults laughed, the story was good. If they only gave polite comments, he knew it needed work.
After college, Willems traveled the world for a year. He drew a cartoon every single day. These drawings were later published in a book called You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons.
Creating Cartoons and Books
When Willems returned to New York, he began his career. He worked as a writer and animator for Sesame Street. He won six Emmy Awards for his writing there. He worked on the show from 1993 to 2002. He created short cartoons for the show, like those featuring Susie Kabloozie and her cat, Feff.
During this time, he also did stand-up comedy. He made radio essays for BBC Radio. He also created animated shows like The Off-Beats for Nickelodeon. He also made Sheep in the Big City for Cartoon Network. Sheep in the Big City was liked by critics. However, it didn't get enough viewers and was canceled after two seasons.
Later, Willems was the head writer for Codename: Kids Next Door. He worked on the first four seasons of this show. He then left to focus on writing his own books.
Since 2003, Willems has written many books for young children. Many of his books have received great praise. The New York Times Book Review called him a major new talent. They also said his pigeon character is one of the best picture book characters of the decade.
He also writes the Elephant and Piggie books. This series is for early readers. It's about a friendly elephant and a pig. In 2010, he started a new series called Cat the Cat, also for young readers.
Mo Willems' books have been translated into many languages. His animated shorts have won the Carnegie Medal twice. These were for Knuffle Bunny (2007) and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2010). His books have also been turned into musical plays.
His artwork has been shown in galleries and museums. He also appeared on NPR's All Things Considered as a "radio cartoonist" in 2008.
In 2019, Willems became the first education artist-in-residence at the Kennedy Center. In 2020, he led a series of online "lunch doodles." This helped entertain children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mo Willems' Awards and Recognitions
Mo Willems has won many awards for his amazing work:
- In 2005, his book Leonardo, the Terrible Monster was named a Time Magazine Best Children's Book. It also won a Book Sense Book of the Year Honor in 2006.
- Two animated versions of his books won Carnegie Medals. These were Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!.
- His Elephant & Piggie books have won two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals. These were for There Is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside?. They also received five Geisel Honors for other books in the series.
- His 2009 book I Love My New Toy! earned him a Golden Kite Award.
- The Pigeon Needs a Bath won the Best Picture Book award from Goodreads in 2014. The Thank You Book won the same award in 2016.
- Willems won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing For A Children's Series six times. These were for his work on Sesame Street between 1995 and 2001.
- In 2019, Willems was named the Best of Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Book Festival.
- In 2020, Willems recorded an audio book, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!. This book was nominated for the Audie Award for Young Listeners. The same book was on the NY Times Bestseller list for 11 weeks.
Mo Willems' Family Life
Mo Willems married Cheryl Camp in Brooklyn, New York, in 1997. They live in Northampton, Massachusetts.
