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. Some of his most loved works include the animated TV show Sheep in the Big City for Cartoon Network. He also worked on Sesame Street and created the children's books Knuffle Bunny and the Elephant and Piggie 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. His book Knuffle Bunny Too also won the Indies Choice Book Award.
Contents
Mo Willems' Early Life and Creativity
When Mo Willems was about three years old, he loved drawing cartoons. He enjoyed making up his own characters and writing stories about them. He wanted honest feedback on his stories, not just polite praise. So, he started writing funny stories. If adults laughed, he knew his story was good. If they only gave polite comments, he knew it needed work. This helped him learn how to write stories that truly connected with people.
After college, Willems traveled the world for a year. He drew a cartoon every single day. These drawings were later put into a book called You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons.
Mo Willems' Amazing Career
When Mo Willems returned to New York, he began working as a writer and animator for Sesame Street. He worked there for nine years, from 1993 to January 2002. During this time, he won six Emmy Awards for his writing! He created short animated parts for the show, including stories about a character named Susie Kabloozie and her cat, Feff.
He also performed stand-up comedy in New York City. He recorded essays for BBC Radio. Willems even made a promo for Cartoon Network and animated the opening for a show on Nickelodeon.
Animated TV Shows
Mo Willems later created two animated TV series. One was The Off-Beats for Nickelodeon. The other was 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 ended after two seasons. After that, Willems was the head writer for the first four seasons of Codename: Kids Next Door. He left that show to focus on writing his own books.
Becoming a Children's Book Author
Since 2003, Willems has written many books for young children. Many of these books have received great reviews. The New York Times Book Review called him a huge new talent. They also said his pigeon character is one of the best picture book characters of the 2000s.
He also creates the Elephant and Piggie books. This is a series for early readers about a friendly elephant and a pig. In 2010, Willems started a new series of books. These books feature a character called Cat the Cat, also for young readers.
Global Reach and Other Works
Mo Willems' books have been translated into about 25 different languages. Animated short films based on his books have won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video twice. These were for Knuffle Bunny in 2007 and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus in 2010. His books have also been turned into musical plays.
His artwork, including wire sculptures and carved ceramics, has been shown in galleries and museums. In 2008, he appeared on NPR's All Things Considered as the show's "radio cartoonist."
In 2019, Willems became the first education artist-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2020, the Kennedy Center sponsored "virtual lunch doodles" with Mo Willems. This was a fun way to keep children entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards and Recognitions
Mo Willems has won many awards for his creative work.
- In 2005, his book Leonardo, the Terrible Monster was named a Time Magazine Best Children's Book. It also received an honor in 2006.
- Two animated versions of his books won Carnegie Medals: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!.
- His Elephant and 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 for his work on Sesame Street. These awards were between 1995 and 2001.
- In 2019, Willems was named the Best of Brooklyn during the Brooklyn Book Festival.
- In 2020, Willems recorded an audio book, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!. He was nominated for the Audie Award for Young Listeners for this book. The same book was on the NY Times Bestseller list for 11 weeks.
Personal Life
Mo Willems married Cheryl Camp in Brooklyn, New York, in 1997. They live in Northampton, Massachusetts.
