CCBC-Net Archives

Mo Willems

From: Killeen, Erlene <Erlene.Killeen_at_Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:23:48 -0500

SLJ recently sent out Elizabeth Bird's poll results on Top 100 Picture Book s. No surprise that Willems is well represented: #3 -- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus #7 -- Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale # 60 -- There is a Bird on Your Head

Not sure anyone else had so many!!

And regular ALA attendees have to remember his wonderful additions to the h umor of the bookcart drill team competitions!!!

Mo frequently mentions his years of working on television -- this certainly added to his pacing and use of illustrations to move the story line. I often use his books to encourage young students to create story with illu strations -- attempting to use his techniques of few colors, heavy lines, s imple drawings, and also photographic backgrounds. They love imitating and then going beyond into their own worlds!

Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
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From: CCBC-Net digest
 Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2012 12:13 AM To: ccbc-net digest recipients Subject: ccbc-net digest: August 22, 2012

CCBC-NET Digest for Wednesday, August 22, 2012.

1. RE: Books of Mo Willems 2. Nina Bawden 3. Books of Mo Willems 4. =?Windows-1252?Q?Mo_WillemsЉ.and_if_I_ran_the_worldЉ.?


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Subject: RE: Books of Mo Willems From: "Reid, Robert A." Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:29:04 +0000 X-Message-Number: 1

I love sharing Mo Willems books in my Children's Literature classes here at UW-Eau Claire.

I've had two delightful encounters with Mo over the years. The first was at a Hyperion party at ALA in Chicago. I walked up to Mo and his wife, introd uced myself and told them that Mo was a two-time winner of the Coveted Robb ie Award (sometimes the winners are notified). With a straight face, he ask ed where his prize was. I made up something about getting some glue and pop sicle sticks together.

A year later, I was at the Wisconsin Reading Association conference in Milw aukee. Mo was a panelist at a program with Mordicai Gerstein and Eric Rohma nn. Afterwards, I approached Mo and said, "You probably don't remember me b ut I'm the guy with the Robbie Awards." Without missing a beat, he replied, "And I'm still waiting for my award."

Rob Reid University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

From: Megan Schliesman
 Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 3:57 PM To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of Subject:
 Books of Mo Willems

Thanks to all who contributed to our discussion of the Printz Award at thir teen.

For the rest of the month, we're going to turn our attention to an author/i llustrator whose books are for a much younger audience (though who's to say teens don't enjoy them, too?)

Don't Let the Pigeon Say a Word: The Books of Mo Willems.

From picture books to easy readers, Mo Willems's body of work to-date showc ases an outrageous sense of humor. He's a masterful funnymany in children's literature, but also creates books that show keen insight into world of yo ung children.

I find Willems's funny books pure delight, and his expressive line drawing s in the Elephant and PIggie books seem to me primers in visual literacy (l ook at everything a line can do!), but my personal favorite among his title s is "City Dog, Country Frog" (illustrated by Jon J Muth). It's eloquent a nd honest, with terrific moments of humor, but also space in the narrative for contemplation, reflection and discovery.

In 2011, "City Dog, Country Frog" was an honor book for the Charlotte Zolot ow Award for outstanding picture book writing Part of the Zolotow committ ee process (the award is administered by the CCBC) is sharing the books wit h children, and at the point in the story when it's Fall, and Country Frog tells City Dog he doesn't want to play jumping and splashing and running an d fetching games because "I'm a tired frog today," a young boy in the first -grade audience piped up, "Oh oh."

Foreshadowing for first-graders. I love it.

Megan

-- 
Megan Schliesman, Librarian 
Cooperative Children's Book Center 
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 
Madison, WI 53706 
608/262-9503 
schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu 
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ 
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Received on Thu 23 Aug 2012 09:23:48 AM CDT