Mo Willems
Mo Willems, born 11 February 1968 in Des Plaines, Illinois, raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an American writer, animator, voice actor, and children’s book writer and illustrator. He is also a certifiable Force of Nature in reference to publishing. We list here the series of his that we carry. Yes, we know that he is prolific beyond these titles — one thing (or many things) at a time here. Willems, a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, worked for Sesame Street for nine years and has animated television series for Nickleodeon and the Cartoon Network. His books have been awarded multiple Caldecotts and more other awards than you could shake a stick at. Remarkable as his Picasso-esque illustrations are, his writing is extraordinarily honest and kind and thoughtful for children, which wins him a deep and passionate loyalty among our customers young and older. He is in great company as one of our top sellers of children’s books with colleagues such as Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Kevin Henkes, and newcomer Drew Daywalt.
Let's Go For a Drive!
Let's Go For a Drive!
When Gerald the elephant and Piggie decide to go for a drive, they find that all the planning in the world can't replace one crucial ingredient. "Let's go for a drive!" proposes Gerald; "That sounds fun!" agrees Piggie. "Drive! Drive! Drivey-drive-drive!" they chorus. Gerald, a touch on the OCD side, insists on a plan that includes a number of items: map, sunglasses, umbrellas, bags and, as there will be "a lot of driving on [their] drive," a car. Oops. Piggie doesn't have one; "[a] pig with a car would be silly." Neither does Gerald. Whatever will they do? The dauntless duo's 18th outing employs Willems' award-winning formula: color-coded speech bubbles; lots of white space; endearing visual characterization (Gerald's emotional journey as he realizes the tragedy a-borning is hysterical); effortless phonetic play; thoughtfully designed endpapers; silliness. The pair's refrain incorporates each new element to Gerald's plan in a way that is both classically childlike and slyly pedagogical. After "Map! Map! Mappy-map-map!" children will enjoy anticipating how sunglasses, umbrellas and bags will fit into that pattern-and likely start playing with other words as well. Gerald and Piggie's solution? Typically elegant and entirely satisfying. Which describes the book as well.