"Mo'nuttiness" (Mo Willems)/ "Bonding over books" (Father's Day)

Sept. 10, 2016 "Mo'nuttiness": I cut out this article by Maggie Galehouse in the Globe and Mail on Feb. 16, 2010:

A cute bird with a desperate desire to drive launched Mo Willems’s career in books.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was followed by the Knuffle Bunny books, earning Willems three Caldecott Honors in a handful of years. Yet the author insists he doesn’t write for children.

“I’m writing for silly people, and it just so happens that the majority of people still willing to be silly are younger,” he says.

A former writer and animator for Sesame Street, Willems, 42, has two new books for silly people, Cat the Cat Who Is That? and Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly! We caught up with him recently to find out if he is silly, too. 

Q: What's the secret to understanding children?

A: Children happen to be people. The main difference between us and them is that they're shorter. But that doesn't mean they're dumber or that they don't have emotions. You have to take them seriously. The drama that happens in my books is real.

Q: What do kids want from books?

A: Kids don't have cultural modifiers. They don't know what the Arc de Triomphe is. Watergate doesn't mean anything to them. They're working on things like walking. So you have to write the most basic, bare-bones funny. It has to be true. It has to come from an emotional place — jealousy, anger, joy — as opposed to a cultural place.

Q: In Cat the Cat Who Is That?, a new book in the youngest series you've ever created, Cat the Cat meets an odd-looking monster who might become a new friend. This monster says “Blarggie!” Does “Blarggie!” mean anything in particular?

A: “Blarggie!” is fun to say. It doesn't mean anything, but it could mean a lot of things. “Accountant” is a fun thing to say, but it means something that isn't funny. … “Blarggie” is also a big crazy word just like the monster is a big crazy thing. If the monster had been small, that wouldn't be the right word.

Q: I noticed that the pigeon of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! fame makes cameo appearances in your new books.

A: The pigeon hates it when I make books that are not about him. When I'm not looking, he has snuck into every single book I've ever made.

Q: Can you describe your writing process?

A: I think of myself as a craftsman. My father was a potter; he made pretty things, but their prettiness was secondary to their usefulness. I'm the same. 

I think people have the idea that writing is building and building, but it's more like being a sculptor. It's actually taking away, honing it.

Q: You're a man of many talents. You won six Emmys for your work on Sesame Street. You're on NPR from time to time. Your artwork has been in galleries across the country. And now you're working on a play based on your popular Knuffle Bunny character, which premieres at the Kennedy Center this year. What's the play about?

A: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical is about a girl who can't speak yet because she's too young. She and her father decide to do the laundry together, and her beloved bunny is left behind in the Laundromat. She can't communicate what's going on to her daddy. He thinks she's having a hissy fit.

Q: You got hired by Sesame Street when you were in your 20s. How did that experience shape your career?

A: When I got there I was making films for grown-ups. I was really happy to get the job because it paid the rent and I was getting to write sketch comedy. That's what Sesame Street is. It was at Sesame Street that I learned how to write for children. I wrote a lot of Elmo and a character called Baby Bear. By the time I was gone I realized this was where I wanted my career to be.

Q: Ever wish you were still writing comedy for grown-ups?

A: To be a grown-up comedian, you have to know pop culture, keep up with the scandals. I'm not good at that. I also wanted my material to be able to stand up 10 or 20 years later. Tina Fey is a genius, but 15 years from now you're going to have to explain what those jokes are about.

Q: Why can't we let the pigeon drive the bus?

A: My first answer is insurance premiums. But let's just say that the pigeon will get to drive the bus the day Charlie Brown gets to kick the football.

Maggie Galehouse is the Houston Chronicle's book editor. She grew up in New England and earned a Ph.D. in English at Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn. An award-winning reporter, Galehouse has covered education, crime, business and features for a handful of newspapers.

Occasionally, Maggie can be heard on NPR discussing books. Her book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Houston Chronicle.

Galehouse lives south of Houston with her photographer husband and their young son, who enjoys "Encyclopedia Brown" mysteries. She writes the Bookish blog for the Chronicle.

Catching up with children's author Mo Willems (chron.com)

Jun. 14, 2017 "Bonding over books": Today I found this article by Mia Geiger in the Edmonton Journal:


Dad And The Dinosaur, by Gennifer Choldenko; illustrated by Dan Santat (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)

Nicholas is afraid of many things, from the darkness outside to what may be lurking under manhole covers. His dad, though doesn’t share those fears. To help himself be brave like his father, Nick begins carrying a toy dinosaur — because dinosaurs aren’t afraid of things. 

“When Little Nick had his dinosaur in his pocket, he was just as brave as Big Nick.” The boy brings the dinosaur rock-climbing, to soccer games and swimming, and when his parents comment on his achievements, Nick feels proud of himself. Later, the toy goes missing.

Dad steps in, and, when Nick’s mom asks where they are going so late at night, his father answers in true dad-fashion: ‘“It’s guy stuff,” his father answered as they walked out the door.’” Multilayered, realistic illustrations combined with relatable text make the story not only about the inner turmoil of a little boy, but a deeper reflection on the bond between a father and son.


What Daddies Like, by Judy Carey Nevin; illustrated by Stephanie Six (little bee books)

A little bear and his dad spend the day enjoying different activities. From playing outside to winding down together at home, we see what daddies like. “Daddies like adventures./Daddies like swings.” Cute details abound, such as after watching the boy jump from a swing, the dad follows suit, arms flailing. 

While the young bear is in the bathtub, we learn “Daddies like splashes./Daddies like boats.” The straightforward text is sweet and wry, and the simple, soft pastel watercolor illustrations are both soothing and adorable. Little ones will love cuddling up on their dad’s lap to hear this story and look at the kid-friendly artwork.

If My Love Were A Fire Truck: A Daddy’s Love Song, by Luke Reynolds; illustrated by Jeff Mack (Doubleday Books for Young Readers)

A dad expresses the depth of his love for his son in this bright and cheery book. It starts with the father helping his son settle into sleep, then takes the reader through different venues, including a trip to the jungle, into the ocean, watching a parade and racing a car. The rhyming verses flow smoothly, lending themselves to a pleasing cadence. “If my love were a fire truck, its sirens would flash all night./And if my love were a rocket ship, it would blast off out of sight.” It’s a lovely bedtime story offering reassurance in a fun way.

Daddy Honk Honk! by Rosalinde Bonnet (Dial Books for Young Readers)

A young fox named Aput is savoring the last day of summer in the Arctic when he discovers an egg lying in the grass. “He looks and sniffs./He knocks and listens./He shakes it and …” Then, to his surprise, a baby blue goose pops out of its shell, exclaiming “Daddy Honk Honk!” 

Whatever Aput says, the baby bird responds the same way: “Daddy Honk Honk!” Aput thinks the baby bird is cute, but knows he has to find a family for him. He asks different forest animals if they would like to take the baby, but each one has a reason they can’t. They each offer a tip, though, such as the lemmings, who tell him he needs to keep the baby warm. After getting much-needed advice, he brings the baby to his house and implements all that he has learned, from cooking healthy food to keeping a watchful eye on the baby. Later, all the animals arrive at his house, to celebrate the new family. Winsome ink-and-watercolor illustrations complement the engaging story.

Papasaurus, by Stephan Lomp (Chronicle Books)

Babysaurus and his Papasaurus are playing their favorite game — hide and seek. But this time, the little dinosaur is unable to find his dad. As he encounters his friends, all of whom are different types of jungle creatures, he asks each one if they’ve seen his papa. They respond by asking if his papa has the characteristic of their own dads. The answer is no each time, with Babysaurus extolling the virtues of his papa. 

‘“Soon, Babysaurus saw Velo. Hey! Babysaurus called out. Have you seen my papa?/Does he have sharp claws to fight like my papa? asked Velo./No, he never fights, answered Babysaurus./Sorry, I have not seen him,” said Velo.”’ Dark backgrounds set the tone for an adventure, while the dinosaurs are rendered in bright shades of blue, yellow, orange and purple, making them the focus of each page and representative of youngsters rather than fearsome creatures. The romp through the jungle ends with a surprise for Babysaurus.

You and Me, Me and You, by Miguel Tanco (Chronicle Books) 

A young boy shows how his perspective affects his dad in this charming book that features brief sentences and understated artwork. “I remind you to create … /and to do things you might forget./I give you the chance to tell stories … /and I help you choose words with care.”

Whimsical sketches, in black and yellow set against ample white space, add subtle humor to the text, such as when the boy says “I show you how to talk to strangers” and the child is pictured chatting up a man on the subway as his dad looks on.

Things To Do With Dad, by Sam Zuppardi (Candlewick Press) 

A smiling boy and his equally happy dad start out this tale, with one carrying a pan and bowl of eggs and the other holding additional cooking supplies. They make pancakes, then gleefully enjoy the fruits of their labor. Soon, though, the fun comes to a stop, as they both notice a to-do list of chores awaiting Dad. 

The boy gets an idea that turns the day around and enables them to do the activities together and to approach each chore as a playful event. “Make the beds” becomes “Sail a pirate ship.” Folding the wash and watering the garden get a fun treatment, too. The only words in the book are on the chore list, and it’s the perfect amount of text, as the characters’ faces and actions tell us what we need to know. 

Bright and breezy watercolor-and-pencil illustrations perfectly express the concept and it’s easy to smile along at the joyfulness of the father and son.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2017/06/07/celebrate-dads-this-year-with-these-books/?utm_term=.bf8577ce2ec8