Willems, Mo
Mo Knows Kids and Kids’ Books
Mo Willems is to picture books what Fred Astaire is to dance. They both make it look easy. For Willems, the clarity of palette, the simplicity of line, and the resonance of the story combine to create a book of deceptive elegance. Willems dives into the essence of Astaire’s appeal: “When I was a young animator,” recalls Willems, “I learned to animate like Fred Astaire because he dances with his body – Gene Kelly dances with his feet.”
It’s a simple thing to think about but challenging to execute. “I want a five-year-old to be able to draw my characters,” says the multiple Geisel Award-winner. “Most of my work ends up being reductive – putting less in, fewer lines, fewer words.” In the end, “everything is simple and pure.”
One of Willems’ heroes is also a master at the squiggly line that contains volumes of emotion. “I never got to meet Charles Schulz,” laments the author/illustrator. He did, however, have the opportunity to write the introduction to The Complete Peanuts and confesses that “I was given – or snuck – one of his nibs from his studio.”
Mo then proceeded to put it to good use: “That nib is what I drew Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed with. I felt like I was drawing Snoopy with his big floppy head and tiny body.” From Snoopy to Naked Mole Rat may seem like several steps backwards on the evolutionary ladder but the multiple award winner has a unique approach to projects. “One of my working theories is that if an idea is bad enough then it is worth doing,” he explains. “Starring a naked mole rat seemed like a pretty terrible idea so I had to see what it would be like.”
Pigeons may also seem like unlikely fodder for a successful series of children’s books. Mo notes that most of the books that have become series were originally conceived as single volumes. “One of the things that makes the Pigeon books work,” confides the author, “is that the character remains the same. Pigeon never really learns anything.” From Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus to The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, Pigeon never gets beyond the single-mindedness of a toddler who sees a treat.
Mo Willems is not a one-trick Pigeon. Knuffle Bunny is a more complicated story both narratively and visually. By superimposing his pastel illustrations on stark black and white photography, Willems creates a world that children can relate to on multiple levels. The real world is never as vivid as the one inside their heads. Willems is currently working on the third and final chapter in the Knuffle Bunny trilogy, nearly done with collecting the photographs that give the book its distinctive look.
But Knuffle Bunny doesn’t end there. Willems is at work on the lyrics for a musical Knuffle Bunny and the production will be workshopped this fall. What more is coming from Mo? Among his many projects is a new series of books for very young children starring Cat the Cat. Will the nib that drew Snoopy be applied to a feline protagonist? We’ll just have to wait to find out.
Willems’ domination of the recently created Theodor Geisel Award that recognizes excellence in books for early readers makes him a bit embarrassed. “It’s pleasurable in the moment but for me the key is to ensure that the book I’m working on now is better than the previous book.” He feels that the recognition is nice but if the reader notices the structure and pacing he feels he has failed, that he didn’t do it well enough. “Ideally, I would like to get to a point where it wouldn’t feel like the book was made – like they just spring to life.” Perhaps that’s why Elephant occasionally gets in front of his name on the cover and title pages of Mo Willems’ books.
That said, Mo also doesn’t mind letting kids in on the secrets of making books. “I tell kids that writing is one of the few classes you can do in school where you are rewarded for lying and the bigger the lie, the better you’ll do.” He suggests that they start with something true: “Today is a great day and Mo Willems came to my school and he was handsome and wise . . . ,” is one of his favorite opening statements. Then, however, Mo shows them how to grow the story: “. . . and his head fell off and another head grew up and the story continues.” He feels it is important for kids to understand that just because something happened in real life, you don’t have to keep it that way in a story.
– Interviewed by Ellen Myrick, August 2009
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