Monthly Archives: May 2010

After seeing Mo Willems speak publicly, I was not surprised to learn he was once a stand-up comedian (out of Brooklyn, naturally). He is full of wit, energy, good advice and strong opinions. When he visited CCS (lecturing at near-by Dartmouth College as well as our own humble campus) he offered many nuggets of wisdom. I scribbled them down furiously. I captured his words as best I could, and I’d like to share them with you.

Mo doesn’t like to create didactic works. As he put it, “I always think of my audience, but I never think for my audience”. He even went as far as to say “There’s nothing you can teach a child.” However, there is a lot they can teach you.

“My job is to make incomprehensible books for illiterates”. Mo went on to explain that both his words and pictures must be incomprehensible. Together they work in a marriage he described as “sick, codependent and neurotic”.

Mo strives to makes his books a port of entry into something bigger. he wants his young readers to empathize, express themselves, and ultimately, to create. “Drawing is a physicalized version of empathy. Drawing is important.”

To create an effective children’s book, you must fully realize the emotional life of your characters. According to Mo, a book that failed in this regard is Go Dog, Go! by PD Eastman.

Mo felt this interaction was inauthentic. He suggested a more realistic conversation:

“Do you like my hat?”

“I do not.”

“Screw you!”

This scene inspired Mo the create his Elephant and Piggie series of easy readers.

I really enjoyed Mo’s visit, I learned a lot and was thoroughly entertained. We’d all like to thank The Will and Anne Eisner Foundation and The Leslie Center for Humanities at Dartmouth College for making his visit possible.

– Robyn Chapman