Mo Willems is a well-known author and illustrator celebrated for his entertaining and captivating children’s literature. He is recognized for creating beloved characters such as the Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie, and Knuffle Bunny. His narratives frequently incorporate humor, relatable experiences, and interactive features, making them favorites among both children and adults.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #24: Mo Willems

 2. Watch this read aloud of the book Waiting Is Not Easy.  Think about 3 times during your day when you have to wait for something.  What advice do you have for other kids when they are frustrated about having to wait.  Write your suggestions on your recording sheet.

3.  Watch this read aloud of the book Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay up Late.  Pigeon was very creative when thinking about ways to avoid going to bed. What would be other ideas for how Pigeon could avoid going to bed? Write 3-5 ideas on your recording sheet.

4. In this interview Mo Willems talks about how his journey began and what projects have inspired him. What metaphor does Mr. Willems use to describe how ideas grow, and what does it signify about creativity?

6.  Mo Willems makes masterful use of speech bubbles and thought bubbles in his books. Speech bubbles can be an effective tool for writing prompts, reading responses and inference. Read this teaching page about speech bubbles. Record 3 important ideas writers should remember about how to use them properly. 

7. Open this template. Look over the images on the three pages. Choose one of the pages to use for your own story. On your recording sheet brainstorm some ideas about a story line you can create to go along with the Elephant and Piggies actions on the page you have choosen.   

8. Create your own Elephant and Piggie dialogue on your recording page. Ask someone to read it over and make suggestions. 

9. Print the template you need for your story. Transfer your final story to the template. Optional: Color your page and outline your words with a thin black marker. 

10.  Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.

Optional: Create a silly story with this Elephant and Piggie Mad Lib page