Mo Willems and The Greatest Picture Books of the 21st Century
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Mo Willems has thought a lot about what kind of work picture books should do. He’s fond of saying that his job is to create 49 percent of the story and let children fill in the other 51 percent from their own imaginations. Willems’ run of prize-winning bestsellers suggests he’s on to something: From his 2003 debut, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!—a shoo-in for Slate’s 25 Best Picture Books of the Past 25 Years—Willems has made books that break the rules of children’s lit, that delight young and old readers equally, and that make kids think about what a book even is.
Dan Kios for Slate interviews children’s book author/illustrator Mo Willems.
No, I think it needs to be really that simple. The other thing is, with only one eye, you know that Pigeon is looking at you. And it’s very important to me not only that kids be seen, but that kids realize that they are seeable, because there are kids who live in environments where they don’t feel seen or seeable. And so the Pigeon is always interested in you. You have power and you are interesting. I think in two eyes, you wouldn’t get that as much.
The Willems interview is part of a bundle of Slate’s “The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years.”
I have to admit that Mo Willems is the only author on the list I have read, or even heard of.
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