Uncover Mo Willems Imagination and Inspiration on Long Island

Mo Willems is one of my favorite contemporary authors and illustrators. I am a huge fan! His books are filled with humor, whimsical illustrations, and stories people of all ages can relate to (Waiting Is Not Easy!). I know that when I pick up a Mo Willems title for a read-aloud, my audience will be captivated.

For those not familiar, Mo Willems is an award-winning author and illustrator who has written dozens of children’s books, including the beloved Elephant & Piggie series. The Elephant & Piggie books are silly and funny easy-to-read books, perfect for emergent readers, that are about the friendship of a jubilant pig and a cautious elephant. For grown-ups, these books are reminiscent of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series or Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat. The Elephant & Piggie books are popular and resonate well with modern kids.

Long Island Children’s Museum

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Mo Willems exhibit at the Long Island Children’s Museum. I was ecstatic! The exhibition runs from January 21, 2023 – May 14, 2023. Thank you to the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art for co-organizing.

Surrounded by beloved characters, there is so much to do! Visitors can enjoy making art inspired by Mo Willems, pretend to drive the bus (a reference to Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus), and more!

I don’t know who enjoyed the exhibit more, my five-year-old child, my father, or me! Perfect for all ages.

The exhibit was fun, immersive, hands-on, and interactive! When you walk in, there are so many activities to choose from!

In the “Pigeon Arcade,” we enjoyed catapulting hot dogs toward the Pigeon and Duckling. This activity refers to the 2004 classic, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. It was fun manipulating the device’s angle to get the hot dog through the red hoop. 

There was even an opportunity to practice your bus driving skills!

Make Gerald dance with a pre-film animation device! So fun!!

If you get the chance, a great place to visit!

We enjoyed visiting the Long Island Children’s Museum and look forward to returning! There is so much to do while there, and it is educational too!

If you get the chance to pick up a Mo Willems book, I highly recommend it.

Which is your favorite Mo Willems book?

I would love to hear your thoughts about the show or these titles! Please post on Instagram and tag me @playgroundlibrarian or on the Playground Librarian page on Facebook!

XO, Sheryl

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