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Keane
Elementary School
Keane First
Graders Meet Popular Children's Author/Artist During Tuesday
Afternoon Simulcast
 Keane
Elementary School was one of 24 schools in the state selected to
participate in a simulcast with popular children's book author
and illustrator Mo Willems on Tuesday, October 6. Willems,
who began his career as a writer and animator for Sesame
Street, has since become author to countless books including
the Elephant and Piggie Early Reader series, for which he
has won dozens of awards. He earned six Emmy Awards for
his writing on Sesame Street
 The
Keane first graders were among students from 200 schools around
the country who participated in Tuesday's event which included a
tour of the author's studio and a peek at some of his drawings.
Willems also read a few of his books and took calls to answer
student questions during the simulcast.
"The first graders
had a wonderful time learning about Mo Willems," said Dana
DeMarco, a remedial reading teacher at Keane.
In addition to his
work on Sesame Street, Willems served as a weekly
commentator to BBC Radio and created two animated series,
Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats and Cartoon Networks Sheep
in the Big City.
 While
writing for Cartoon Network's #1 show Codename: Kids Next
Door, Willems began writing and drawing books for children.
His first effort Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
became a New York Times Bestseller and was awarded a
Caldecott Honor in 2004. By 2008, Willems had earned three
Caldecott Honors.
In addition to
picture books, Willems created the
Elephant and Piggie books,
a series of “Easy Readers,” which were awarded the Theodor Suess
Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009.
"We
were lucky to hear Mo read two of his newest book for the very
first time to an audience." Willems read
Big Frog
Can’t Fit In, his first pop up book and Pigs Make
Me Sneeze, a 2009 addition to the Elephant and Piggie
series.
 DeMarco
said the students prepared for Willems' visit by reading and
listening to many of the author's stories and by visiting some
"awesome" websites. She said the students also had fun
writing stories and voting on their favorite characters.
While Willems no
longer works in television, he still voices and produces
of cartoons based on his books.
NPR’s
All Things Considered
where he occasionally serves as the broadcast’s ‘Radio
Cartoonist.’
In addition to working on upcoming children’s books, Willem's is
currently writing the script and lyrics for
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary
Musical, commissioned by the
Kennedy Center for its
2010 season.
Learn more about Mo Willems
here
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