According to award-winning illustrator and author Mo Willems, there’s a lot of storytelling juice in ears.

His bestselling book character, and now star of the hit musical Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical started life as Knuffle Bear. Sadly, Bear just couldn’t handle the range of emotions required of an inanimate stuffed toy. By adding long ears, Knuffle came alive – able to look surprised, sad, or even ashamed.

It’s Willems’ unique way of expressing ideas that has made him a favourite with children and parents alike. Not to mention the critics. Willems’ shelves now groan under the weight of three Caldecott Honors, two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals, two Carnegie Medals, six Emmys and a Geisel Honor.

Willems earned his kid-lit stripes as a writer and animator on the legendary educational TV show, Sesame Street. There, he says he learned two things: how to write for children and that he liked doing it.

“You have no cultural modifiers. Your audience, these people, have not been around long enough to know who the Beatles are, or what the Arc de Triomphe is, or the difference between a Cadillac and a Subaru,” he told local Massachusetts television in a recent interview. “You have to write about jealousy, love, hatred, laundromats – really, the basic core emotions.”

He began writing children’s books in 2003, with the New York Times bestselling Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Since then, he’s produced a small library of comic picture books, including the Elephant & Piggie early reader series; Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct; and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed.

Today, Willems has swapped the urban dash of Brooklyn, New York for the sleepy charms of small town Massachusetts, where he lives with his family and gets to walk his daughter to school.

Visit Mo Willems’ website

READ THE FULL STORY – BUY ISSUE 14

Clockwise: The Big Book For Little Hands. Marie-Pasquale Cocagne & Bridget Strevens-Marzo, Museum of Contemporary Art, +61 2 9245 2458. Charley Harper Colouring Book, Charley Harper, AUD$13.95, Kido. Exhibition of Paintings, Edizioni Corraini, AUD$25, The Gallery Shop, +61 2 9225 1718. Doodles at Dinner, 36 Tear-off Placemats. Deborah Zemke, US$8.79, Amazon. Bare Books, US$1.75, Bare Books. Book of Lines. Edizioni Corraini, AUD$25, Kido. Johnny Joe’s Colouring Book. AUD$14.95, Lark. Animal Drawing Cards. Present & Correct £8.50, Present and Correct.

A beautifully-crafted pop-up book, clever and complex. Watch in amazement as a whole city is shaped page by page from a single church to a bustling, vibrant city, complete with skyscrapers and power lines!

Popville, Anouck Boisrobert & Louis Rigaud, A$38.95. Upon a Fold

Delphine Chedru’s abstract designs hide fifteen animals and one farm girl, in this delightful storybook treasure hunt. The text is brief but useful, because it provides clues to where the characters are hiding. Even though they are often disguised and sometimes hard to find, once you spot a few you won’t be able to resist searching for the others.

Spot It! by Delphine Chedru, US$14.95, Amazon

Lovers of Joel Henriques’ madebyjoel column can get a fresh fix with Made to Play! His new book offers 35 easy and accessible projects to stimulate imaginations and encourage an explosion of in-home creativity.

Organised into themes such as Zoo, House, Cars and Trucks and Dress-Ups, every chapter is bursting with innovative ideas for open-ended play. Make a Modern Doll’s House one day, and try your hand at the Abstract Vertical Puzzle the next.

From drawing to sewing and light woodwork, each project is simple enough to invite endless variations and comes with step-by-step instructions and colour photos for idiot-proof crafting fun.

Made to Play! by Joel Henriques, (Roost Books) US$18.95, shambhala.com

We all wish we could slow down the pace of family life from time to time. Legendary blogger Amanda Soule has teamed up with hubby Stephen to show us how it can be done. The Rhythm of Family is a rich account of her family’s year of living with the slower, gentler cycles of nature. From the earthy joys of spring to the cuddlesome closeness of winter, the Soules make getting back to basics so tempting, it’s bound to become next year’s must-do project.

The Rhythm of Family, by Amanda Blake & Stephen Soule,
(Trumpeter) US$19.95, Shambhala

Love the library – but not so fond of those overdue fines. Lauren Hunt has the answer. Available as a PDF download, The Overdue Book Calendar provides space to write in all the books you’ve borrowed and their due date – plus a calendar to circle as a visual reminder. The 2011–2012 Elementary Edition has kids in mind, with lots of extra space for voracious young readers. It’s a fun way to teach children to be responsible – and save money too.

2011–12 Overdue Book Calendar: Elementary Edition, US$6, Aunt June

Are you a jellyfish who tires of a life of mere drifting? The time for change is at hand! An exciting secondment opportunity has been made available for the right candidate as the temporary replacement for the Director-in-Chief of the biggest rocket plane company in the world. All you need is belief in yourself and a desire to see the world. “Wow! That sounds exciting!” said Jeremiah.

Such is the premise for John Fardell’s second picture book, and one gets the sense that this is an author/illustrator on the rise. Not only does Jeremiah get a chance to prove himself as a high-flying businessman, a rare opportunity no doubt for a jellyfish such as he, but the man he replaces in turn gets to take his place – peacefully drifting in the ocean for some much needed r & r.

Light hearted and fun, with delightful illustrations fleshing out the story with an enjoyable futuristic setting, this is a clever and rewarding tale about the importance of allowing yourself to meet your potential – and the importance of appreciating what you’ve
already got.

Jeremiah Jellyfish Flies High by John Fardell, A$17.95, Dymocks

From the moment you crack the spine of Keats’s Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury, you’ll be entranced by his colourful, naïve depictions of ordinary life in mid-20th century urban America. This lovingly designed book collects ten of his favourite stories, including The Snowy Day, Goggles! and Peter’s Chair. Sharing their memories of the “guy with the whispery, gravelly voice”, who cherished his young readers, are four equally acclaimed children’s book writers and illustrators – Eric Carle, Jerry Pinkney, Reynold Ruffins and Simms Taback.

Says Ruffins of his friend, “He turned snow into gold.”

Keat’s Neighbourhood: An Ezra Jack Keasts Treasury, (Viking Juvenile, 2002) A$43.95, Kinokuniya

Designer Orla Kiely is used to turning heads with her handbags and hats, but this season she’s concentrating on that other chic accessory – children. Check out her gorgeous new clothbound books for babies and toddlers, Colours and Numbers, which incorporate her trademark designs and luxe natural palette.

Numbers & Colours, (Egmont Press) A$17 each, My Messy Room