I love Mo Willems. His books are unique, even when they are part of a series. When I went to my library and asked for books like the Elephant and Piggie easy readers, which are massive favorites in this house, the librarian couldn’t find any. Write faster, Mr. Willems, please!

I was fortunate enough to get to hear him speak this past spring. Not only is he a fantastic writer, but he’s a great speaker and a funny guy, who managed to teach an entire auditorium of people how to animate a pigeon using a strip of paper and a pencil.

And so, as school starts and reading becomes a requirement, try to keep in mind that raising a reader means creating joy about reading, and playing with words, and check out his tips for raising a reader.