about the book
Once upon a time…
Three hungry Dinosaurs were preparing their house and meal.
Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur, and a visiting T-Rex from Norway (of all places!) carefully and neatly get the house all in order. They make up their beds, set the table, and set out three delicious bowls of scrumptious chocolate pudding.
Then they leave the house, for NO APPARENT REASON, and swear they are only taking a stroll in the woods. Leaving the house unlocked.
Along comes the horribly unsupervised little girl called Goldilocks, who cannot resist the smell of chocolate pudding…
about the author/illustrator
Mo Willems was a goofy-looking kid who grew up in New Orleans. More interested in doodling than studying, Mo had ”great truble speling when he was a kidd.”
Mo remembers an art teacher telling him that cartoons were not ART—that big boring bowls of fruit were ART. Obviously, Mo says, the teacher was wrong!
At eighteen, Mo moved to London to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. He returned to the United States to study film. It was at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts that Mo developed his simple graphic drawing style. He graduated cum laude.
After school, Mo spent a year traveling around the world, drawing one cartoon each day. Once home, he became a TV writer and animator working on Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, and the Cartoon Network. He won six Emmys.
Besides animating, Mo continues doing stand-up comedy as well as creating fine art pieces that are shown nationally in galleries. In his spare time, he has written several award-winning books!
Mo lives with his wife and daughter in Northhampton, Massachusetts. Every night they use a big sheet of butcher’s paper as a table cloth and the whole family is encouraged to draw throughout the meal!
Sources:
Author website
Author interview : NPR
Author interview : CNN Living
Author biography : Wikipedia
Also by Mo Willems:
My New Friend Is So Fun (Elephant & Piggie). Disney-Hyperion. 2014.
The Elephant & Piggie series. Hyperion Press. 2007-2013.
The Pigeon books. Hyperion Press. 2003-2012.
Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! Balzer + Bray. 2011.
Knuffle Bunny Free : An Unexpected Diversion. Balzer + Bray. 2010.
City Dog, Country Frog. Hyperion Press. 2010.
Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep!. Balzer + Bray. 2010.
What’s Your Sound, Hound the Hound?. Balzer + Bray. 2010.
Let’s Say HI to Friends Who Fly!. Harper Collins. 2010.
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. Hyperion Press. 2009.
Knuffle Bunny Too : A Case of Mistaken Identity. Hyperion Press. 2007.
Edwina : The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. Hyperion Press. 2006.
Time to Say “Please”!. Hyperion Press. 2005.
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster. Hyperion Books for Children. 2005.
Knuffle Bunny : A Cautionary Tale. Hyperion Press. 2004.
read more!
3 Bears and Goldilocks by Margaret Willey
Boy, Goldilocks sure is a judgmental little girl, isn’t she? Everything in the Three Bears’ house is either too much of this or too little of that. Only one of them gets anything just right for Goldilocks. Have you ever wondered what the Bears thought about her, though? After all she’s done to their house, you BET they have something to say to her!
Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodkinson
Remember the Little Bear, the bear whose porridge and bed were just right for Goldilocks? Well, Little Bear has grown all up, and now finds himself lost in the big city. Everything is either too noisy or too quiet, too busy or too boring. He needs someone to show him how to live in the city—and what blonde-haired young woman do you think he meets to help him do just that?
Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! by Mo Willems
Amanda’s best friend is a fun-loving but easily bored teal blue toy alligator. Their adventures include a trip to the library, a surprise, and tickling; the discovery of a price tag from the discount bin; and a rival toy panda and a new friendship.