In our Grade 1 classroom, we’ve been diving into the world of Mo Willems for an author study. His stories have sparked laughter, curiosity, and wonderful conversations—and they’ve become a powerful tool for my growing readers and writers.
This author study has focused on three of his incredible book series:
🟣 Elephant and Piggie
🔵 The Pigeon books
🟢 The Knuffle Bunny trilogy
Each story has given us new ways to look at characters, illustrations, and the choices authors make when they write with the purpose of engaging readers.
Why Do an Author Study in Primary Grades?
An author study gives children the chance to explore a writer’s style, voice, and recurring themes. An author study helps learners:
- Recognize patterns across books (like speech bubbles, humor, or character traits)
- Build comprehension through text-to-text connections
- Develop a deeper appreciation for storytelling
- Grow their vocabulary by encountering familiar words in new contexts
- Strengthen their writing by mimicking the author’s techniques
In Mo Willems’ books, students are noticing how speech bubbles replace traditional narration. They’ve picked up on expressive fonts, character body language, and how a simple line drawing can show big emotions.
Connecting Books to Visual Media in our Author Study
To support comprehension and spark rich discussions, we also watched animated versions of some of the stories. Comparing the books to the videos helped students notice:
- What changes when a book becomes a video
- How illustrations can move and sound can shape a story
- What stays the same—like the personality of the characters or the message
These comparisons brought on thoughtful conversations, like “The book had more parts!” or “I liked how the video used music when the Pigeon got upset.”
Drawing Our Favorite Characters
To deepen their connection to the stories, students followed guided drawing videos to sketch Elephant, Piggie, the Pigeon, and Knuffle Bunny. These activities developed:
- Fine motor skills
- Observation Skills
- Artistic confidence
- A stronger bond with the characters
You could hear a buzz of joy as they compared drawings and exclaimed, “I made mine look worried just like Gerald!”
Final Thoughts
Author studies bring books to life. They help children see that stories are built by real people making creative choices—and that they can be authors too. Mo Willems makes that dream feel possible. His books invite readers to laugh, think, and most importantly, connect.
If you haven’t explored Mo Willems’ books with your students or children yet, this is your sign to start. There’s so much learning (and giggling) to be found in every page.
Happy Reading!
Lynda
