By: Mo Willems,
on 1/30/2015
APPEARANCES/EVENTS! Lots to do this month. Hope you can make it to one of these events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Amherst. Thursday, Feb. 5, Pasadena, CA 11 am- READING & SIGNING AT VROMAN'S BOOKSTORE 695 E. Colorado Blvd Pasadena, CA 91101 I'll spend the morning reading, answering questions, & signing books in my only LA area appearance for a while. If you're in the area,
By: Mo Willems,
on 12/29/2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks for making 2014 such a great year at Knuffle Manor. 2015 promises to have lots of exciting events, theater performances, books, and more. Here's a taste of what's scheduled this year as of now. Productions of ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S WE ARE IN A PLAY! in Nashville, TN; Syracuse, NY; Orlando, FL; and Washington, DC plus a production of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical
By: Mo Willems,
on 3/4/2013
Turns out that GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS has been awarded the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor by SCBWI! What a great thing for there to even be an award for humor and what a greater thing that it be named after humorist Sid Fleischman and what an even greater thing that, somehow, Goldilocks managed to be recognized. Some past winners have been pal's books, all have been funny,
By: Mo Willems,
on 2/28/2013
On Tuesday, I visited the Peck School in Holyoke, MA as part of the Friendiversary Celebrations that give a book to every 2nd grader in a participating Title 1 school in New Orleans, Springfield, MA, & Holyoke thanks to the help of First Book. A great time was had reading and answering questions. Even Mayor Alex Morse dropped by (he had attended Peck school when he was a kid). The full
By: Gina Rullo,
on 2/27/2013
The spirit of friendship and the power of reading were in full force at Peck Full Service Community School, a Title I School in Holyoke, MA, yesterday.
The school eagerly awaited the arrival of beloved children’s author and illustrator, Mo Willems: Elephant and Piggie posters decorated the hallways and windows of the school while the receptionist tried her hand at sketching the characters, and every available Mo Willems book was checked out of the school library.
Click here to see Mo celebrating Friendiversary!
As second-grade students entered the library to celebrate Friendiversary with Mo Willems himself, costumed Elephant and Piggie characters greeted the students at door. After a grand entrance, Mo read two of his books – There Is A Bird on Your Head! and I Am Invited To a Party! He then conducted a Q&A with the second graders who asked him all sorts of questions. “Why did you work for Cartoon Network?” asked one of the students. “Do you have a pet pigeon?” asked another.
Mo then informed the second graders that they would each be taking home their very own Friendiversary book and the library erupted with deafening screams of excitement. Students immediately began opening their books, each of which were personally signed by Mo. Smiles were on every face and many were sharing and showing their books to friends.
Friendiversary doesn’t have to be celebrated in February, it can be celebrated at any time of the year! Here’s how you can throw your very own Friendiversary party:
At First Book, we love celebrating Friendiversary each year, partly because we love Mo Willems, but mostly because it’s one more way to get new, quality books into the hands of kids in need, and seeing those kids become excited readers is what we’re all about.
Happy Friendiversary!
By: Mo Willems,
on 2/15/2013
The Knuffle Manor Studio has joined up with the fine Folks at First Book to celebrate another Friendiversary, where every 2nd grader in participating Title 1 schools in New Orleans, Springfield MA, and Holyoke MA will walk home with their very own First Book edition of an Elephant and Piggie adventure. This expanding project is something the we've been doing for 6 years (3 with First Book) as
By: Gina Rullo,
on 2/13/2013
For the third year in a row, our friend Mo Willems, beloved children’s author & illustrator, will be providing brand-new Elephant & Piggie books and activity kits to kids in need!
The books and activity kits will go to second grade students in New Orleans, Springfield and Holyoke, Mass. (These places have special meaning for Mo; he grew up in New Orleans and now resides in Massachusetts.)
Mo’s Elephant & Piggie characters inspired First Book to create Friendiversary, an annual celebration of friendship and reading. After all, who better exemplifies the meaning of friendship than Elephant & Piggie?
You can help second-graders across the country celebrate Friendiversary on Feb. 26! Click here to donate.
For every $33 donated, 10 second grade students will receive their own Mo Willems books and activity kits for the celebration.
Happy Friendiversary!
By: Brian Minter,
on 2/7/2012
Today is Friendiversary, when we celebrate the anniversary of our friendships. Think of one of your oldest and dearest friends. When did you first meet? How did you meet? That story is the story of your Friendiversary.
First Book is celebrating Friendiversary this week by providing 7,000 new Elephant & Piggie books to second-graders at Title I schools in Louisiana and Massachusetts. The Elephant & Piggie series is written and illustrated by our friend Mo Willems, whose support makes it possible for First Book able to provide these books. Every book includes a special Friendiversary note from Mo, and his publisher, Disney Publishing Worldwide, is also providing activity kits, stickers and posters free of charge to each classroom.
In fact, we’re so delighted with the Friendiversary kit that we also made it available to all the schools and programs in First Book’s national network.
There are Friendiversary parties happening in classrooms and programs all over today … or tomorrow, or last weekend. We’re pretty flexible on when you actually celebrate Friendiversary.
The biggest party we’ve heard about so far took place in New Orleans, at James Singleton Charter School. (Mo grew up in New Orleans, and has a special place in his heart for New Orleans kids, so making sure they all had copies of his books was important to him.)
Lynetta Rhodes, the chair of the local First Book volunteer group in New Orleans, helped put the party together. She sent us some great pictures, and filled us in on all the details:
“The children looked adorable in their ‘Elephant and Piggie’ ears and the costumed characters made the kids shout with glee,” said Dianne de Las Casas, who hosted and helped plan the event. “Friendiversary at James Singleton Charter School was a great success.”
Happy Friendiversary, everyone!
If you work with kids from low-income families, you can be a part of Friendiversary and other great events and opportunities throughout the year. Sign up with First Book to find out how we can help you get new books for your kids.
By: Mo Willems,
on 2/3/2012
Events are happening in schools all over New Orleans, Springfield, MA, and beyond. You can help, too! (And thanks to all that are!) All the details are here. The press release is here. Also, if you're in Brooklyn, NY this weekend, head over to the BAM Children's Film Festival where a host of great kid films will be screened, including the animated version of NAKED MOLE
By: Brian Minter,
on 2/1/2011
Today is the first annual First Book Friendiversary! We are very excited.
A Friendiversary, of course, is the anniversary of a friendship. Think of one of your oldest and dearest friends. When did you first meet? How did you meet? That story is the story of your Friendiversary.
To celebrate Friendiversary, First Book teamed up with Mo Willems, the author of some truly terrific books for kids and a good friend of ours. Mo wanted to do something special for some of the kids in New Orleans (where he grew up) and Springfield, Mass. (near where he lives now). So today, thousands of 2nd-graders in those two cities are getting their very own copy of one of Mo’s ‘Elephant & Piggie‘ books. They will also be having Friendiversary parties in their classrooms.
We are big fans of both Mo’s award-winning work and his generosity, and we were proud to be able to help him get these books to the kids in those schools. To mark the occasion, we even had a Friendiversary celebration of our own. You can see some photos below. The ‘Pig’ team won the dance competition, but the ‘Elephant’ team has vowed to practice hard and take the prize next year.
We’ll share some stories from the kids as soon as we hear them. In the meantime, we’d love to hear your own Friendiversary stories. We know you have some good ones. Share them with us in the comments section below, or on our Facebook page.
