Famed children’s book author. Mo Willems, released his latest children’s book, Are You Small?, encouraging kids to explore some of the smallest things in the universe in a playful way. That includes things like a hamster and a cookie crumb, as well as scientific mentions, such as a cell and hydrogen atom.
The book is the follow-up to Are You Big?, Willems’ children’s book released in February 2024. It also looks at the relationship between size and scale—but on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Willems, who says he enjoys reading nonfiction, wanted to create books that were fun and less dogmatic. “The story of figuring out that the world can be very, very big, or very, very small, is more interesting than a bunch of facts listed,” Willems tells Parents.
But the book also digs into the curiosity many kids have about the world around them. It’s a curiosity Willems also had while growing up.
“As a kid, I really wanted to know if I was big and small, and was always sort of amazed by the concept of the stars being very far away, or just the size of dust, and things like that,” shares Willems. “So, it was a chance to explore, literally, and hopefully to be a little bit funny.”
Fostering Creativity With Your Children
The New York Times bestselling author/illustrator also hopes to spark some marvel in the caregivers who are reading the books with their little ones. “I want to have as much wonder in the kids as in the grownups,” he says. “I want the grownups to also think about things a little bit differently.”
Why? “Curiosity is essential to a fulfilling life I believe, and certainly to a creative life,” shares the father of one. “So, approaching absolutely everything with curiosity is a joy.”
Creativity and curiosity often go hand in hand, and parents can empower their kids’ creativity, says Willems. To do that, he suggests asking questions. For example, if a child draws a picture, ask them, “What did you draw first?” rather than just complimenting the drawing.
“Because kids draw chronologically, and they’re telling stories,” says Willems. First, they’ll usually draw the character, then they’ll draw the place where the character lives, and then they’ll draw the other components to the picture, he explains.
Asking what they drew first can help spark conversations and expand the imagination. Parents can then ask things like who the character is, the character’s location, and what the character is doing.
“Then the drawing sort of grows and it becomes a form of storytelling,” says Willems, who began his career as a writer and animator for Sesame Street.
Willems’ Natural Sense for Storytelling
Of course, storytelling comes naturally for Willems, who has written dozens of children’s books you may be reading to your children like the Elephant & Piggie, and Knuffle Bunny series.
But he’s also telling stories through his Hidden Pigeon Company where he releases new content on the Mo Willems Workshop YouTube Channel, including “The Pigeon Explains!” It stars his Pigeon character featured in the book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! as a puppet who learns how to do everyday things from kids themselves.
Through his work, Willems says he’s not trying to tell people what to think, but encouraging minds to explore different ways of thinking. “If this opens up an avenue to any kind of exploration, any kind of, ‘Let’s ask this question and see how far we can go and how silly we can get with it,’” he says, “then, I’ll be happy.”
That desire to explore and learn something new is what continues to drive his own creativity, too.
“I am so incredibly lucky that I do not understand anything. I don’t understand how the world works. I don’t even understand how my drawings work. I am so befuddled and that allows me to continue working,” he says. “And here’s the thing: talent is negligible—doesn’t really matter. Passion matters. And what passion is, is the willingness to do something poorly over and over and over again, until it ceases to be done poor. And luckily for me, there are so many things to be passionate about that I am pretty sure I will be able to fill the rest of my days creatively.”
