Mo Willems invites you into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLES! Learners worldwide can draw, doodle, and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together. If you post your art to social media be sure to hashtag it with #MoLunchDoodles.

New episodes will be posted each weekday at 1 p.m. ET and then remain online to be streamed afterwards. Check https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/ each weekday for new videos.

Author and illustrator Mo Willems has been awarded the American Library Association’s Caldecott Honor three times for his picture book illustration. Additionally, he is the recipient of two Theodor Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors for his Elephant & Piggie early readers. 

Mo began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards. His work has been exhibited around the world, including solo retrospectives at the High Museum in Atlanta and the New York Historical Society. Over the last decade, Mo has written three musical theater works based on his books, two of which were commissioned and toured by the Kennedy Center. His papers reside at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.

The creator of the Pigeon Series, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant & Piggie, Mo will develop and present multidisciplinary programming and performances across the Kennedy Center including theater, jazz, dance, classical music, comedy, digital experience, and outreach over the next two years. Audiences will play, participate, and create with cross-genre experiences and world premieres seen nowhere else.

Highlights in Mo’s residency include the world premiere of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical); the world premiere orchestral rendition of Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (a Symphonic Spectacular) with music composed by Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor Ben Folds for the National Symphony Orchestra; Mo Willems & the Storytime All-Stars present: Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime!, a comedic celebration of reading; an interactive Jazz Doodle Jam! in partnership with Jazz Programming and Jason Moran; and more.

“I am thrilled by this opportunity,” says Willems. “I can’t wait to play and explore with the incredible talent available to the Kennedy Center while hopefully encouraging kids and the grown-ups in their lives to join in the fun.”

Send the Kennedy Center your drawings and questions for Mo for possible inclusion in the next episode of LUNCH DOODLES! 

Email your questions and comments to LUNCHDOODLES@kennedy-center.org.