I first fell in love with the books of Mo Willems before I even had a child. Nia introduced me to the book, “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,” and I thought it was both hilarious and adorable. I knew that if I had a child, these Pigeon books would be frequent reads.

Sure enough, Camille is a fan of the Pigeon books, as well as the Knufflebunny and the Elephant and Piggy series. Now, she is also a fan of the author himself.

Mo Willems came to E. Shaver Bookseller to promote the release of 2 new books. I asked Camille if she wanted to go see him at the bookstore, and I honestly wasn’t sure how she’d answer. As it turns out, she was super excited to go see Mo. She even told me she needed to wear a cute dress because, as she said, “I want to look my best.”

At the store, we bought a copy of “Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator,” and waited for Mo to arrive. He breezed into the store and made his way through the jumble of kids and parents to a small reading room in the back. The kids crowded in with him and listened with rapt attention as he read, “Should I Share My Ice Cream?,” the latest Elephant and Piggy book. The reading was energetic and fun, and Camille was ecstatic when Mo signed her book and even drew an alligator beneath his signature.

The room was tight and crowded so I didn’t get the best picture, but that’s ok. The memory is good enough. We love Mo!