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Mo Willems

Mo Willems

Writer and producer · Born February 11, 1968 (58) · Des Plaines, Illinois, USA

Mo Willems is an American writer of children's books who formerly worked as an animator and voice actor for film and television productions. He's a graduate from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, New York, USA.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 11, 1968 (58)
From
Des Plaines, Illinois, USA
Works as
Writer and producer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 19% in 30 days

What are Mo Willems' films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
42%
Society
29%
Self
21%
Power
7%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 1 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
5
Warm
4
Hopeful
2
Thrilling
2
Absurd
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mo Willems' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mo Willems' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

38 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Writer · as The Pigeon (voice)

  • Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience(2022)

    Book · Executive Producer · Lyricist · Writer · as Pigeon / Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Don't Let The Pigeon Do Storytime(2020)

    Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Writer · as Pigeon (voice)

  • Nanette's Baguette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Animation · Writer · as Mr. Barnett (voice)

  • Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Animation · Writer · as Narrator / additional voices

  • That Is Not a Good Idea! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Writer · as Hungry Fox (voice)

  • Hooray For Amanda And Her Alligator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Animation · Writer · as Alligator (voice)

  • Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Animation · Writer · as Narrator / Daddy (voice)

  • The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Animation · Producer · Writer · as Pigeon (voice)

  • Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Animation · Writer · as Pigeon (voice)

  • Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Writer · as Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie (voice)

  • The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Animation · Writer · as Pigeon (voice)

  • Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Writer · as Male Narrator / Naked Mole Rats

  • Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Animation · Writer · as Pigeon (voice)

  • Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Animation · Writer · as Narrator / Daddy (voice)

  • Leonardo, the Terrible Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Animation · Producer · Writer · as Leonardo (voice)

  • Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation Z.E.R.O.(2006)

    Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Animation · Writer · as Narrator / Daddy (voice)

  • Sesame Street: All-Star Alphabet(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Codename: Kids Next Door(2002)

    Show 95 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • LazyTown(2002)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Sheep in the Big City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 27 episodes · Director · Creator · Storyboard Artist · Writer · as The Angry Scientist / Announcer (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World: Singing, Drawing & More! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Writer

  • Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • City-e-scape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • An Off-Beats Valentine's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Storyboard Artist · Writer · as September / Grubby Groo (voice)

  • Seymore the Snail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Writer

  • Sesame Street: The Alphabet Jungle Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Writer

  • The Off-Beats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show Creator

  • Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Layout

  • What a Cartoon! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • The Off-Beats: Your Shoes Are Untied (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director

  • Another Bad Day for Philip Jenkins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director · Animation · Writer

  • Iddy Biddy Beat Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · as Narrator (voice)

  • The Man Who Yelled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Animation · Painter · Writer · as Narrator / The Man Who Yelled

  • A Child's Garden of Verses(1992)

    Layout

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ira Sleeps Over(1991)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

Career shape

A full career of 36 titles from 1991 to 2022.

Highest rated

Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation Z.E.R.O. (2006)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

LazyTown (2002)

Film career

  • 2000Screen debut· Sheep in the Big City

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting21 of 36: 0 only acting, 21 with another roleDirecting10 of 36: 3 only directing, 7 with another roleWriting28 of 36: 5 only writing, 23 with another roleProducing3 of 36: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew19 of 36: 4 only other crew, 15 with another role

36 titles, 24 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 20 of them.

By decade

1990s14 · 3 acting · 14 crew2000s8 · 5 acting · 8 crew2010s11 · 11 acting · 11 crew2020s3 · 2 acting · 3 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Mo Willems' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 89th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

2 of their 8 titles are Loved with Detractors.

  • Loved with Detractors2
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · producer

Sesame Street: All-Star Alphabet (2005)

95th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation Z.E.R.O. (2006)

Midcredits 91st · 79% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Mo Willems work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mo Willems' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tom Warburton shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers