Some Of My Favorite Websites
April 24, 2009 
Hello everyone! Here is a small listing of some of the websites that I enjoy and thought that you might like them also! This list is for Parents and Kids! I believe both can appreciate the information and activities found within these sites!
Mo Willems, author and illustrator of many popular children’s books, such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, has created an interactive website that will bring children into the zany world of his characters. The main page of Willems website is a guide to various aspects of the author/illustrator’s life, including a blog, a frequently asked questions section, a store, a picture gallery, and the Pigeon Presents website. The Pigeon Presents website (http://www.pigeonpresents.com/) is a very interactive website that will provide children with fun in games, books, and pictures. This website is geared toward children and is very user friendly. One of my favorite aspects of this site is that if you move your mouse over different parts of the website you will hear someone telling you what that part of the site is. This will be beneficial to children that are not yet reading, but do know how to use the computer on their own. While the website is based on Willems beloved Pigeon, other characters found on the site are Edwina the dinosaur, Elephant and Piggie, Leonard the terrible monster, Wilbur the naked mole rat, and Knuffle Bunny and Trixie. The website also features a useful parents and teachers section that includes unit guides based on various books in Willems collection. This website is very fun and interactive; children as well as parents and teachers will enjoy exploring the online world that Mo Willems has created.
Source: Welcome to MoWillems.com. [Online] Available http://www.mowillems.com, April 23, 2009.
2. http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville
Random House Publishing has designed a wonderful Dr. Seuss website! Theodore Seuss Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss was the author and illustrator of more than sixty children’s books. Some of the most popular Dr. Seuss books are The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and Horton Hears a Who. The Dr. Seuss website, www.seussville.com, is a very interactive and fun website for children. The website features different activities such as a playground, a biography of Dr. Seuss, a catalog of all the Dr. Seuss books, and many other fun things. When you first enter the website you are welcomed by circus themed music that plays continuously throughout your stay at the website. The playground features many games that are based on various Dr. Seuss books and can either be played on the website or printed off. One fun activity that is on the website that children will enjoy doing is the Seussville Story Maker. Children will be able to put in their name and select various options for their personal story. This is a fun way for children to express themselves through a Dr. Seuss story. Another fun aspect of the website is the Dr. Seuss Quote Maker, while this is something that might be more useful to parents and teachers, because it provides very encouraging and fun quotes from some of the best Dr. Seuss books. Children, parents, and teachers will all enjoy visiting the Dr. Seuss website. The welcoming music and the interactive options will provide children will endless entertainment.
Source: Seussville. [Online] Available http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville, April 23, 2009.
Cyd Moore is the illustrator of many popular children’s books such as I Love You Stinky Face, I Miss You Stinky Face, and What Do Parents Do. Moore’s website is full of whimsical illustrations that will be pleasing to young children. The website features a gallery of illustrations that can be viewed, a listing of all the books that Moore has illustrated, a fun stuff page, and a page where visitors can submit their questions or just say hey to Cyd if they want to. Moore’s website also features a link to some of her favorite websites, including other authors and illustrators. My favorite aspect of the website is the section containing the illustrations from various books. The illustrations on the website are very beautiful and appealing to the eye. While the website does not offer the activities and games that are found on other author and illustrator sites, it is a very useful website for parents and teachers. The books section of the website provides a synopsis of the story as well as the publishing information. This will be helpful to parents, teachers, and librarians that might want to add some of Cyd Moore’s books to their collection.
Source: Cyd Moore. [Online] Available http://www.cydmoore.com, April 23, 2009.
Dav Pilkey’s “Extra Crunchy Website O’ Fun” is a very fun website for older children that are familiar with the Captain Underpants series. Pilkey, author and illustrator, has written twelve books in the Captain Underpants series, along with numerous other books for children. While Captain Underpants is by far the most popular book series by the author, his website also features information on his other series. Pilkey’s website features many different options, such as Dav’s Books, Groovy Games, Junk Stuff and Things, Boring Grown Up Stuff, and my favorite Duh! The humor found on Pilkey’s website matches the humor found in his books and will be well loved by kids, especially boys. One fun aspect I love about this website is the Groovy Game page! Kids will be encouraged to play games such as Crazy Carrot, Booger Buster 2000, Hamster Highway, and Sulu the Bionic Hamster. Pilkey’s creative imagination has helped to create a very kid friendly website that will be very appealing to those kids who are familiar with his series. One drawback of this website is that parent’s that are not completely familiar with the website might have some objection to the humor that is featured. While children find humor in many things, such as boogers, not all parents will approve of this website. However, there is a disclaimer at the bottom of the main page stating that many parents may not appreciate the silliness that is found on the website and should seek permission from their child before proceeding.
Source: Dav Pikley’s Extra Crunchy Website O’ Fun. [Online] Available http://www.pilkey.com, April 23, 2009.
What are some of your favorite author or illustrator websites? Let me know which ones you like and I will have to visit them next!
Hope you have a great weekend! See ya at the library soon!
-Erin (Youth Services Coordinator)
