The latest Mo book to cross my path is a not a childrens' book at all, but a travelogue he wrote when he was in his early twenties. Shortly after graduating from university, he took a year off to stomp across the world, creating one cartoon each day of whatever stuck with him most. The drawings and captions convey the uprooted feeling of living out of a backpack and the fascination with all things human, both familiar and alien. I was left with some serious nostalgia for own much less ambitious journeying.
Willems' youthful enthusiasm for adventure and unwashed clothing is wonderful, but I'd credit the strength of the book to his maturity 15 years post-journey. He's included a great commentary alongside the original cartoons and captions that add depth to his vignettes, and show how his understanding of the world has grown in the intervening years. I'd recommend this book to anyone with wistful memories of wanderlust, or with an interest in the way people navigate uncertain expectations, languages, toilets, and transport.
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