Elephant & Piggie pajama party Thursday at the Du Quoin library

The Du Quoin Public Library on Thursday is hosting Family Reading Night 2013 featuring the books of award-winning children's author Mo Willems, author of the Elephant & Piggie series.

It's a 6 p.m. pajama party and stuffed animal friends are welcome. Cupcakes and punch will be served

New York Times bestselling author Mo Willems began his career as a writer and animator for PBS' Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards for his writing.

During his nine seasons at Sesame Street, Mo also served as a weekly commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series, Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats and Cartoon Network's Sheep in the Big City.

While serving as head writer for Cartoon Network's #1 rated show, Codename: Kids Next Door, Mo began writing and drawing books for children. His debut effort, "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" became a New York Times Bestseller and was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2004. In addition to picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of "easy readers", which were awarded the Theodor Suess Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009 and Geisel Honors in 2011, 2012, and 1013. For older audiences he has published an illustrated memoir of his year-long trip around the world in 1990-91 entitled "You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons" and "Don't Pigeonhole Me!," a collection of 20 years of his annual sketchbooks.

Mo's drawings, wire sculptures, and sculpture have exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across the nation and his graphic story about his family experiences during 9-11 for DC comics resides in the Library of Congress' permanent collection.