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Module 1 Picture Books - NAKED MOLE RAT GETS DRESSED by Mo Willems

Review of Mo Willems’ Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Willems, Mo. (2009). Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 978142311437 


2. PLOT SUMMARY 

Willems tells the story of a naked mole rat named Wilbur who shows his difference from all his peers by choosing to wear clothing and embrace fashion. Eventually, after finding only disapproval and being ostracized by every other mole rat, the oldest and wisest of them make a surprising announcement, leading to reconsidering clothing and how they should behave. From then on, all the mole rats begin to change their thought process, embrace the change, and accept the idea of self-expression.

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Willems focuses on themes such as the importance of being true to who you are and being free to express yourself but still accepting and embracing the unique qualities of others. The path of this book first shows the pressure of conforming to others, which is pushed on us at an early age, and then focuses on individuality and ultimately finding self-acceptance. The main character, Wilbur, immediately draws the reader in with the humor of a "naked" mole rat wanting to wear clothing and using it as a metaphor for self-expression. The tone is playful and fun, but because of the humor and illustrations, the story engages the reader, all while handling serious themes. The text is a simple typeface that is clear and easy to read. One difference in font throughout the story is the use of different sizes and bold font to emphasize specific phrases and suggest louder speech.  


Mo Willems illustrates her own story and enhances her narrative with visuals using bright colors and strong, bold lines meant to appeal to younger children. The pictures contain negative space to make the pink mole rat the focal point and keep the reader from being distracted by the background. There are times when one continuous picture takes up two pages to emphasize a specific part of the story. The facial expressions on each mole rat's face convey their feelings throughout the story, moving from shock and disapproval to acceptance and joy when wearing clothing.  


This book has been an important piece of literature for my family since my oldest son was almost three. The first words out of my youngest son's mouth after reading the title and looking at the cover were, "Oh my goodness! Mom! He is naked!" Cue the rain of adorable giggles from both of my boys.   

My oldest son, who is deaf and was implanted with cochlear devices at two years old, loves this book.


At first glance, this book was filled with humor, which made both of my children giggle with the antics of the characters offered by the author. The second and third time we read it my son began to pay attention to the overall themes presented without any prompt from me. He has known he was different since beginning play dates with children. His hearing loss, use of sign language, and eventual use of cochlear implants set him apart from other children. He is the only deaf student in our school and county due to our rural location in the panhandle of Texas.   


My oldest son is intuitive and has always understood that he is different from other children he knows and plays with. This story helped my son understand and further embrace his uniqueness, and it helped him to be proud of his "ears" and additional way of communicating with sign language. Although he initially noted the physical difference, we were able to discuss the deeper message of being true to who you are as a person and finding strength and pride in what makes us different. 


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Parent’s Gold Choice Award, 2009 


Booklist (November 15, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 6)): “Willems’ art follows the simple style of his Elephant and Piggie books...but mostly it is Wilbur’s guileless observations that will have young readers feeling good about individual expression. 

Horn Book Guide (Fall 2009): “With snappy humor and snappier duds, Willems delivers the familiar be-true-to-yourself adage with panache; his expressive characters telegraph plenty of motion and emotion on sparely composed, reader-friendly spreads.” 

Kirkus Reviews (December 1, 2008): “Willems eschews a black-and-white encouragement to stand out from the crowd, offering instead a story that makes a case for different opinions to operate side by side.” 

Library Media Connection (May/June 2009): “Young readers will be drawn to the illustrations and the giggle-inducing word naked...make room for Wilbur; both the naked and the clothed mole rats will be a definite hit in any collection.”  

Publishers Weekly (November 3, 2008): “Willems is fully aware that nudity = comic gold for this audience, and his legion of emotive, square-headed rodents-far cuter than in real life- are paired successfully with droll prose.” 

School Library Journal (February 1, 2009): “Willems has a talent for creating funny lines, verbally and visually...much of the humor resides in the subtle changes in Wilbur's eyes and, of course, in his colorful costumes.” 


5. CONNECTIONS 

  • Related Books - Other books for children about uniqueness and being true to yourself  

  • Shannon, David. A BAD CASE OF STRIPES. ISBN 9780439598385 

  • Andreae, Giles. GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE. ISBN 0545392551 

  • Children's Responses and Discussions – Ways to discuss elements with children 

  • Have children create an outfit that shows their personality and tastes. They can bring a favorite outfit, create their own, or draw something that expresses their own ideas. 

  • Discuss naked mole rat facts for cross-curricular information to integrate science with literacy. 

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