Maurice Sendak
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Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 2009)
'Where the Wild Things Are'
Movie Review. ''Los Angeles Times''.
Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his family members during
the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
. Sendak also wrote works such as '' In the Night Kitchen'', ''
Outside Over There ''Outside Over There'' is a picture book for children written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It concerns a young girl named Ida, who must rescue her baby sister after the child has been stolen by goblins. ''Outside Over There'' has been des ...
'', and illustrated many works by other authors including the '' Little Bear'' books by
Else Holmelund Minarik Else Holmelund Minarik (née Holmelund; September 13, 1920 – July 12, 2012) was an American author of more than 40 children's books. She was most commonly associated with her '' Little Bear'' series of children's books, which were adapted for t ...
.


Early life

Sendak was born in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, to Polish Jewish immigrants Sadie (née Schindler) and Philip Sendak, a dressmaker. With Biographical Note. ''The New York Times Magazine'', Page 216. Sendak described his childhood as a "terrible situation" due to the death of members of his extended family during
the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
which introduced him at a young age to the concept of mortality. His love of books began when, as a child, he developed health issues and was confined to his bed. Roth, Matthue (October 16, 2009)
"Maurice Sendak"
.
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(''patheos.com'').
When he was 12 years old, he decided to become an illustrator after watching
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's film ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
''. One of his first professional commissions was to create window displays for the toy store
FAO Schwarz FAO Schwarz is an American toy brand and store. The company is known for its high-end toys, life-sized stuffed animals, interactive experiences, brand integrations, and games. FAO Schwarz claims to be the oldest toy store in the United States ...
. His illustrations were first published in 1947 in a textbook titled ''Atomics for the Millions'' by Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff. He spent much of the 1950s illustrating children's books written by others before beginning to write his own stories. His older brother
Jack Sendak Jack Sendak (July 20, 1923 – February 3, 1995) was a children's literature author. He was the brother of Maurice Sendak and the son of Philip Sendak. He served in the U.S. Army during the Second World War, and later worked for Emerson Radi ...
also became an author of children's books, two of which were illustrated by Maurice in the 1950s. Maurice was the youngest of three siblings. When he was born, his sister Natalie was 9 years old and his brother Jack was 5.


Career

Sendak gained international acclaim after writing and illustrating ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
'', edited by
Ursula Nordstrom Ursula Nordstrom (February 2, 1910 – October 11, 1988) was publisher and editor-in-chief of juvenile books at Harper & Row from 1940 to 1973. She is credited with presiding over a transformation in children's literature in which morality tales ...
at
Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...
. It features Max, a boy who "rages against his mother for being sent to bed without any supper". The book's depictions of fanged monsters concerned some parents when it was first published, as his characters were somewhat
grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...
in appearance. Before ''Where the Wild Things Are'', Sendak was best known for illustrating
Else Holmelund Minarik Else Holmelund Minarik (née Holmelund; September 13, 1920 – July 12, 2012) was an American author of more than 40 children's books. She was most commonly associated with her '' Little Bear'' series of children's books, which were adapted for t ...
's '' Little Bear'' series of books. Sendak later recounted the reaction of a fan: Almost 50 years later, ''
School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
'' sponsored a survey of readers which identified ''Where the Wild Things Are'' as a top picture book. The librarian who conducted it observed that there was little doubt what would be voted number one and highlighted its designation by one reader as a watershed, "ushering in the modern age of picture books". Another called it "perfectly crafted, perfectly illustrated ... simply the epitome of a picture book" and noted that Sendak "rises above the rest in part because he is subversive.""SLJ's Top 100 Picture Books"
(poster presentation of reader poll results). A Fuse #8 Production. ''School Library Journal''. 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
Bird, Elizabeth (July 2, 2012)
"Top 100 Picture Books #1: ''Where the Wild Things Are'' by Maurice Sendak"
A Fuse 8 Production. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
When Sendak saw a manuscript of ''
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories ''Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories'' is a 1966 book of short stories written by Polish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer. The stories were translated from Yiddish, which was Singer's language of choice for writing, by Singer and Elizabeth Sh ...
'', the first children's book by
Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer ( yi, יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער; November 11, 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Polish-born American Jewish writer who wrote and published first in Yiddish and later translated himself into English with the help ...
, on the desk of an editor at Harper & Row, he offered to illustrate the book. It was first published in 1966 and received a
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. Sendak was delighted and enthusiastic about the collaboration. He once wryly remarked that his parents were "finally" impressed by their youngest child when he collaborated with Singer.Stavans, Ilan (ed.), ''Isaac Bashevis Singer: An Album'', The Library of America, 2004, pp. 70–71. His book '' In the Night Kitchen,'' originally issued in 1970, has often been subjected to censorship for its drawings of a young boy prancing naked through the story. The book has been challenged in several U.S. states including
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, and
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. ''In the Night Kitchen'' regularly appears on the American Library Association's list of "frequently challenged and banned books". It was listed number 21 on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999". His 1981 book ''
Outside Over There ''Outside Over There'' is a picture book for children written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It concerns a young girl named Ida, who must rescue her baby sister after the child has been stolen by goblins. ''Outside Over There'' has been des ...
'' is the story of a girl named Ida and her sibling jealousy and responsibility. Her father is away, so Ida is left to watch her baby sister, much to her dismay. Her sister is kidnapped by goblins and Ida must go off on a magical adventure to rescue her. At first, she is not really eager to get her sister and nearly passes her sister right by when she becomes absorbed in the magic of the quest. In the end, she rescues her baby sister, destroys the goblins, and returns home committed to caring for her sister until her father returns home. Sendak was an early member of the National Board of Advisors of the Children's Television Workshop during the development stages of the ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' television series. He also adapted his book ''Bumble Ardy'' into an animated sequence for the series, with
Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...
as the voice of Bumble Ardy. He wrote and designed three other animated stories for the series: ''Seven Monsters'' (which never aired), ''Up & Down'', and ''Broom Adventures''. Sendak produced an animated television production based on his work titled ''
Really Rosie ''Really Rosie'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Maurice Sendak and music by Carole King. The musical is based on Sendak's books ''Chicken Soup with Rice'', ''Pierre'', ''One was Johnny'', ''Alligators All Around'' (which comprise 1962's ...
'', featuring the voice of Carole King, which was broadcast in 1975 and is available on video (usually as part of video compilations of his work). An album of the songs was also produced. He contributed the opening segment to ''Simple Gifts'', a Christmas collection of six animated shorts shown on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
in 1977 and later released on VHS in 1993. He adapted his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'' for the stage in 1979. Additionally, he designed sets and costumes for many operas and ballets, including the award-winning (1983)
Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dan ...
production of
Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
'',
Glyndebourne Festival Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, ...
Opera's productions of
Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...
's ''
The Love for Three Oranges ''The Love for Three Oranges'', Op. 33, also known by its French language title ' (russian: Любовь к трём апельсинам, links=no, ''Lyubov' k tryom apel'sinam''), is a satirical opera by Sergei Prokofiev. Its French librett ...
'' (1982),
Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
's ''
L'enfant et les sortilèges ''L'enfant et les sortilèges: Fantaisie lyrique en deux parties'' (''The Child and the Spells: A Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts'') is an opera in one act, with music by Maurice Ravel to a libretto by Colette. It is Ravel's second opera, his first be ...
'' and ''
L'heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same nameStoullig E. '' ...
'' (1987) and
Oliver Knussen Stuart Oliver Knussen (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018) was a British composer and conductor. Early life Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Stuart Knussen, was principal double bass of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a ...
's adaptation of Sendak's own ''Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life'' (1985), Houston Grand Opera's productions of
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
's ''
The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...
'' (1981) and Humperdinck's ''
Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Hansel ...
'' (1997), Los Angeles County Music Center's 1990 production of Mozart's ''
Idomeneo ' (Italian for '' Idomeneus, King of Crete, or, Ilia and Idamante''; usually referred to simply as ''Idomeneo'', K. 366) is an Italian language opera seria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Varesco from a Frenc ...
'', and the
New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...
's productions of Janáček's ''
The Cunning Little Vixen ''The Cunning Little Vixen'' (original title ''Příhody lišky Bystroušky'' or ''Tales of Vixen Sharp-Ears'' in English), is a three-act Czech-language opera by Leoš Janáček completed in 1923 to a libretto the composer himself adapted from a ...
'' (1981), and Mozart's '' The Goose of Cairo'' (1984). In 1993, Sendak published a picture book, ''We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy''. Later in the 1990s, Sendak approached playwright
Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
to write a new English-language version of the Czech composer
Hans Krása Hans Krása (30 November 1899 – 17 October 1944) was a Czech composer, murdered during the Holocaust at Auschwitz. He helped to organize cultural life in Theresienstadt concentration camp. Life Hans Krása was born in Prague, the son of Anna ...
's children's Holocaust opera '' Brundibár''. Kushner wrote the text for Sendak's illustrated book of the same name, published in 2003. The book was named one of ''
The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...
''s ''10 Best Illustrated Books of 2003''. In 2003, Chicago Opera Theatre produced Sendak and Kushner's adaptation of ''Brundibár''. In 2005,
Berkeley Repertory Theatre Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It runs seven productions each season from its two stages in Downtown Berkeley. History The company was founded in 1968, as the East Bay's first resident p ...
, in collaboration with
Yale Repertory Theatre Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented student ...
and Broadway's
New Victory Theater The New Victory Theater is a theater at 209 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, near Times Square. Built in 1900 as the Republic Theatre (also Theatre Republic), it was designed by Albert Westover an ...
, produced a substantially re-worked version of the Sendak-Kushner adaptation. In 2004, Sendak worked with the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra in Boston on their project ''Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale''. This Klezmer version of
Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...
's best-known musical story for children ''
Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...
'' featured Maurice Sendak as the narrator. He also illustrated the cover art. Sendak also created the Canadian-produced children's animated television series ''
Seven Little Monsters ''Seven Little Monsters'' is a children's picture book by American author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Published by Harper & Row in 1977, it was originally created as an animated short for Sesame Street in 1971 and served as the basis for the C ...
''.


Personal life

Sendak mentioned in a September 2008 article in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' that he was gay and had lived with his partner,
psychoanalyst PsychoanalysisFrom Greek language, Greek: + . is a set of Theory, theories and Therapy, therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a bo ...
Eugene David Glynn (February 25, 1926 – May 15, 2007), for 50 years before Glynn's death in May 2007. Revealing that he never told his parents, he said, "All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew." Sendak's relationship with Glynn had been mentioned by other writers before (e.g.,
Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
in 2003) and Glynn's 2007 death notice had identified Sendak as his "partner of fifty years". After his partner's death, Sendak donated $1 million to the
Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (the Jewish Board) is one of the United States' largest nonprofit mental health and social service agencies, and New York State's largest social services nonprofit. Its services are non-secta ...
in memory of Glynn, who had treated young people there. The gift will name a clinic for Glynn. Sendak was an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
. In a 2011 interview, he stated that he did not believe in God and explained that he felt that religion, and belief in God, "must have made life much easier or some religious friends of his It's harder for us non-believers."On Maurice Sendak's death (May 8, 2012), the host of NPR's ''
Fresh Air ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...
'',
Terry Gross Terry Gross (born February 14, 1951) is an American journalist who is the host and co-executive producer of '' Fresh Air'', an interview-based radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed nationally by NPR. Since joining N ...
, aired 2003 and 2011 interviews she had conducted with Sendak. In September 2011 she said, "You're very secular, you don't believe in God." Sendak replied, "I don't," and elaborated. Among other things, he remarked, "It eligion, and belief in Godmust have made life much easier or some religious friends of his It's harder for us non-believers."


Influences

Maurice Sendak drew inspiration and influences from a vast number of painters, musicians, and authors. Going back to his childhood, one of his earliest memorable influences was actually his father, Philip Sendak. According to Maurice, his father would relate tales from the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
; however, he would embellish them with racy details. Not realizing that this was inappropriate for children, little Maurice would frequently be sent home after retelling his father's "softcore Bible tales" at school. Growing up, Sendak developed from other influences, starting with
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's ''
Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
'' and
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
. Sendak and Mickey Mouse were born in the same year and Sendak described Mickey as a source of joy and pleasure while growing up.''Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak"
(April 15, 2005 – August 14, 2005). Exhibition overview and gallery. The Jewish Museum of New York. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
He has been quoted as saying, "My gods are
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...
,
Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...
,
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
. I believe in them with all my heart." Elaborating further, he has stated that reading Emily Dickinson's works helps him to remain calm in an otherwise hectic world: "And I have a little tiny Emily Dickinson so big that I carry in my pocket everywhere. And you just read three poems of Emily. She is so brave. She is so strong. She is such a passionate little woman. I feel better." Likewise, of Mozart, he has said, "When Mozart is playing in my room, I am in conjunction with something I can't explain. ... I don't need to. I know that if there's a purpose for life, it was for me to hear Mozart."Maurice Sendak: "Where the Wild Things Are"
2004 interview by Bill Moyers. Audio-video with preface and transcript. ''Now on PBS''.
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
(''pbs.org'').
Ursula Nordstrom Ursula Nordstrom (February 2, 1910 – October 11, 1988) was publisher and editor-in-chief of juvenile books at Harper & Row from 1940 to 1973. She is credited with presiding over a transformation in children's literature in which morality tales ...
, director of Harper's Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940 until 1973, was also an inspiration for Sendak.


Death

Sendak died on May 8, 2012, at age 83, in
Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
, at
Danbury Hospital Danbury Hospital is a 456-bed hospital in Danbury, Connecticut serving patients in Fairfield County, Connecticut, as well as Westchester County and Putnam County, New York. The hospital has 3,300 employees and is part of the Nuvance Health sys ...
, from stroke complications, a month before his 84th birthday. In accordance with his wishes, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at a location that is not confirmed. ''The New York Times'' obituary called Sendak "the most important children's book artist of the 20th century." Author
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
remarked, "He was unique, grumpy, brilliant, wise, magical and made the world better by creating art in it." Author
R. L. Stine Robert Lawrence Stine (; born October 8, 1943), sometimes known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor. Stine has been referred to as the "St ...
called Sendak's death "a sad day in children's books and for the world." Comedian
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, who interviewed Sendak in one of his last public appearances on his television program ''
The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...
'', said of the author: "We are all honored to have been briefly invited into his world." Sendak's appearance on a January 2012 episode of the show saw him teach Colbert how to illustrate and provide a book blurb for Colbert's own children's book, ''
I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) ''I Am a Pole (And So Can You!)'' is a 2012 spoof of inspirational children's books. It was written by Stephen Colbert and illustrated by Paul Hildebrand. The book tells the story of a fictional pole finding his purpose in life. The title is a pl ...
'', and the day that Sendak died was also the book's official release date. The 2012 season of
Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dan ...
's ''The Nutcracker'', for which Sendak designed the set and costumes, was dedicated to his memory. On May 12, 2012,
Nick Jr. Nick Jr. (known on-air as the Nick Jr. Channel) is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running programming block of the same name. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Gr ...
hosted a two-hour '' Little Bear'' marathon in his memory. The writer of the series
Else Holmelund Minarik Else Holmelund Minarik (née Holmelund; September 13, 1920 – July 12, 2012) was an American author of more than 40 children's books. She was most commonly associated with her '' Little Bear'' series of children's books, which were adapted for t ...
died herself only two months later on July 12, 2012, at the age of 91. His final book, ''Bumble-Ardy'', was published eight months before his death. A
posthumous Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' ...
picture book, titled ''My Brother's Book'', was published in February 2013. The film ''
Her Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun She (pronoun), she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer **H.E.R. (album), ''H.E.R.'' ...
'' was dedicated in memory of him and ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
'' co-star
James Gandolfini James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (; September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) was an American actor. For his role as Tony Soprano, the Italian-American Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series ''The Sopranos'', he won three Emmy Awards, five Screen ...
. The film was directed by
Spike Jonze Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze began his ca ...
, who also directed the 2009 feature film adaptation of ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
''.


Maurice Sendak Collection

In 1968, Sendak lent the
Rosenbach Museum & Library The Rosenbach is a Philadelphia museum and library located within two 19th-century townhouses. The historic houses contain the collections and treasures of Philip Rosenbach and his younger brother Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach. The brothers owned the ...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the bulk of his work, including nearly 10,000 works of art, manuscripts, books and ephemera. From May 6, 2008, through May 3, 2009, the Rosenbach presented ''There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak''. This major retrospective of over 130 pieces pulled from the museum's vast Sendak collection featured original artwork, rare sketches, never-before-seen working materials, and exclusive interview footage. Exhibition highlights included the following: * Original color artwork from books such as ''Where the Wild Things Are'', ''In the Night Kitchen'', ''The Nutshell Library'', ''Outside Over There'', and ''Brundibar''; * "Dummy" books filled with lively preliminary sketches for titles like ''The Sign on Rosie's Door'', ''Pierre'', and ''Higglety, Pigglety, Pop!''; * Never-before-seen working materials, such as newspaper clippings that inspired Sendak, family portraits, photographs of child models and other ephemera; * Rare sketches for unpublished editions of stories such as
Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawl ...
's ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the '' ...
'' and
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
' ''
The Turn of the Screw ''The Turn of the Screw'' is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James which first appeared in serial format in '' Collier's Weekly'' (January 27 – April 16, 1898). In October 1898, it was collected in ''The Two Magics'', published by Macmil ...
'', and other illustrating projects; * Unique materials from the Rosenbach collection that relate to Sendak's work, including an 1853 edition of the tales of the
Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
, sketches by
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
, and
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...
's bookcase; * Stories told by the illustrator himself on topics like '' Alice in Wonderland'', his struggle to illustrate his favorite novels, hilarious stories of Brooklyn, and the way his work helps him exorcise childhood traumas. Since the items had been on loan to the Rosenbach for decades, many in the museum world expected that the Sendak material would remain there. But Sendak's will specified that the drawings and most of the loans would remain the property of the Maurice Sendak Foundation. In 2014, representatives of his estate withdrew the works, saying they intended to follow Sendak's directive in his will to create "a museum or similar facility" in
Ridgefield, Connecticut Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 25,033 at the 2020 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough ...
, where he lived, and where his foundation is based, "to be used by scholars, students, artists, illustrators and writers, and to be opened to the general public" as the foundation's directors saw fit. The Rosenbach filed an action in 2014 in state probate court in Connecticut, contending that the estate had kept many rare books that Sendak had pledged to the library in his will. In a ruling in Connecticut probate court, a judge awarded the bulk of the disputed book collection to the Sendak estate, not to the museum. In 2018, the Maurice Sendak Foundation chose the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
to house and steward the Collection. Under an agreement with, and supported by a grant from, the Foundation, Sendak's original artwork, sketches, books, and other materials (totaling close to 10,000 items) will be housed at UConn's Archives and Special Collections in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. UConn will also host exhibits of and digitize Sendak materials. The Foundation will retain ownership of the materials.


Awards and honors

Internationally, Sendak received the third biennial
Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...
for Illustration in 1970, recognizing his "lasting contribution to children's literature". He received one of two inaugural
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award ( sv, Litteraturpriset till Astrid Lindgrens minne) is an international children's literary award established by the Swedish government in 2002 to honour the Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren (1907– ...
s in 2003, recognizing his career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense". The citation called him "the modern picture-book's portal figure" and the presentation credited ''Where the Wild Things Are'' with "all at once evolutionizingthe entire picture-book narrative ... thematically, aesthetically, and psychologically.""2003: Maurice Sendak: Researches Secret Recesses of Childhood"
. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
In the U.S., he received the
Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal The Children's Literature Legacy Award (known as the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal until 2018) is a prize awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to writers or illustrat ...
from the professional children's librarians in 1983, recognizing his "substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature". At the time it was awarded every three years."Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, Past winners"
Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association, and it is the world's largest organization dedicated to library service to children. Its members are concerned with creating a better future ...
(ALSC). American Library Association (ALA).

"About the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award"
ALSC. ALA. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
Only Sendak and the writer Katherine Paterson have won all three of these premier awards. *
Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Servic ...
from the ALA as illustrator of "the most distinguished American picture book for children", ''Where the Wild Things Are'', 1964 (Sendak was also one of the Caldecott runners-up seven times from 1954 to 1982, more than any other illustrator, although some have won multiple Medals)"Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938–Present"
ALSC. ALA."The Randolph Caldecott Medal"
ALSC. ALA. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
* '' The House of Sixty Fathers'', a novel by
Meindert DeJong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, for which Sendak provided the spot, black-and-white illustrations, won the Child Study Association of America's
Children's Book Award Children's Book Award is a generic term that has been applied to: * Caldecott Medal, Caldecott Medal, annual "most distinguished American picture book for children" * Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award from the Vermont Department of Lib ...
(now called the Josette Frank Award), 1956 * Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's book illustration, 1970"Hans Christian Andersen Awards"
International Board on Books for Young People The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is an international non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together. The headquarters of the IBBY are located in Basel, Switzerland. IBBY history In 1952, Jella Lepm ...
(IBBY). Retrieved June 12, 2013.
"Maurice Sendak"
(pp. 44–45, by Sus Rostrup).
''The Hans Christian Andersen Awards, 1956–2002''. IBBY.
Gyldendal Gyldendalske Boghandel, Nordisk Forlag A/S, usually referred to simply as Gyldendal () is a Danish publishing house. Founded in 1770 by Søren Gyldendal, it is the oldest and largest publishing house in Denmark, offering a wide selection of ...
. 2002. Hosted by
Austrian Literature Online Austrian Literature Online (ALO) is an Austrian digitization project by the University Library of Innsbruck, the University Library of Graz and the University of Linz. ALO is, together with Project ANNO, by the Austrian National Library, the lar ...
. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
* National Book Award in category Picture Books for ''Outside Over There'', 1982"National Book Awards – 1982"
National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
* Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for American children's literature, 1983 *
National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
, 1996 *
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award ( sv, Litteraturpriset till Astrid Lindgrens minne) is an international children's literary award established by the Swedish government in 2002 to honour the Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren (1907– ...
for children's literature, 2003 * Honorary doctorate from the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
, 1990 * Honorary doctorate from
Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/h ...
, 2004 * Inducted into the
New York Writers Hall of Fame The New York State Writers Hall of Fame or NYS Writers Hall of Fame is a project established in 2010 by the Empire State Center for the Book, which is the New York State affiliate of the U.S. Library of Congress's Center for the Book, and the Em ...
in 2013. Sendak has two elementary schools named in his honor, one in
North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North H ...
, and PS 118 in Brooklyn, New York. He received an honorary doctorate from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
in 1984. On June 10, 2013,
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
featured an interactive
doodle A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or shapes, generally without ever lift ...
where visitors could click on the video go triangle to see an animated movie-ette of Max and Sendak's other main characters. On the cusp of the 125th anniversary of the
Brooklyn Public Library The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is the public library system of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the sixteenth largest public library system in the United States by holding and the seventh by number of visitors. Like the two othe ...
it was revealed on November 16th, 2022 that the most checked out book in the collection was Sendak's
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
.


List of works


Author and illustrator

* ''
Kenny's Window ''Kenny's Window'' is the first children's picturebook that was written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Originally published by Harper and Brothers Inc., it tells the story of a young boy's quest for a garden that he sees in his dream, which ...
'' (1956) * ''Very Far Away'' (1957) * ''The Sign on Rosie's Door'' (1960) * ''The Nutshell Library'' (1962) ** ''Alligators All Around'' ** ''Chicken Soup with Rice'' ** ''One Was Johnny'' ** ''Pierre'' * ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
'' (1963) * ''Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life'' (1967) * '' In the Night Kitchen'' (1970) * ''Fantasy Sketches'' (1970) * ''Ten Little Rabbits: A Counting Book with Mino the Magician'' (1970) * ''The Missing Piece'' (1976) * ''Some Swell Pup or Are You Sure You Want a Dog?'' (written by Maurice Sendak and Matthew Margolis, and illustrated by Maurice Sendak) (1976) * ''
Seven Little Monsters ''Seven Little Monsters'' is a children's picture book by American author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Published by Harper & Row in 1977, it was originally created as an animated short for Sesame Street in 1971 and served as the basis for the C ...
'' (1977) * ''
Outside Over There ''Outside Over There'' is a picture book for children written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It concerns a young girl named Ida, who must rescue her baby sister after the child has been stolen by goblins. ''Outside Over There'' has been des ...
'' (1981) * ''Caldecott and Co: Notes on Books and Pictures'' (an anthology of essays on children's literature) (1988) * ''The Big Book for Peace'' (1990) * ''We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy'' (1993) * ''Maurice Sendak's Christmas Mystery'' (1995) (a box containing a book and a jigsaw puzzle) * ''Bumble-Ardy'' (2011) , * ''My Brother's Book'' (2013) ,


Illustrator only

* ''Atomics for the Millions'' (by Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff, 1947) * ''The Wonderful Farm'' (by
Marcel Aymé Marcel Aymé (29 March 1902 – 14 October 1967) was a French novelist and playwright, who also wrote screenplays and works for children. Biography Marcel André Aymé was born in Joigny, in the Burgundy region of France, the youngest of si ...
, 1951) * ''Good Shabbos Everybody'' (by Robert Garvey, 1951) * ''A Hole is to Dig'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1952) * ''Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas'' (by
Ruth Sawyer Ruth Sawyer (August 5, 1880 – June 3, 1970) was an American storyteller and a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. She may be best known as the author of ''Roller Skates'', which won the 1937 Newbery Medal. She received th ...
, 1952) * '' A Very Special House'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1953) * '' Hurry Home, Candy'' (by
Meindert DeJong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1953) * ''The Giant Story'' (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, 1953) * '' Shadrach'' (by
Meindert Dejong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1953) * ''I'll Be You and You Be Me'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1954) * ''The Tin Fiddle'' (by Edward Tripp, 1954) * '' The Wheel on the School'' (by
Meindert DeJong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1954) * '' Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm'' (by
Betty MacDonald Betty MacDonald (born Anne Elizabeth Campbell Bard; March 26, 1907 – February 7, 1958) was an American author who specialized in humorous autobiographical tales, and is best known for her book '' The Egg and I''. She also wrote the '' Mrs. Piggl ...
, 1954) * ''Charlotte and the White Horse'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1955) * ''Happy Hanukah Everybody'' (by Hyman Chanover and Alice Chanover, 1955) * ''Little Cow & the Turtle'' (by
Meindert DeJong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1955) * ''Singing Family of the Cumberlands'' (by
Jean Ritchie Jean Ruth Ritchie (December 8, 1922 – June 1, 2015) was an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player, called by some the "Mother of Folk". In her youth she learned hundreds of folk songs in the traditional way (orally ...
, 1955) * ''What Can You Do with a Shoe?'' (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, 1955, re-colored 1997) * ''Seven Little Stories on Big Subjects'' (by Gladys Baker Bond, 1955) * ''I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1956) * '' The House of Sixty Fathers'' (by
Meindert De Jong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1956) * ''The Birthday Party'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1957) * ''You Can't Get There From Here'' (by
Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote over 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York Times'' the country's bes ...
, 1957) * '' Little Bear'' series (by
Else Holmelund Minarik Else Holmelund Minarik (née Holmelund; September 13, 1920 – July 12, 2012) was an American author of more than 40 children's books. She was most commonly associated with her '' Little Bear'' series of children's books, which were adapted for t ...
) ** '' Little Bear'' (1957) ** ''Father Bear Comes Home'' (1959) ** ''Little Bear's Friend'' (1960) ** ''Little Bear's Visit'' (1961) ** ''A Kiss for Little Bear'' (1968) * ''Circus Girl'' (by
Jack Sendak Jack Sendak (July 20, 1923 – February 3, 1995) was a children's literature author. He was the brother of Maurice Sendak and the son of Philip Sendak. He served in the U.S. Army during the Second World War, and later worked for Emerson Radi ...
, 1957) * '' Along Came a Dog'' (by
Meindert DeJong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1958) * ''No Fighting, No Biting!'' (by
Else Holmelund Minarik Else Holmelund Minarik (née Holmelund; September 13, 1920 – July 12, 2012) was an American author of more than 40 children's books. She was most commonly associated with her '' Little Bear'' series of children's books, which were adapted for t ...
, 1958) * ''What Do You Say, Dear?'' (by
Sesyle Joslin Sesyle Joslin ( pen names, Josephine Gibson, G. B. Kirtland; born August 30, 1929) is a children's literature author. Joslin's book ''What Do You Say, Dear?'' was illustrated by Maurice Sendak and it was a Caldecott Medal Honor book in 1959. C ...
, 1958) * ''Seven Tales by H. C. Andersen'' (translated by
Eva Le Gallienne Eva Le Gallienne (January 11, 1899 – June 3, 1991) was a British-born American stage actress, producer, director, translator, and author. A Broadway star by age 21, Le Gallienne gave up her Broadway appearances to devote herself to founding t ...
, 1959) * ''The Moon Jumpers'' (by Janice May Udry, 1959) * ''Open House for Butterflies'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1960) * ''Best in Children's Books: Volume 31'' (various authors and illustrators: featuring, ''Windy Wash Day and Other Poems'' by
Dorothy Aldis Dorothy Aldis (March 13, 1896 – July 4, 1966) was a writer of children's literature and poet. Life Dorothy Keeley was born in Chicago on March 13, 1896, to James Keeley, managing editor of the ''Chicago Tribune'', and Gertrude Keeley. The ...
, illustrations by Maurice Sendak, 1960) * ''Dwarf Long-Nose'' (by
Wilhelm Hauff Wilhelm Hauff (29 November 180218 November 1827) was a Württembergian poet and novelist. Early life Hauff was born in Stuttgart, the son of August Friedrich Hauff, a secretary in the Württemberg ministry of foreign affairs, and Hedwig Wilhelmi ...
, translated by
Doris Orgel Doris Orgel is an Austrian-born American children's literature author. She was born Doris Adelberg in Vienna, Austria on February 15, 1929. In the 1930s she fled Vienna with her parents due to her Jewish descent. She lives in New York City and ...
, 1960) * ''Best in Children's Books: Volume 41'' (various authors and illustrators: featuring, ''What the Good-Man Does Is Always Right'' by
Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...
, illustrations by Maurice Sendak, 1961) * ''Let's Be Enemies'' (by Janice May Udry, 1961) * ''What Do You Do, Dear?'' (by
Sesyle Joslin Sesyle Joslin ( pen names, Josephine Gibson, G. B. Kirtland; born August 30, 1929) is a children's literature author. Joslin's book ''What Do You Say, Dear?'' was illustrated by Maurice Sendak and it was a Caldecott Medal Honor book in 1959. C ...
, 1961) * ''The Big Green Book'' (by
Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...
, 1962) * '' Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present'' (by
Charlotte Zolotow Charlotte Zolotow (born Charlotte Gertrude Shapiro; June 26, 1915 – November 19, 2013) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of many books for children. She wrote about 70 picture book texts. The writers she edited include Paul Fl ...
, 1962) * ''
The Singing Hill ''The Singing Hill'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Virginia Dale. Based on a story by Jesse Lasky Jr. and Richard Murphy, the film is about a singing cowboy and foreman of ...
'' (by
Meindert DeJong Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born American writer of children's books. He won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962 for his contributions as a chi ...
, 1962) * ''The Griffin and the Minor Canon'' (by Frank R. Stockton, 1963) * ''How Little Lori Visited Times Square'' (by
Amos Vogel Amos Vogel ( Vogelbaum; April 18, 1921 – April 24, 2012) was a New York City cineaste and curator. Biography Vogel was born in Vienna, Austria. He fled Austria with his parents after the Nazi Anschluß in 1938 and at first studied animal husband ...
, 1963) * ''She Loves Me ... She Loves Me Not ... '' (by Robert Keeshan, 1963) * ''Nikolenka's Childhood: An Edition for Young Readers'' (by
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
, 1963) * ''McCall's: August 1964, VOL. XCI, No. 11'' (featuring ''The Young Crane'' by Andrejs Upits, illustrations by Maurice Sendak, 1964) * ''The Bee-Man of Orn'' (by Frank R. Stockton, 1964) * '' The Animal Family'' (by
Randall Jarrell Randall Jarrell (May 6, 1914 – October 14, 1965) was an American poet, literary critic, children's author, essayist, and novelist. He was the 11th Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—a position that now bears the title Poe ...
, 1965) * ''Let's Be Enemies'' (written by Janice May Udry) (1965) * ''Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes'' (traditional
nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From t ...
s, 1965) * ''Lullabyes and Night Songs'' (by Alec Wilder, 1965) * ''
Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories ''Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories'' is a 1966 book of short stories written by Polish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer. The stories were translated from Yiddish, which was Singer's language of choice for writing, by Singer and Elizabeth Sh ...
'' (by
Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer ( yi, יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער; November 11, 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Polish-born American Jewish writer who wrote and published first in Yiddish and later translated himself into English with the help ...
, 1966) * '' The Golden Key'' (by
George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...
, 1967) * ''The Bat-Poet'' (by
Randall Jarrell Randall Jarrell (May 6, 1914 – October 14, 1965) was an American poet, literary critic, children's author, essayist, and novelist. He was the 11th Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—a position that now bears the title Poe ...
, 1967) * ''The Saturday Evening Post'': May 4, 1968, 241st year, Issue no. 9 (features ''Yash The Chimney Sweep'' by
Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer ( yi, יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער; November 11, 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Polish-born American Jewish writer who wrote and published first in Yiddish and later translated himself into English with the help ...
, 1968) * ''
The Light Princess ''The Light Princess'' is a Scottish fairy tale by George MacDonald. It was published in 1864 as a story within the larger story ''Adela Cathcart.'' Drawing on inspiration from "Sleeping Beauty", it tells the story of a princess afflicted by a c ...
'' (by
George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...
, 1969) * ''The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm: Volumes 1 & 2'' (translated by
Lore Segal Lore Segal (born March 9, 1928), née Lore Groszmann, is an American novelist, translator, teacher, short story writer, and author of children's books. Her novel ''Shakespeare's Kitchen'' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. Early lif ...
with four tales translated by
Randall Jarrell Randall Jarrell (May 6, 1914 – October 14, 1965) was an American poet, literary critic, children's author, essayist, and novelist. He was the 11th Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—a position that now bears the title Poe ...
, 1973 both volumes) * '' King Grisly-Beard'' (by the
Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
, 1973) * ''Pleasant Fieldmouse'' (by
Jan Wahl Jan Boyer Wahl (April 1, 1931 - January 29, 2019) was an American children's author. He was a prolific author of over 120 works, and was known primarily for his award-winning children's books, including ''Pleasant Fieldmouse'', ''The Furious Fl ...
, 1975) * ''Fly by Night'' (by
Randall Jarrell Randall Jarrell (May 6, 1914 – October 14, 1965) was an American poet, literary critic, children's author, essayist, and novelist. He was the 11th Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—a position that now bears the title Poe ...
, 1976) * Mahler – ''Symphony No. 3'',
James Levine James Lawrence Levine (; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March 1 ...
conducting the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...
– album cover artwork "What The Night Tells Me", 1976 * ''The Big Green Book'' (by
Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...
, 1978) * ''Singing family of the Cumberlands'' (by Jean Richie, 1980) * ''
Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...
'' (by E.T.A. Hoffmann, 1984) * ''
The Love for Three Oranges ''The Love for Three Oranges'', Op. 33, also known by its French language title ' (russian: Любовь к трём апельсинам, links=no, ''Lyubov' k tryom apel'sinam''), is a satirical opera by Sergei Prokofiev. Its French librett ...
'' (The Glyndebourne version, by
Frank Corsaro Frank Corsaro (December 22, 1924, New York City, New York – November 11, 2017, Suwanee, GeorgiaRobert ViagasNight of the Iguana Director Frank Corsaro Is Dead at 92/ref>) was one of America's foremost stage directors of opera and theatre. His Bro ...
, based on ''L'Amour des Trois Oranges'' by Serge Prokofiev, 1984) * ''In Grandpa's House'' (by Philip Sendak, 1985) * ''
The Cunning Little Vixen ''The Cunning Little Vixen'' (original title ''Příhody lišky Bystroušky'' or ''Tales of Vixen Sharp-Ears'' in English), is a three-act Czech-language opera by Leoš Janáček completed in 1923 to a libretto the composer himself adapted from a ...
'' (by Rudolf Tesnohlidek, 1985) * ''The Mother Goose Collection'' (by
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...
with various illustrators, 1985) * ''Dear Mili'' (written by
Wilhelm Grimm Wilhelm Carl Grimm (also Karl; 24 February 178616 December 1859) was a German author and anthropologist, and the younger brother of Jacob Grimm, of the literary duo the Brothers Grimm. Life and work Wilhelm was born in February 1786 in Hanau, ...
, 1988) * ''Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems'' (by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers with various illustrators including Maurice Sendak, 1988) * ''The Big Book for Peace'' (various authors and illustrators, cover also by Maurice Sendak, 1990) * ''I Saw Esau'' (edited by
Iona Opie Iona Margaret Balfour Opie, (13 October 1923 – 23 October 2017) and Peter Mason Opie (25 November 1918 – 5 February 1982) were an English married team of folklorists who applied modern techniques to understanding children's literature and ...
and
Peter Opie Iona Margaret Balfour Opie, (13 October 1923 – 23 October 2017) and Peter Mason Opie (25 November 1918 – 5 February 1982) were an English married team of folklorists who applied modern techniques to understanding children's literature and ...
, 1992) * '' The Golden Key'' (by
George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...
, 1992) * ''We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy: Two Nursery Rhymes with Pictures'' (traditional nursery rhymes, 1993) * ''Pierre, or The Ambiguities: The Kraken Edition'' (by
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...
, 1995) * ''The Miami Giant'' (by Arthur Yorinks, 1995) * ''Frank and Joey Eat Lunch'' (by Arthur Yorinks, 1996) * ''Frank and Joey Go to Work'' (by Arthur Yorinks, 1996) * ''
Penthesilea Penthesilea ( el, Πενθεσίλεια, Penthesíleia) was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe. She assisted Troy in the Trojan War, during which she w ...
'' (by
Heinrich von Kleist Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', ''The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...
, 1998) * ''Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom'' (by
Ursula Nordstrom Ursula Nordstrom (February 2, 1910 – October 11, 1988) was publisher and editor-in-chief of juvenile books at Harper & Row from 1940 to 1973. She is credited with presiding over a transformation in children's literature in which morality tales ...
, 1998) * ''Swine Lake'' (by James Marshall, 1999) * '' Brundibár'' (by
Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
, 2003) * ''Sarah's Room'' (by
Doris Orgel Doris Orgel is an Austrian-born American children's literature author. She was born Doris Adelberg in Vienna, Austria on February 15, 1929. In the 1930s she fled Vienna with her parents due to her Jewish descent. She lives in New York City and ...
, 2003) * ''The Happy Rain'' (by
Jack Sendak Jack Sendak (July 20, 1923 – February 3, 1995) was a children's literature author. He was the brother of Maurice Sendak and the son of Philip Sendak. He served in the U.S. Army during the Second World War, and later worked for Emerson Radi ...
, 2004) * ''Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale'' (performed by the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra and narrated by Maurice Sendak, 2004) * ''Bears!'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 2005) * ''Mommy?'' (by Arthur Yorinks, Maurice Sendak's only pop-up book, 2006) * ''Bumble Ardy'', illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak, (2011)Harper Collins, publisher * ''My Brother's Book'', illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak (Released posthumously, February 5, 2013) * ''Presto and Zesto in Limboland'' (by Arthur Yorinks and Maurice Sendak, released posthumously, September 4, 2018)


Collections

* ''Somebody Else's Nut Tree and Other Tales from Children'' (by
Ruth Krauss Ruth Ida Krauss (July 25, 1901 – July 10, 1993) was an American writer of children's books, including '' The Carrot Seed'', and of theatrical poems for adult readers. Many of her books are still in print. Early life and education Ruth Krauss ...
, 1971) * ''The Art of Maurice Sendak'' (by Selma G. Lanes, 1980) * ''The Art of Maurice Sendak: From 1980 to the Present'' (by
Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
, 2003) * ''Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation'' (by
Gregory Maguire Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954) is an American novelist. He is the author of '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', '' Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'', and several dozen other novels for adults and children. Many ...
, 2009) *Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of The Artist and His Work (by
Justin G. Schiller Justin Galland Schiller (born September 10, 1943) is an Americans, American Bookselling, bookseller specializing in rare and collectible Children's literature, children's books; proprietor during his student days under his own name (1960–69) ...
, 2013)


Filmography

* 1973: ''Where the Wild Things Are'' (Animated short direct by
Gene Deitch Eugene Merril Deitch (August 8, 1924 – April 16, 2020) was an American illustrator, animator, comics artist, and film director who was based in Prague from the 1960s until his death in 2020. Deitch was known for creating animated cartoons ...
, music and narration by
Peter Schickele "Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted ...
) * 1975: ''
Really Rosie ''Really Rosie'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Maurice Sendak and music by Carole King. The musical is based on Sendak's books ''Chicken Soup with Rice'', ''Pierre'', ''One was Johnny'', ''Alligators All Around'' (which comprise 1962's ...
'' (director, writer, and story artist) * 1985: ''
Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film is ...
'' (directed by
Walter Murch Walter Scott Murch (born July 12, 1943) is an American film editor, director, writer and sound designer. With a career stretching back to 1969, including work on '' THX 1138'', ''Apocalypse Now'', '' The Godfather I'', '' II'', and '' III'', ''Am ...
, preliminary artwork) * 1986: ''Sendak'' (non-story featurette) * 1987: ''In the Night Kitchen'' (Animated short direct by
Gene Deitch Eugene Merril Deitch (August 8, 1924 – April 16, 2020) was an American illustrator, animator, comics artist, and film director who was based in Prague from the 1960s until his death in 2020. Deitch was known for creating animated cartoons ...
, narration by
Peter Schickele "Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted ...
) * 1995-2001: '' Little Bear'' (producer) * 2000-2003: ''
Seven Little Monsters ''Seven Little Monsters'' is a children's picture book by American author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Published by Harper & Row in 1977, it was originally created as an animated short for Sesame Street in 1971 and served as the basis for the C ...
'' (producer) * 2001: ''
The Little Bear Movie ''The Little Bear Movie'' is a 2001 animated adventure film based on the television series '' Little Bear'', which in turn is based on the book series of the same name which was written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Senda ...
'' (producer) * 2002: '' Last Dance'' (directed by
Mirra Bank Mirra Bank is a director of film, television, and theater. She is a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures. Her documentary, “Last Dance,” was short-listed for an Academy Award. Variety called Bank's documentary, "T ...
) * 2009: ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
'' (producer, story) * 2009: '' Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak'', documentary filmed by
Lance Bangs Lance Bangs (born September 4, 1972) is an American filmmaker and music video director. He has created videos for Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Neutral Milk Hotel, Green Day, Arcade Fire, The Shins, The Thermals, Belle & Sebastian, Menomena, Yeah Ye ...
and
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several tim ...
director
Spike Jonze Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze began his ca ...
. Released in the US on DVD by
Oscilloscope Laboratories Oscilloscope Laboratories is an independent film company and distributor founded by Adam Yauch and former TH!NKFilm executive David Fenkel. It also has a recording studio and film production facilities. Fenkel returned to the company on May 4, 2 ...
. * 2010: ''
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life ''Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life'' is a 2010 Canadian live-action/animated short film directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, collectively known as Clyde Henry Productions, and features the voices of Meryl Streep, F ...
'' (story), an animated/live action short adapted and directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Clyde Henry Productions), produced by
Spike Jonze Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze began his ca ...
,
Vincent Landay Vincent Landay is a Canadian-American film producer. He has worked with Spike Jonze on his music videos and feature films since 1993. Some of the movies he has produced include ''Being John Malkovich'' and '' Where the Wild Things Are'', as well as ...
, and Marcy Page (
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
)


Selected exhibitions

* March 25, 2021 – July 10, 2021. ''Maurice Sendak Exhibit and Sale'' at the
Society of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. History Founding The Society of Illustrators was founded on ...
in New York. * June 11, 2013 – August 17, 2013. ''"Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and his Work"'' at the Society of Illustrators in New York. * Permanent. '' Maurice Sendak Collection'' at The Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia. * 2013–"Maurice Sendak; The Memorial Exhibition." April 2013 "Bowers Museum of California" "The New Britain Museum of American Art'" * September 8, 2009 – January 19, 2010. ''There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak'' at
The Contemporary Jewish Museum The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) is a non-collecting museum at 736 Mission Street at Yerba Buena Lane in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The museum, which was founded in 1984, is located in the historic ...
in San Francisco. * October 6, 2009 – November 1, 2009. '' Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak'' at
The Morgan Library & Museum The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is situated at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th Street to the south and 37th ...
in New York. * October 1–30, 2009 "Sendak in SoHo" at AFA Gallery in New York. * April 15, 2005 – August 14, 2005. '' Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak'' at
The Jewish Museum The Jewish Museum is an art museum and repository of cultural artifacts, housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in the former Felix M. Warburg House, along Museum Mile on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. The first Jewish museum in the Unit ...
in New York.


References

Notes


Further reading

* Wilcock, John
"The Wonderful World Of Maurice Sendak"
''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
''. September 26, 1956. * Phelps, Robert

''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
''. December 15, 1967. * Merrell, Nelson. "Maurice Sendak Hits The Road". ''
The Ridgefield Press ''The Ridgefield Press'' is an American weekly newspaper published each Thursday for Ridgefield, Connecticut. The newspaper was established in 1875, and has a paid circulation of about 4,753 copies. It is currently owned by Hearst Media, which ...
''. July 13, 1972. pp
1
an
6
* Kuskin, Karla. "Maurice Sendak, The Artful Master, Curbs Puppy Doggedness". ''The Village Voice''. September 6, 1976. pp
51
an
53

"Meeting of the Minds"
'' New York''. October 27, 1980. *
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

"Maurice Sendak: Resident Ghoul For Youngsters"
''
The Lewiston Daily Sun ''The Lewiston Daily Sun'' was a newspaper published in Lewiston, Maine. Established in 1893, it became the dominant morning daily in the Lewiston- Auburn city and town area. In 1926, its publisher acquired the ''Lewiston Evening Journal'' and pu ...
''. June 17, 1981. * Chun, Diane. "Maurice Sendak Expertly Probes Complex World of Childhood". ''
The Gainesville Sun ''The Gainesville Sun'' () is a newspaper published daily in Gainesville, Florida, United States, covering the North-Central portion of the state. The paper is published by Lynni Henderson, the paper's Executive Editor is Douglas Ray and the edi ...
''. March 7, 1982. pp
1E
an
11E
* Associated Press
"Sendak in Charge of His Characters"
''
The Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issue o ...
''. December 22, 1984. * Holland, Bernard
"The Paternal Pride Of Maurice Sendak"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. November 8, 1987. * Shirk, Martha
"Relatively Monstrous: Maurice Sendak Says Nightmarish Kin Inspired His Famous `Wild Things`"
''
The Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''. January 29, 1990. * Abrams, Garry
"King of the Wild Things: Maurice Sendak"
''
The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. December 4, 1991. * O'Brien, Ellen
"Sharp Edge To Maurice Sendak's Memory: New Philadelphia Exhibits Honor His Late Brother"
''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
''. April 19, 1995. * Klein, Julia M
"Where Sendak Is; Fun For Both Old And Young A Wild Thing Indeed: Please Touch Presents Maurice Sendak's Books Come To Life"
''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. May 1, 1995. * Rollin, Lucy; West, Mark I
"Childhood Fantasies and Frustrations in Maurice Sendak's Picture Books"
''Psychoanalytic Responses to Children's Literature''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers. 1999, 2008. pp. 79–89. . *
PEN/Faulkner Foundation PEN/Faulkner Foundation (est. 1980) is an independent charitable arts foundation which supports the art of writing and encourages readers of all ages."Maurice Sendak"
''3 Minutes or Less: Life Lessons from America's Greatest Writers''. New York: Bloomsbury. 2000. pp. 19–20. . * Stanton, Joseph
"The New York City Picture Books of Maurice Sendak"
''The Important Books: Children's Picture Books As Art And Literature''. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. 2005. pp. 37–52. . * Gottlieb, Richard M
"Maurice Sendak's Trilogy: Disappointment, Fury, and Their Transformation through Art"
'' The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child''. Volume 63. 2008. pp. 186–218 * Schechter, Joel
"The Jewish experience and Maurice Sendak"
''
Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
''. September 29, 2009. * Rosenberg, Amy S
"Sendak, Picturing Mortality"
''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. April 24, 2011. * Denn, Rebekah
"Maurice Sendak: different sides of a fascinating author"
''
The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
''. October 3, 2011.


External links

* *
Sendak Collection
Preliminary drawings and other Sendak materials digitized and stewarded at the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
's Archives and Special Collections
''TateShots: Maurice Sendak''
a five-minute interview,
Tate Museum Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
, December 22, 2011; "look back over his literary career, discuss his love for
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
and hear why he believes that as an artist, 'you just have to take the dive'"
"''Fresh Air'' Remembers Author Maurice Sendak"
''
Fresh Air ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...
'' (
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
), May 8, 2012 – With links to/excerpts of interviews in 1986, 1989, 1993, 2003 (re: ''Brundibár''), 2009 ("Looking Back On ''Wild Things'' ...") and 2011
"This Pig Wants To Party: Maurice Sendak's Latest"


'' NOW on PBS'', interview by
Bill Moyers Bill Moyers (born Billy Don Moyers, June 5, 1934) is an American journalist and political commentator. Under the Johnson administration he served from 1965 to 1967 as the eleventh White House Press Secretary. He was a director of the Counci ...
, 2004 – Other links: ''NOW''
"The History of ''Brundibar''"
HBO
PBS: ''American Masters''
a one-minute video clip
NPR: ''Conversation with Maurice Sendak''
a seventeen-minute audio interview by Jennifer Ludden, June 4, 2005
"Maurice Sendak"
KCRW ''Bookworm Interview'' by Michael Silverblatt, May 18, 1992; "talks about ''The Nutcracker'' and the process of writing a book that became a classic"
Maurice Sendak
at The Rosenbach Museum and Library
Collection of correspondence between Maurice Sendak and Leroy Richmond
at the University of South Carolina Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
''The Big Green Book: Maurice Sendak's Tribute to Beatrix Potter''
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
Prints & Books
"Remembering Maurice Sendak through his Stephen Colbert interview"
''LA Times'' Showtracker blog, May 8, 2012 – Highlights of one of Sendak's last public interviews; with
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
; "months before his passing" (n.d.)
"Maurice Sendak remembered by Tony Kushner: The author of Where the Wild Things Are was driven to make rich, complex, even dangerous art for children"
Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
, ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'', December 22, 2012
Maurice Sendak in the National Gallery of Australia's Kenneth Tyler Collection
See How Beloved Children's Illustrator Maurice Sendak Brought His ‘Wild’ Drawings to Life on the Stage in a New Exhibition. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sendak, Maurice Maurice Sendak, 1928 births 2012 deaths Jewish American atheists American children's writers American children's book illustrators American people of Polish-Jewish descent Artists from Brooklyn Artists from Connecticut Art Students League of New York alumni Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award winners Caldecott Medal winners Connecticut Democrats Gay artists American gay writers Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration winners Jewish American artists Jewish American writers Lafayette High School (New York City) alumni Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal winners LGBT artists from the United States LGBT Jews LGBT people from Connecticut LGBT people from New York (state) National Book Award for Young People's Literature winners New York (state) Democrats Opera designers People from Ridgefield, Connecticut Philanthropists from New York (state) United States National Medal of Arts recipients Writers from Brooklyn Writers from Connecticut Writers who illustrated their own writing