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'', 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 Europ ...
. Sendak also wrote works such as ''
In the Night Kitchen ''In the Night Kitchen'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, first published in harcover in 1970 by Harper and Row. The book depicts a young boy's dream journey through a surreal baker's kitchen where he assis ...
'', '' Outside Over There'', and illustrated many works by other authors including the '' Little Bear'' books by Else Holmelund Minarik.


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 Europ ...
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"
. Patheos (''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 hardcor ...
''. One of his first professional commissions was to create window displays for the toy store FAO Schwarz. 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 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'', edited by Ursula Nordstrom at Harper & Row. 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 in appearance. Before ''Where the Wild Things Are'', Sendak was best known for illustrating Else Holmelund Minarik'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 Newbery Honor. 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 ''In the Night Kitchen'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, first published in harcover in 1970 by Harper and Row. The book depicts a young boy's dream journey through a surreal baker's kitchen where he assis ...
,'' 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 state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
,
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 Delawa ...
,
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 t ...
, and
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. ''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'' 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 Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...
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 ...
'' television series. He also adapted his book ''Bumble Ardy'' into an animated sequence for the series, with Jim Henson 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 Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...
, 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 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'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 Tchaik ...
'', Glyndebourne Festival Opera's productions of Prokofiev's '' The Love for Three Oranges'' (1982), Ravel's '' L'enfant et les sortilèges'' and '' L'heure espagnole'' (1987) and Oliver Knussen's adaptation of Sendak's own ''Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life'' (1985),
Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...
'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. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
'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 in ...
'' (1981) and Humperdinck's '' Hansel and Gretel'' (1997), Los Angeles County Music Center's 1990 production of Mozart's '' Idomeneo'', and the New York City Opera's productions of Janáček's '' The Cunning Little Vixen'' (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 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 ''Brundibár'' is a children's opera by Jewish Czech composer Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, made most famous by performances by the children of Theresienstadt concentration camp (Terezín) in occupied Czechoslovakia. The na ...
''. 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, 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 stude ...
and Broadway's New Victory Theater, 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, ...
'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''.


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: + . is a set of theories and 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 body of knowledge. In what might ...
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 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-sect ...
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'', Terry Gross, 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 ...
; 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 hardcor ...
'' and Mickey Mouse. 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 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 ...
. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
He has been quoted as saying, "My gods are
Herman Melville Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are '' Moby-Dick'' (1851); '' Typee'' (1846), a ...
, Emily Dickinson,
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. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
. 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 (''pbs.org'').
Ursula Nordstrom, 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 Cit ...
, at Danbury Hospital, 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, gra ...
remarked, "He was unique, grumpy, brilliant, wise, magical and made the world better by creating art in it." Author R. L. Stine called Sendak's death "a sad day in children's books and for the world." Comedian Stephen Colbert, 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 fo ...
'', 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!)'', 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. hosted a two-hour '' Little Bear'' marathon in his memory. The writer of the series Else Holmelund Minarik 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 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. 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), 2017 * HIM (Finnish ...
'' was dedicated in memory of him and '' Where the Wild Things Are'' co-star James Gandolfini. 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''.


Maurice Sendak Collection

In 1968, Sendak lent the Rosenbach Museum & Library 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's '' The Hobbit'' 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'', 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 th ...
, 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 Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of t ...
, and
Herman Melville Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are '' Moby-Dick'' (1851); '' Typee'' (1846), a ...
's bookcase; * Stories told by the illustrator himself on topics like ''
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'', 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, 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 The Dodd Center for Human Rights (formerly the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center) is a University of Connecticut center which supports programming, educational initiatives, and events dedicated to the theme of human rights. The Dodd Center also houses ...
. 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 (1907–2 ...
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 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 (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 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, 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 Libr ...
(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 (IBBY). Retrieved June 12, 2013.
"Maurice Sendak"
(pp. 44–45, by Sus Rostrup).
''The Hans Christian Andersen Awards, 1956–2002''. IBBY. Gyldendal. 2002. Hosted by Austrian Literature Online. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
* National Book Award in category Picture Books for ''Outside Over There'', 1982"National Book Awards – 1982"
National Book Foundation. 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 patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
, 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 (1907–2 ...
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, 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 Nor ...
, and PS 118 in Brooklyn, New York. He received an honorary doctorate from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
in 1984. On June 10, 2013,
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
featured an interactive doodle 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.


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'' (1963) * ''Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life'' (1967) * ''
In the Night Kitchen ''In the Night Kitchen'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, first published in harcover in 1970 by Harper and Row. The book depicts a young boy's dream journey through a surreal baker's kitchen where he assis ...
'' (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'' (1977) * '' Outside Over There'' (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, 1951) * ''Good Shabbos Everybody'' (by Robert Garvey, 1951) * ''A Hole is to Dig'' (by Ruth Krauss, 1952) * ''Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas'' (by Ruth Sawyer, 1952) * '' A Very Special House'' (by Ruth Krauss, 1953) * '' Hurry Home, Candy'' (by Meindert DeJong, 1953) * ''The Giant Story'' (by
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (August 16, 1914—March 1, 2000) was an American people, American writer of children's literature, children's picture books. Beatrice Schenk de Regniers was born in Lafayette, Indiana, and studied social work administ ...
, 1953) * '' Shadrach'' (by Meindert Dejong, 1953) * ''I'll Be You and You Be Me'' (by Ruth Krauss, 1954) * ''The Tin Fiddle'' (by Edward Tripp, 1954) * '' The Wheel on the School'' (by Meindert DeJong, 1954) * '' Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm'' (by Betty MacDonald, 1954) * ''Charlotte and the White Horse'' (by Ruth Krauss, 1955) * ''Happy Hanukah Everybody'' (by Hyman Chanover and Alice Chanover, 1955) * ''Little Cow & the Turtle'' (by Meindert DeJong, 1955) * ''Singing Family of the Cumberlands'' (by Jean Ritchie, 1955) * ''What Can You Do with a Shoe?'' (by
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (August 16, 1914—March 1, 2000) was an American people, American writer of children's literature, children's picture books. Beatrice Schenk de Regniers was born in Lafayette, Indiana, and studied social work administ ...
, 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, 1956) * '' The House of Sixty Fathers'' (by Meindert De Jong, 1956) * ''The Birthday Party'' (by 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 best ...
, 1957) * '' Little Bear'' series (by Else Holmelund Minarik) ** '' 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, 1957) * ''
Along Came a Dog ''Along Came a Dog'' is a children's novel by Meindert DeJong, and Maurice Sendak. It was a Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children ...
'' (by Meindert DeJong, 1958) * ''No Fighting, No Biting!'' (by Else Holmelund Minarik, 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. Car ...
, 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, 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, translated by Doris Orgel, 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, consist ...
, 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. Car ...
, 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 Celt ...
, 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'' (by Meindert DeJong, 1962) * ''The Griffin and the Minor Canon'' (by
Frank R. Stockton Frank Richard Stockton (April 5, 1834 – April 20, 1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known today for a series of innovative children's fairy tales that were widely popular during the last decades of the 19th century. Life Born i ...
, 1963) * ''How Little Lori Visited Times Square'' (by Amos Vogel, 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 Frank Richard Stockton (April 5, 1834 – April 20, 1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known today for a series of innovative children's fairy tales that were widely popular during the last decades of the 19th century. Life Born i ...
, 1964) * '' The Animal Family'' (by Randall Jarrell, 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 ...
s, 1965) * ''Lullabyes and Night Songs'' (by
Alec Wilder Alexander Lafayette Chew Wilder (February 16, 1907 – December 24, 1980) was an American composer. Biography Wilder was born in Rochester, New York, United States, to a prominent family; the Wilder Building downtown (at the "Four Corners") ...
, 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 ...
, 1967) * ''The Bat-Poet'' (by Randall Jarrell, 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 ...
'' (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 ...
, 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, 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 th ...
, 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, 1976) * Mahler – ''Symphony No. 3'', James Levine 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 tenu ...
– 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 Celt ...
, 1978) * ''Singing family of the Cumberlands'' (by Jean Richie, 1980) * '' Nutcracker'' (by E.T.A. Hoffmann, 1984) * '' The Love for Three Oranges'' (The Glyndebourne version, by Frank Corsaro, based on ''L'Amour des Trois Oranges'' by
Serge 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 ...
, 1984) * ''In Grandpa's House'' (by Philip Sendak, 1985) * '' The Cunning Little Vixen'' (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 tale ...
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, i ...
, 1988) * ''Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems'' (by
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (August 16, 1914—March 1, 2000) was an American people, American writer of children's literature, children's picture books. Beatrice Schenk de Regniers was born in Lafayette, Indiana, and studied social work administ ...
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 and Peter Opie, 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 ...
, 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 ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are '' Moby-Dick'' (1851); '' Typee'' (1846), a ...
, 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'' (by Heinrich von Kleist, 1998) * ''Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom'' (by Ursula Nordstrom, 1998) * ''Swine Lake'' (by James Marshall, 1999) * ''
Brundibár ''Brundibár'' is a children's opera by Jewish Czech composer Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, made most famous by performances by the children of Theresienstadt concentration camp (Terezín) in occupied Czechoslovakia. The na ...
'' (by Tony Kushner, 2003) * ''Sarah's Room'' (by Doris Orgel, 2003) * ''The Happy Rain'' (by Jack Sendak, 2004) * ''Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale'' (performed by the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra and narrated by Maurice Sendak, 2004) * ''Bears!'' (by Ruth Krauss, 2005) * ''Mommy?'' (by Arthur Yorinks, Maurice Sendak's only
pop-up book The term pop-up book is often applied to any book with three-dimensional pages, although it is properly the umbrella term for movable book, pop-ups, tunnel books, transformations, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull-downs, and more, each ...
, 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, 1971) * ''The Art of Maurice Sendak'' (by Selma G. Lanes, 1980) * ''The Art of Maurice Sendak: From 1980 to the Present'' (by Tony Kushner, 2003) * ''Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation'' (by Gregory Maguire, 2009) *Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of The Artist and His Work (by Justin G. Schiller, 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) * 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 ...
'' (directed by Walter Murch, 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) * 1995-2001: '' Little Bear'' (producer) * 2000-2003: '' Seven Little Monsters'' (producer) * 2001: '' The Little Bear Movie'' (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'' (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 Y ...
and Where the Wild Things Are 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, 20 ...
. * 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, and
Marcy Page Marcy Page is an animation filmmaker and educator. Page was born and raised in California. She animated her own projects and for several companies, and she taught courses at both San Francisco State University and the California College of Arts ...
(
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 fi ...
)


Selected exhibitions

* March 25, 2021 – July 10, 2021. ''Maurice Sendak Exhibit and Sale'' at the Society of Illustrators 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 in San Francisco. * October 6, 2009 – November 1, 2009. '' Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak'' at The Morgan Library & Museum 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 cr ...
''. 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, energy ...
''. December 15, 1967. * Merrell, Nelson. "Maurice Sendak Hits The Road". '' The Ridgefield Press''. 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. new ...

"Maurice Sendak: Resident Ghoul For Youngsters"
'' The Lewiston Daily Sun''. June 17, 1981. * Chun, Diane. "Maurice Sendak Expertly Probes Complex World of Childhood". '' The Gainesville Sun''. March 7, 1982. pp
1E
an
11E
* Associated Press
"Sendak in Charge of His Characters"
'' The Toledo Blade''. 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 ...
''. 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 Pen ...
''. 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 The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child is an annual journal, published by Taylor & Francis, which contains scholarly articles on topics related to child psychiatry and psychoanalysis. The journal was founded in 1945 by Anna Freud, Heinz Hartmann, an ...
''. 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 ...
''. 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 ...
, 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 Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of t ...
and hear why he believes that as an artist, 'you just have to take the dive'"
"''Fresh Air'' Remembers Author Maurice Sendak"
'' Fresh Air'' ( NPR), 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, 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; "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, ''
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 ...
'', 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