Today In History: Remembering Maurice Sendak

And when he came to the place where the wild things are

they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth

and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws

till Max said "BE STILL!" and tamed them with a magic trick

of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once

and they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all

and made him king of all wild things.

"And now," cried Max, "let the rumpus start!"

-- Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

Brooklyn born author and illustrator Maurice Sendak (June 28, 1928 - May 8,  2102) was the son of Polish Jewish immigrants and family to victims of the Holocaust.  He did his formal art training at the Art Students League of New York  and had a prolific career of illustrating over 80 children's books, including the award winning Where the Wild Things Are (Caldecott Medal, 1964),  part of trilogy with In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981). With no uncertain recognition in school or public libraries, or in homes, many of Sendak's works were adapted to film, stage, and television. He also designed numerous sets for the stage, including the operatic production of The Magic Flute in Houston (1980) and The Nutcracker ballet in Seattle (1983).

Through the decades, the work of Maurice Sendak has been reflected upon through numerous lenses and perspectives: Shakespearian, Victorian, American, psychological, political, and childhood -- and is timeless upon our shelves.  While picture books are written and illustrated for children, Sendak's publications are also loved and appreciated by adults for their innovation, imagination, and deeper stories that inspire us to examine our childhood and experiences in growing up. In 1970 Mr. Sendak was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Children's Literature", in recognition of the excellence of his contributions.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Taylor, R. (1969, Nov 30). Maurice Sendak: A Victorian Astray. Boston Globe (1960-) 
• Secrest, M. (1970, Nov 22). Demons and Delights of Maurice Sendak. The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973)
• Hammel, L.  (1973, Jan 05). Maurice Sendak: Thriving on Quiet: What Is Missed Hidden Meanings? New York Times (1923-) 
• Ricklefs, R.  (1979, Dec 20). Scary Stories: Maurice Sendak's Pen Strips Children's Books of Their Innocence. Wall Street Journal (1923-) 
• Marcus, L.S.  (1980, Dec 14). Probing Nightmares with Magic: The Art of Maurice Sendak. The Washington Post (1974-) 
• Pickett, R., Bonanno, B., Albury, J., & Stephen Latorre Kidsday, S. R. (1985, Dec 15). "Talking with" Maurice Sendak. (Newsday (1940-) 
• Rosenfeld, M. (1993, Oct 12). Maurice Sendak, Sunny Side Down: The 'Wild Things' Author Explores Another Dark Recess of Childhood. The Washington Post (1974-) 
• Children's Author and Illustrator Who Kept His Wild Streak: Maurice Sendak. (2012, May 12). The Irish Times (1921-) 
• Greenblatt, S. (2013, Feb 10). Call of the Wild: There's an Intimate Connection Between the Works of Shakespeare and Maurice Sendak. New York Times (1923-) 
• Woolfe, Z. (2019, Jun 28). His Other Wild Rumpus: Discovering Maurice Sendak, Opera Designer, in his Dioramas and More. New York Times (1923-) 

Tips:

• Caldecott, R. (1978). The Randolph Caldecott Treasury / Selected and Edited by Elizabeth T. Billington ; with an Appreciation by Maurice Sendak : c.2. F. Warne, c1978. e-book
• Lanes, S.G. (1980). The Art of Maurice Sendak. Abrams. 
• Sonheim, A. (1991). Maurice Sendak. Twayne. e-book
• Strand, J. (2017). Maurice Sendak. Abdo Zoom. e-book
• See books by Maurice Sendak held at the Gottesman Libraries

Images:

•  I'll Always Be a Wild Thing Mural - RIP Maurice Sendak, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
• Poster Images: Maurice Sendak Portrait 2, and above