Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak would have been 85-years-old today and Google's made note! There is a video of the adorable memorial here:


Check out one of Maurice Sendak's books today!

A Tribute to Maurice Sendak

“There must be more to life than having everything.” -Maurice Sendak

It's a sad day for anyone who's ever fallen in love with a children's book. Influential, unrivaled and famous author Maurice Sendak died this morning, at age 83, four days after he suffered a stroke. Maurice "revolutionized children's books and how we think about childhood simply by leaving in what so many writers before had excluded. Dick and Jane were no match for his naughty Max. His kids misbehaved and didn't regret it and in their dreams and nightmares fled to the most unimaginable places" (Associated Press).

If you've never had the privilege of being taken away by one of Maurice Sendak's books, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Alligators All Around: An Alphabet

Pierre : a Cautionary Tale in Five chapters and a prologue

Very Far Away

Where The Wild Things Are

Also, make sure to take a look at this awesome blog inspired by the beloved Where The Wild Things Are, called Terrible Yellow Eyes. The pieces presented on this site were done as a tribute to his life and legacy.

And enjoy this brief and lovely adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are," almost undoubtedly his most famous book:

 

Then view this 2006 NBC interview with Maurice Sendak.

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"Sendak spoke often, endlessly, about death in recent years - dreading it, longing for it. He didn't mind being old because the young were under so much pressure. But he missed his late siblings and his longtime companion, Eugene Glynn, who died in 2009. Work, not people, was his reason to carry on" (Associated Press).

We'll miss you, Maurice... but the wild things cried, "Oh please don't go! We'll eat you up, we love you so!"

Happy Birthday, Maurice Sendak

Happy Birthday to the author of many, many celebrated children's books, Maurice Sendak! He was born on June 10th, 1928 in Brooklyn, NY. He was the youngest of three children born to Polish-Jewish immigrants.

Today he turns 83-years-old today.

To celebrate, be sure to check out a few of his more famous works:

Alligators All Around: An Alphabet

Little Bear (written by Else Holmelund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak)

Pierre : a Cautionary Tale in Five chapters and a prologue

Very Far Away

Where The Wild Things Are

And make sure to take a look at this awesome blog inspired by the beloved Where The Wild Things Are, which is arguably his most famous book. It's called Terrible Yellow Eyes and is a collection of works by contributing artists who share a love and admiration for Sendak's work. The pieces presented on this site were done as a tribute to his life and legacy.

Happy Birthday, Maurice!

New Maurice Sendak book due out soon!

Big news! Maurice Sendak is due to release a new picture this year!

The book is called Bumble-Ardy and, according to Harper Collins, is set to go on sale on September 6. This is the first book that was both written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak since Outside Over There in... (drum roll, please)... 1981!

Bumble-Ardy evolved from an animated segment on Sesame Street that aired in the early 1970s. It's about a mischievous pig who has reached the age of nine without ever having a birthday party. To watch a clip of Bumble-Ardy on YouTube, click here!
We are all forward to it!

Where The Wild Things Are Screening!

Last Wednesday was the Where The Wild Things Are private screening in NYC, and I had the opportunity to attend it, along with fellow children's librarian, Nadine of the Sysosset Public Library.

We were so excited; we planned and talked about it since the day we bought the tickets (weeks before the event), and then when we finally got there, it was all we had hoped for! Both before and after the movie, we got to take part in a Q&A with bunch of people from the cast and crew (and by "take part in," I mean "listen to."), including Max Records (who plays Max), author Dave Eggers, director Spike Jonze (who also touched my camera!!!), comedian John Hodgeman (PC from the Mac commercials!), and musician Karen O. from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's who composed the movie's soundtrack. Following the movie and the Q&A, there was a reception a few blocks away, where we got to do a bit of mingling with the stars! Here are some pictures of the exciting event.



It was so much fun and the movie was awesome; beautifully written and directed and PERFECTLY adapted from Maurice Sendak's book. It was touching and fun at the same time. You've probably heard some people say that it's not for kids, but I disagree! If you haven't seen it yet, I think it's fine for younger children, not to scary or anything. However, I think that adults, teens, and older kids will get more out of its deeper meanings and darker undertones, and will probably be able to draw more parallels to real life. But no matter what age you are, I'd definitely recommend seeing this movie! It was one of the best I've seen EVER.

And don't forget to check out Maurice Sendak's book, the original Where The Wild Things Are. Reserve it here. Or if you want you can reserve the movie's soundtrack here!