Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing the 2009 film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are”
Maurice Bernard Sendak was born on June 10, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents. He was often sick as a child and spent much of his time indoors where reading was a major pastime. It was during this time that he began drawing, a passion that continued throughout high school. Shortly after graduating, Sendak published a number of illustrations in the textbook “Atomics for the Millions”.
Sendak began working for FAO Schwartz as a window dresser in 1948 and took night classes at the New York Art Students League. Four years later, he left Schwartz to become a full-time freelance children’s book illustrator.
By the early 1960′s, Sendak had gained recognition as one of the more interesting and expressive illustrators in the business. Where The Wild Things Are, published in 1963, brought him international acclaim and became a favourite among children around the world.
Over the course of his career, Sendak has created dozens of popular children’s books including “In The Night”. Published in 1970, the book has been censored often for its drawings of a young boy dancing naked through the story.
Sendak has won numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal for “Where the Wild Things Are”, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for children’s book illustration, the National Book Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and others.
As well as his work as a writer and illustrator of children’s books, Sendak has produced both operas and ballets for television and the stage.
According to Harper Collins Rosenbach Museum & Library, “Where The Wild Things Are” has sold over 19 million copies worldwide (2008). A large collection of his work is housed at the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia. His collection of approximately 10,000 works of art, and manuscripts, and books have been the subject of numerous exhibitions at the Rosenbach.
For more information, visit the sources links below.
Sources: PBS-American Masters, Wikipedia-Sendak, Wikipedia-Where The Wild Things Are
You may also like:
Where The Wild Things Are holds fond memories for me. I never owned a copy, but I remember poring over it for hours at friends houses. Amazing how such a brief book can transport you.
I was grown before it appeared, but it quickly became a favorite of my son and of me as an adult. Haven’t seen the movie yet.
Thanks for the article, your site looks solid! I’ve wanted to watch Where the Wild Things Are since it came out but I haven’t had the chance yet. This totally made me want to see it even more!