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70-672: Maurice Bernard Sendak ( / ˈ s ɛ n d æ k / ; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He was best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are , first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust . Sendak wrote books including In the Night Kitchen , Outside Over There , and illustrated many works by other authors such as

140-478: A 1980 opera ; and a live-action 2009 feature-film adaptation . The book had sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2009, with 10 million of those being in the United States. Sendak won the annual Caldecott Medal from the children's librarians in 1964, recognizing Wild Things as the previous year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It was voted the number one picture book in

210-556: A 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers, not for the first time. The story focuses on a young boy named Max who, after dressing in his wolf suit, wreaks such havoc through his household that he is sent to bed without his supper. Max's bedroom undergoes a mysterious transformation into a jungle environment, and he winds up sailing to an island inhabited by monsters, simply called the Wild Things. The Wild Things try to scare Max, but to no avail. After stopping and intimidating

280-451: A belief in parental love to a supper 'still hot', balancing the seesaw of fear and comfort". Where the Wild Things Are is a story that shows children's resilience through their "spirit" and "pluck". Max is able to stand up to the Wild Things with their "terrible teeth" and "terrible claws" using "the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once". Professor Liam Heneghan describes Max's dream as one of mastering

350-536: A book about noses, and he attributed his love of the olfactory organ to his brother Jack, who—in Sendak's opinion—had a great nose. Maurice was the youngest of three siblings. Jack was born five years before him and Natalie was born nine years before him. Maurice Sendak began his children's book career as an illustrator. His work appears in eight books by Ruth Krauss including A Hole is to Dig , published in 1952, which brought wide attention to his artwork. He illustrated

420-417: A card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, 'Dear Jim: I loved your card.' Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said: 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received. He didn't care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it. In 2012, School Library Journal identified Where

490-588: A child, had observed his relatives as being "all crazy – crazy faces and wild eyes", with blood-stained eyes and "big and yellow" teeth, who pinched his cheeks until they were red. These relatives, like Sendak's parents, were poor Jewish immigrants from Poland, whose remaining family in Nazi-occupied Europe were killed during the Holocaust while Sendak was in his early teens. As a child, however, he saw them only as "grotesques". When working on

560-510: A child, he developed health issues and was confined to his bed. When he was 12 years old, he decided to become an illustrator after watching Walt Disney 's film Fantasia . One of Sendak's first professional commissions, when he was 20 years old, was creating 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

630-529: A children's book, his first in over thirty years, and ultimately his last published work before his death. Sendak mentioned in a September 2008 article in The New York Times that he was gay and had lived with his partner, psychoanalyst 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

700-570: A clinic which is to be named for Glynn. Sendak was an atheist . In a 2011 interview, he said that he did not believe in God and explained that he felt that religion, and belief in God, "must have made life much easier [for some religious friends of his]. It's harder for us non-believers." In the early 1960s, Sendak lived in a basement apartment at 29 West 9th Street in Greenwich Village where he wrote and illustrated "Wild Things." Later he had

770-402: A hail storm. The conditions quickly grow worse and the boy and goat are trapped in a blizzard. Aaron gets lost as the snow covers his path and he quickly begins to look for shelter, with his life and Zlateh's now in severe danger. He finds a pile of hay in a field and digs out a shelter for himself and the goat, which is protected from the weather and is warm enough for both to survive. Aaron pokes

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840-454: A hole in the haystack to allow air to get into the makeshift shelter. Unfortunately, the food Aaron was carrying with him when sent out runs out quickly and he is in danger of starving to death if he does not find sustenance. Luckily for him, Zlateh is able to produce milk by eating the hay and Aaron survives by drinking it. This process continues for three days, while the snow continues to fall around them. While trapped, Aaron and Zlateh develop

910-431: A hot supper waiting for him. Sendak began his career as an illustrator , but by the mid-1950s he had decided to start both writing and illustrating his own books. In 1956, he published his first book for which he was the sole author, Kenny's Window (1956). Soon after, he began work on another solo effort. The story was supposed to be that of a child who, after a tantrum, is punished in his room and decides to escape to

980-402: A nearby pied-a-terre at 40 Fifth Avenue where he worked and stayed occasionally after moving full-time to Ridgefield, Connecticut . 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 related tales from

1050-514: A picture book" and noted that Sendak "rises above the rest in part because he is subversive". President Barack Obama read it aloud for children who were attending the White House Easter Egg Roll in multiple years. New York Times writer Bruce Handy brought up the idea that "as a child myself, without benefit of personal insights subsequently gleaned from more than a decade of talk therapy, I had been left cold by Where

1120-583: A series of tests of computer-generated imagery created by Glen Keane and John Lasseter using as their subject Where the Wild Things Are . In 1999, Isadar released a solo piano musical composition titled "Where the Wild Things Are" which appeared on his album Active Imagination , inspired by the Sendak book. The composition was revisited and re-recorded in 2012 on Isadar's album, Reconstructed , with Grammy winner and founder of Windham Hill Records , William Ackerman , producing. The 2005 Simpsons episode, " The Girl Who Slept Too Little ", features

1190-441: A source of joy and pleasure for him while growing up. He has been quoted as saying, "My gods are Herman Melville , Emily Dickinson , Mozart . 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

1260-454: A special sort of bond, where Aaron begins to view Zlateh not as simply his pet, but more "like a sister." Meanwhile, word reaches the family that Aaron has gone missing and sends search parties out to find him. Reuven, Leah, and his sisters assume the worst- that he and Zlateh have frozen to death and that they will never see either of them again. On the fourth day Aaron decides that he is not going to town to sell Zlateh and begins looking for

1330-473: A spoof of Where the Wild Things Are entitled "The Land of the Wild Beasts". A live-action film version of the book was released on October 16, 2009. Directed by Spike Jonze and co-produced by Sendak, the film stars Max Records as Max and features Catherine Keener as his mother, with Lauren Ambrose , Chris Cooper , Paul Dano , James Gandolfini , Catherine O'Hara and Forest Whitaker providing

1400-738: 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 's best-known musical story for children, Peter and the Wolf , featured Maurice Sendak as the narrator. He also illustrated the cover art. In 2011, Sendak adapted his Sesame Street short Bumble Ardy into

1470-456: A way home. He finds it when a passing peasant on his sleigh directs him toward the village. Aaron triumphantly returns home with Zlateh, and his family is elated to see them both. They decide not to sell Zlateh after hearing the story of how Aaron was kept alive by her milk and by snuggling with her, and decide to fix her a special treat to reward her. Further, with the winter now in full swing Reuven's furrier business drastically improves as, with

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1540-463: Is an old one: a human engages with Wild Things and in so doing comes into accord with the world and gains a measure of self-mastery". Where the Wild Things Are has received high critical acclaim. Francis Spufford suggests that the book is "one of the very few picture books to make an entirely deliberate and beautiful use of the psychoanalytic story of anger". New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis noted that "there are different ways to read

1610-614: Is not as capable of producing milk as she used to be. The town's butcher Feivel has decided to offer to buy Zlateh from Reuven for eight gulden, where he will slaughter her and sell her meat. After some debating and despite the objections of Reuven's wife Leah and his two daughters Anna and Miriam, he decides that the money that will come from the sale of the goat is more important to the family's well-being and sends his son, Aaron, to bring Zlateh into town. Zlateh does not suspect anything about being taken into town, as she has been remarkably well taken care of and has come to trust her owners, but

1680-406: 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." Ursula Nordstrom , director of Harper's Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940 until 1973,

1750-403: Is surprised when the reluctant Aaron (having to "obey his father") begins steering her toward town. On the way Zlateh suddenly wonders where Aaron is taking her when she passes new fields, pastures, and farms, but she soon tells herself that she is a goat that is not supposed to have any questions. While on the way, the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse and Aaron and Zlateh are caught in

1820-527: The Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik . Sendak was born in Brooklyn , New York , to Polish Jewish immigrants Sadie (née Schindler) and Philip Sendak , a dressmaker. Maurice said that his childhood was a "terrible situation" due to the death of members of his extended family during the Holocaust which introduced him at a young age to the concept of mortality. His love of books began when, as

1890-627: The New York City Opera 's productions of Janáček 's The Cunning Little Vixen (1981), and Mozart's The Goose of Cairo (1984). Also 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 's Holocaust opera Brundibár which, remarkably, had been performed by children in

1960-522: The Theresienstadt concentration camp . 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 ' 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 and Broadway's New Victory Theater , produced

2030-494: The Torah ; however, he would embellish them with racy details. Not realizing that this was inappropriate for children, young Maurice was frequently be sent home after retelling his father's "softcore Bible tales" at school. Maurice Sendak developed other influences growing up beginning with Walt Disney 's Fantasia and Mickey Mouse . Mickey Mouse was created in the year Sendak was born, 1928, and Sendak described Mickey as being

2100-669: The University of Connecticut 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

2170-407: The 1950s illustrating children's books written by others before beginning to write his own stories. The Maurice Sendak Foundation credited editor Ursula Nordstrom and authors Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson as people who mentored Sendak. His older brother Jack Sendak also became an author of children's books, two of which were illustrated by Maurice in the 1950s. In 2011, Maurice was working on

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2240-782: The 1980s, Sendak worked with British composer Oliver Knussen on a children's opera based upon the book . The opera received its first (incomplete) performance in Brussels in 1980; the first complete performance of the final version was given by the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in London in 1984. This was followed by its first U.S. performance in Saint Paul , Minnesota, in 1985 and the New York City premiere by New York City Opera in 1987. A concert performance

2310-425: The 1983 opera adaptation of the book with Oliver Knussen , Sendak gave the monsters the names of his relatives: Tzippy, Moishe, Aaron, Emile, and Bernard. In Selma G. Lanes's book The Art of Maurice Sendak , Sendak discusses Where the Wild Things Are along with his other books In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There as a trilogy centered on children's growth, survival, and fury. He indicated that

2380-584: The 2009 feature film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are . In 1968, Sendak lent the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia , 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 . The major retrospective of over 130 pieces pulled from

2450-566: The Goat and Other Stories The last short story in the book is set around Hanukkah time in an unnamed Jewish settlement in Poland . Reuven, a local furrier , is having trouble making money to provide his family with Hanukkah supplies and other necessities as the winter has been relatively mild and there has been little need for his services. Further complicating matters is the fact that the family's source of milk, their goat Zlateh, has grown old and

2520-765: The National Board of Advisors of the Children's Television Workshop during the development stages of the Sesame Street television series. He created four animated stories for the series: Bumble Ardy , an animated sequence with Jim Henson as the voice of Bumble Ardy, Seven Monsters , Up & Down , and Broom Adventures . Sendak later adapted Seven Monsters into the book Seven Little Monsters , which itself would be adapted into an animated television series . Sendak produced an animated television production based on his work titled Really Rosie , featuring

2590-483: 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 , New Jersey , Minnesota , and Texas . In the Night Kitchen regularly appears on the American Library Association's list of "frequently challenged and banned books". It

2660-483: The Wild Things Are as a top picture book. Elizabeth Bird, the librarian from the New York Public Library who conducted the survey, observed that there was little doubt that it would be voted number one and highlighted its designation by one reader as a watershed, "ushering in the modern age of picture books". Another critic called it "perfectly crafted, perfectly illustrated ... simply the epitome of

2730-414: The Wild Things Are as its top picture book based on reader surveys. 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

2800-480: The Wild Things Are ". Deborah Stevenson, a writer for The Horn Book Magazine , talks about the effects the book had on a child who "screamed, apparently not with delight, every time Where the Wild Things Are was read to him. It is quite possible for some young readers or listeners to be moved to alarm by a book, just as they can be moved to joy or excitement or boredom". Sendak responded to this criticism in an interview, asking: "Did she hate her kid? Is that why she

2870-595: The award-winning (1983) Pacific Northwest Ballet production of Tchaikovsky 's The Nutcracker , 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 's productions of Mozart 's The Magic Flute (1981) and Humperdinck 's Hansel and Gretel (1997), Los Angeles County Music Center's 1990 production of Mozart's Idomeneo , and

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2940-400: The book, arguing that food is a metaphor for Max's mother's love based on the idea that Max comes home to a "still hot" supper, which suggests that his mother "loves him best". Going along with this, Mary Pols of Time magazine wrote that "[w]hat makes Sendak's book so compelling is its grounding effect: Max has a tantrum and in a flight of fancy visits his wild side, but he is pulled back by

3010-427: The creatures, Max is hailed as the king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful romp with his subjects. Finally, he stops them and sends them to bed without their supper. However, to the Wild Things' dismay, he starts to feel lonely and decides to abdicate and return home. The creatures do not want him to go and throw themselves into fits of rage as Max calmly sails away home. Upon returning to his bedroom, Max discovers

3080-729: The cusp of the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Public Library it was revealed on November 16, 2022 that the most checked-out book in the collection was Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are . Notes Where the Wild Things Are Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak , originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row . The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short film in 1973 (with an updated version in 1988);

3150-445: The five original books in the Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik which were published between 1957 and 1968. 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

3220-545: 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

3290-467: The magic of the quest. In the end, she rescues her sister, destroys the goblins, and returns home committed to caring for her sister until her father returns. This rescue story includes an illustration of a ladder leaning out of the window of a home, which according to one report, was based on the crime scene in the Lindbergh kidnapping , "which terrified Sendak as a child." Sendak was an early member of

3360-439: The materials. Internationally, Sendak received the third biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 1970, recognizing his "lasting contribution to children's literature". He received one of two inaugural Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards 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

3430-406: The museum's vast Sendak collection featured original artwork, rare sketches, never-before-seen working materials, and exclusive interview footage. Exhibition highlights included: 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

3500-662: The place that gives the book its title, the "land of wild horses". Shortly before starting the illustrations, Sendak realized he did not know how to draw horses and, at the suggestion of his editor, changed the wild horses to the more ambiguous "Wild Things", a term inspired by the Yiddish expression "vilde chaya" ("wild animals"), used to indicate boisterous children. He replaced the horses with caricatures of his aunts and uncles, caricatures that he had originally drawn in his youth as an escape from their chaotic weekly visits, on Sunday afternoons, to his family's Brooklyn home. Sendak, as

3570-512: The presentation credited Where the Wild Things Are with "all at once [revolutionizing] the entire picture-book narrative ... thematically, aesthetically, and psychologically." 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. Only Sendak and

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3640-460: 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

3710-516: The rest in part because he is subversive." When Sendak saw a manuscript of Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories , the first children's book by Isaac Bashevis Singer , 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. His book In

3780-497: 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 was dedicated in memory of him and Where the Wild Things Are co-star James Gandolfini . The film was directed by Spike Jonze , who also directed

3850-518: The show Sendak taught 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 Sendak died was the book's official release date. The 2012 season of Pacific Northwest Ballet 's The Nutcracker , for which Sendak designed the set and costumes, was dedicated to his memory. On May 12, 2012, the Nick Jr. Channel hosted a three-hour Little Bear marathon in his memory. The writer of

3920-662: The story and the song share similar ideas about parting with a loved one. "Breezeblocks" reached certified ARIA Gold status in Australia. In 2016, Alessia Cara released her second single, " Wild Things ", which charted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot 100 . In an interview with ABC News Radio , Cara stated she took inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are , saying "each 'Thing' represents an emotion and [the main character] kinda escapes into this world ... and that's kinda what I wanted to do". Zlateh

3990-411: The three books are "all variations on the same theme: how children master various feelings – danger, boredom, fear, frustration, jealousy – and manage to come to grips with the realities of their lives". Fundamental to Sendak's work for over fifty years is his trust in the validity of children's emotions. Dr. Kara Keeling and Dr. Scott Pollard, both English professors, assess the role that food plays in

4060-487: 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 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

4130-412: The voices of the principal Wild Things. The soundtrack was written and produced by Karen O and Carter Burwell . The screenplay was adapted by Jonze in collaboration with Dave Eggers , who also novelized the screenplay as The Wild Things , published in 2009. In 2012, indie rock quartet alt-J released the song " Breezeblocks ", inspired in part by the book. Alt-J keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton said

4200-487: The wild things, through a Freudian or colonialist prism, and probably as many ways to ruin this delicate story of a solitary child liberated by his imagination". Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Five years later, School Library Journal sponsored a survey of readers which identified Where

4270-447: The wild, from which he also learns to master his "inner tumult". It sets forth the unrestrained rowdiness of the Wild Things and enlightens the reader to the idea that one cannot live in the wild forever. In her words: "In this notion of wilderness, there is a heightened reminder that after our fill of wilderness, one can, or perhaps even should, return, replenished, to the comforts of home". Heneghan concludes that "the overarching thought

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4340-583: The writer Katherine Paterson have won all three of these premier awards. Sendak has two elementary schools named in his honor, one in North Hollywood, California , and PS 118 in Brooklyn, New York. He received an honorary doctorate from Princeton University in 1984. On June 10, 2013, Google 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

4410-554: Was also an inspiration for Sendak. Sendak died at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut on May 8, 2012, at age 83, due to complications from a stroke. In accordance with his wishes, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at an undisclosed location. Sendak's obituary in The New York Times said that he was "the most important children's book artist of the 20th century." Author Neil Gaiman remarked, "He

4480-469: Was first published, as his characters were somewhat grotesque in appearance. Sendak initially considered the title "Where the Wild Horses Are" but then decided against it. Sendak later recounted the reaction of a fan: A little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children's letters–sometimes very hastily–but this one I lingered over. I sent him

4550-565: Was given at The Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2002. A concert production was produced by New York City Opera in spring 2011. In 1981, the New England Dinosaur Dance Company turned the book into a dance piece with choreography by Toby Armour and music by Ezra Sims . The piece debuted at Boston's Wilbur Theatre on December 22, 1981. In 1983, Walt Disney Productions conducted

4620-483: 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 right by her when she becomes absorbed in

4690-436: Was released in 1973, directed and animated by Gene Deitch and produced at Krátký film, Prague , for Weston Woods . It had narration by Allen Swift and a musique concrète score composed by Deitch himself; an updated version, which featured a new musical score and narration both by Peter Schickele , was released in 1988. This revised version was featured in a Children's Circle video titled The Maurice Sendak Library . In

4760-510: Was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew." Sendak's relationship with Glynn was referenced by other writers before (including Tony Kushner in 2003) and Glynn's 2007 death notice 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 in memory of Glynn, who treated young people there. The money will go to

4830-504: Was tormenting her with this book?" Despite the book's popularity, Sendak refused to produce a sequel; four months before his death in 2012, he told comedian Stephen Colbert that a sequel would be "the most boring idea imaginable". Where the Wild Things Are was number four on the list of "Top Check Outs OF ALL TIME" by the New York Public Library. An animated short adaptation which had taken five years to complete

4900-416: 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 on The Colbert Report in one of his last public appearances said of Sendak: "We are all honored to have been briefly invited into his world." On a January 2012 episode of

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