The Art of Maurice Sendak [L0051]

1980 HCDJ in excellent condition. Creator of Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Higglety Pigglety Pop!, and the illustrations for dozens of other memorable children's books, Maurice Sendak ranks among the best-known, best-loved artists in America. For nearly 30 years, he has spoken to the child-mind in young and adult alike. A perennial best-seller, he is winner of both the Hans Christian Andersen Medal and the Caldecott Medal.

Sendak's life and work are explored in affectionate detail in this charming, fun-filled book, containing 94 full-color illustrations and over 165 black-and-whites. Author Selma Lanes, editor and critic of children's books and a friend of the artist for a decade, has drawn upon many conversations with him as well as three years of formal research and interviews to write this biography. Easy and intimate, it is enhanced by perceptive quotes from Sendak himself, who cooperated fully in the book's preparation. Appropriate to Sendak's feeling that books should be playful, this book contains a full-color, tipped-in facsimile of the tiny mock-up that Sendak first made for the story that would later become Where the Wild Things Are. In addition, there are glimpses of the artist's private world in fantasy sketches, photographs of a group of mechanical toys that he designed and three full-color fold-outs of works from books and films as they've never been seen.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I didn't read it so much as look at the illustrations which are wonderful. I had no idea how prolific Maurice Sendak was or how many things he has done, including set design and costumes for operas and ballet. I only knew of him as the writer and illustrator for Where the Wild Things Are and I was pleasantly surprised! I look forward to reading more of his children's books and seeing the movie that made out of his most famous book."; "I thought this was extremely interesting and informative. I have always been a fan of Sendak's works, but little did I know HOW MUCH he had done. My mind is truly blown, and I love his descriptions of how he started at point A with his illustrations and book plots and eventually got to point B. He's whimsical, artsy, fantastical, earthy, and eccentric. And I love it."; "Primarily read for the artwork, stayed for the history."; "A step into the wonder of Maurice Sendak.

I gave this as a gift to family members who love Maurice Sendak. They were absolutely thrilled. There are so many photos of Sendakk's work making the book delightful."