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Maurice Sendak

モーリス・センダック

Maurice Sendak

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1928-06-10 （Brooklyn, New York, U.S.）
Died
2012-05-08 （Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.） age 83
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Atheism
Residence History
Greenwich Village, New York (basement apartment on West 9th Street) → Pied-à-terre on Fifth Avenue, New York → Ridgefield, Connecticut (residence)

Career

Occupations
artist, illustrator, writer
Active Years
1947-2012
Influenced By
Ursula Nordstrom, Ruth Krauss, Crockett Johnson, Walt Disney, William Blake, Marc Chagall, Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Influenced
Spike Jonze, Tony Kushner, Gregory Maguire, Numerous picture-book authors and illustrators

Education

Art Students League of New York
Country: United States
Studied in a class with John Groth

Awards

Caldecott Medal
1964
Work: Where the Wild Things Are
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: 受賞
Hans Christian Andersen Award (Illustration)
1970
Category: 挿絵
Organization: International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
Result: 受賞
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2003
Organization: Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA)
Result: 受賞
Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal
1983
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), ALA
Result: 受賞
National Medal of Arts
1996
Organization: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Result: 受章
National Book Award (Picture Books)
1982
Work: Outside Over There
Category: 絵本
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: 受賞
Honorary Doctorate (University of Connecticut)
1990
Organization: University of Connecticut
Result: 授与
Honorary Doctorate (Goucher College)
2004
Organization: Goucher College
Result: 授与

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Where the Wild Things Are

1963 Children's literature, picture book 48 pages

Max, sent to his room for misbehaving, travels to an imaginative island of Wild Things, becomes their king, and ultimately returns home—an exploration of childhood emotions and imagination.

childhood imaginationanger and reconciliationloneliness and belonging
Adaptations
  • [Film] Where the Wild Things Are / Spike Jonze (2009)
  • [Opera] Where the Wild Things Are (opera) / Oliver Knussen (1980)
Translations
  • Where the Wild Things Are (Japanese translation)

In the Night Kitchen

1970 Children's literature, picture book 56 pages

A fantastical tale of a boy who journeys through a giant night-time kitchen; an homage to Sendak's memories of New York and to films and comics, notable for controversial imagery.

dreams vs. realitychild autonomyurban memory
Adaptations
  • [Animated short] In the Night Kitchen (animated short) / Gene Deitch (1987)
Translations
  • In the Night Kitchen (Japanese translation)

Outside Over There

1981 Children's literature, picture book 64 pages

Ida must rescue her baby sister kidnapped by goblins; a fantastical rescue quest addressing jealousy, responsibility, and maturation.

jealousy and growthresponsibilityfantastical adventure
Translations
  • Outside Over There (Japanese translation)

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life

1967 Children's literature, picture book 32 pages

Inspired by Sendak's dog Jennie; a humorous yet poignant tale centered on a food-loving canine.

bond with petsdeath and mourning (requiem)humor
Adaptations
  • [Short film (animated/live-action)] Higglety Pigglety Pop! (short) / Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski (2010)

Bibliography

  • Kenny's Window (1956)
  • The Nutshell Library (1962)
  • Where the Wild Things Are (1963)
  • In the Night Kitchen (1970)
  • Outside Over There (1981)
  • Bumble-Ardy (2011)
  • My Brother's Book (2013, posthumous)

Adaptations

  • Film 'Where the Wild Things Are' (2009, dir. Spike Jonze)
  • Opera adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are (Oliver Knussen)

Translations of Works

  • Where the Wild Things Are — Japanese translation
  • In the Night Kitchen — Japanese translation

Style & Themes

Literary Style
fantastical picture-book style with dark elementscombination of detailed cross-hatching and airy watercolorpsychological insight into children's inner lives
Recurring Motifs
anger and reconciliationdreams and imaginary worldsloneliness and belonging

Health

  • Childhood illness (bedridden period)
    幼少期
    Led to immersion in books and inspired early interest in art
  • Complications from a stroke (cause of death)
    晩年（2012年）
    Hospitalization and death (2012)

Legacy

Maurice Sendak profoundly influenced 20th-century children's book art, pioneering psychologically rich picture books. 'Where the Wild Things Are' is considered a cornerstone of modern picture books; he left enduring influence through awards, retrospectives, and cultural references.

Museums

  • Rosenbach Museum & Library (holds Sendak collection on long-term loan) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
  • Maurice Sendak Collection (foundation holdings / planned museum) Ridgefield, Connecticut, U.S.

Academic Societies

  • International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
  • American Library Association (ALA) related bodies

Archives

  • Sendak materials at the Rosenbach Museum & Library
  • University of Connecticut archives (materials related to Sendak Collection)

In Popular Culture

  • Interactive Google Doodle (2013, commemorating Sendak's 85th birthday)
  • Film 'Her' carried a dedication to Sendak (2013)
  • Retrospectives at museums and schools named in his honor

Quotes

  • I answer all my children's letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it... His mother wrote: 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received.
    Source: Sendak recollection / interview
  • I said that I was gay and that all I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew.
    Source: The New York Times (2008) (2008)

Trivia

  • After his partner Eugene David Glynn's death, Sendak donated $1 million to the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in his memory.
  • 'Where the Wild Things Are' is frequently ranked among top picture books and is regarded as a landmark of modern picture books.
  • Sendak also designed sets and costumes for operas and ballets during his career.