We continue our countdown to America 250 with the story of an author with Jewish roots who has been described as “the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century,” with a status comparable to Dr. Seuss. Maurice Sendak showed generations of children where the wild things are.
Sendak was born in 1928, the same year his greatest influence, Walt Disney, introduced Mickey Mouse to the world. Born on June 10 in Brooklyn, Sendak was the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants and grew up with his parents and two older brothers. The rest of his family remained in Poland. When the Nazis invaded in the 1930s, many of them were killed in the Holocaust. This tragedy introduced the young Sendak to the concept of mortality at an early age. At the same time, he found inspiration in cartoons and illustrations. After seeing Disney’s Fantasia in 1940, he decided he wanted to become an illustrator.
After studying at the Art Students League of New York, Sendak benefited from excellent mentorship as he launched his career. In 1947, he began working on a popular science book series, and at age 20 received his first commission from the toy store FAO Schwarz, creating window illustrations. There, he met Ursula Nordstrom, an editor at Harper & Row, the publisher of Charlotte’s Web and Harriet the Spy. Through her encouragement, Sendak was hired to illustrate children’s books, beginning with Marcel Aymé’s The Wonderful Farm in 1951. In 1956, he made his solo debut with Kenny’s Window. Then, in 1962, he published the Nutshell Library, a collection of four miniature books.
Sendak’s magnum opus came the following year with Where the Wild Things Are, which became a bestseller and won the Caldecott Medal. The story of the mischievous Max and his journey to a fantastical land inhabited by giant creatures who share his love of adventure has become one of the most beloved children’s books of all time. It also marked the beginning of controversy surrounding Sendak’s work, as some parents found the wild things frightening.
Children, however, loved them. Sendak once recalled a young fan who was so delighted to receive one of his drawings that he ate it. The book also contains a touch of Yiddish influence. Vilde chaya is a Yiddish expression meaning “wild thing,” and Sendak noted that many Jewish parents would tell their children to stop being a vilde chaya when they were acting too rowdy.
Where the Wild Things Are is also a landmark in children’s literature because of its dreamlike atmosphere and its exploration of the inner emotional lives of children (inspired by his own). Sendak continued these themes in the other two books often considered part of a trilogy: In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981). Like actual dreams, these stories can feel dark in some moments and joyful in others. In the Night Kitchen, inspired by Sendak’s childhood, follows a boy’s surreal, dreamland adventures while his parents sleep. Outside Over There tells the story of a girl who embarks on a magical journey to rescue her younger sister from goblins.
Throughout his career, Sendak also worked extensively in television and stage production design. He collaborated with Jim Henson on animated segments for Sesame Street, including Bumble-Ardy and Seven Little Monsters, the latter of which he later adapted into a book. In the 1990s, Sendak and playwright Tony Kushner created an English adaptation of the Holocaust-era children’s opera Brundibár, which had once been performed by children imprisoned in a concentration camp. Their version made its stage debut in Chicago in 2003.
The 2000s brought several adaptations of Sendak’s work, including the PBS animated series Little Bear—based on books he had illustrated in the 1950s—and Seven Little Monsters. After several animated adaptations, Where the Wild Things Are finally made its Hollywood debut in Spike Jonze’s 2009 film. Sendak passed away in 2012 at the age of 83. Today, Where the Wild Things Are still ranks number one among children’s librarians.
The Fellowship’s countdown to America 250 celebrates the shared values and friendship between Christians and Jews, and the United States and Israel, that are shown in these stories. Show your support by requesting a FREE U.S./Israel flag pin today.
