Maurice Sendak Poster & Resources
Learn about Maurice Sendak and let the wild rumpus start!
Grade Span: K-2
Themes:
Maurice Sendak invented worlds and characters who were outsiders, others, and sometimes even perceived as monstrous. His creative works reflect Jewish immigrant experiences and the pain of antisemitism and exclusion. His legacy is of an artist who imagined worlds where everyone belonged.
- Celebrating outsiders
- Valuing immigrants
- Promoting belonging
About
Born in Brooklyn, NY to Polish Jewish immigrants, Maurice Sendak (1928-2012) was an award winning illustrator and children’s book author who centered the inner lives of young people in his stories. Challenging mid-20th century children’s literature conventions, his characters were not always well-behaved and their worlds were not idyllic. He led young readers on fantastical adventures to frightful, delightful, and dreamy worlds where fear, anger, and joy could be felt openly and honestly.
Resources
Classroom Learning
Lesson Plans and Teaching Materials
Teach with Maurice Sendak’s literature and invite students to feel, wander, and imagine wild and wonderful worlds.
- Teaching Materials and Storytime Activities, The Maurice Sendak Foundation
- Design Your Own Monster, Issaquah Schools Foundation
Children’s Books
Teach the story behind the literature of Maurice Sendak.
- Who Was Maurice Sendak? By Janet B. Pascal
Video of Picture Books Read Aloud
Teach the literature of Maurice Sendak with read aloud videos.
- Where the Wild Things Are, Enchanted Storyboat
- Chicken Soup with Rice, AnneMiranda Books
- In the Night Kitchen, ImagiNation Storytime
Professional Learning
Websites
Learn more about Maurice Sendak.
Books by Maurice Sendak
Discover the literature of Maurice Sendak
Biographies, Books, and Articles
Read about the life and art of Maurice Sendak.
- “‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Is a Love Letter to Jewish Children,” Kveller
- The Art of Maurice Sendak by Selma Lanes
- Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak by Jonathan Weinberg
- Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and His Work by Justin G. Schiller
- Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation by Gregory Maguire
- Angels and Wild Things: The Archetypal Poetics of Maurice Sendak by John Cech
- Wild Visionary: Maurice Sendak in Queer Jewish Context by Golan Y. Moskowitz
Videos
Watch and learn about the life and art of Maurice Sendak.
- Sendak, Weston Woods Studios
- Maurice Sendak Interview, Charlie Rose
- An Illustrated Talk with Maurice Sendak, The New York Times
- Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid, Blank on Blank
- Maurice Sendak, Tate
Podcasts
Listen and learn about the life and art of Maurice Sendak.
- Maurice Sendak: On Life, Death, and Children’s Lit, Fresh Air
- Moishe’s Queer and Wild Rumpus, Joy and Conversation
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Read Along with Mom