I never met him but still feel like I’ve lost an old friend. Maybe we all lost a longtime friend this week. Maybe we thought he’d go on forever — and I suppose in some ways he will.

Maurice Sendak’s death last week was widely reported including the Washington Post, on NPR, in the New York Times. The appreciations keep coming. And they should.

Sendak’s books have been read by several generations. They speak to contemporary kids as clearly as they did their parents — and even their grandparents. We had shared Where the Wild Things Are so often that my son was able to “read” it aloud to the delight of his pre-K class.

Some of Maurice Sendak’s books have offended adult sensibilities (his fantastical In the Night Kitchen; illustrations for a collection of Mother Goose rhymes entitled I Saw Esau, for example).

But his distinct style and unflinching respect for children and their ability to handle deep emotions — whether or not they are able to talk about them — is evident in each of his books. Sendak changed children’s literature forever because of his trust in children’s ability to recognize emotional truth.

Maurice Sendak will be missed but not forgotten.

Thanks to Justin Duvall for allowing his artwork to be used.

© 2012 Justin Duvall

About the Author

Maria Salvadore is Reading Rockets’ consultant for children’s literature and literacy. Maria curates our themed booklists and writes the blog, Page by Page, which explores the best ways to use kids’ books both inside and outside of the classroom. She leads parent workshops for Ready To Learn (RTL) at WETA Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. She has also taught children’s literature at the University of Maryland, reviewed books for School Library Journal, and has served on various book award committees, including the Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards, Golden Kite, and the Caldecott Committee.

Publication Date
May 14, 2012
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