15/06/2023
Grande autore, i suoi libri sono un classico della letteratura per l"infanzia.
"Children are tough, though we tend to think of them as fragile. They have to be tough. Childhood is not easy." -Maurice Sendak
Born in 1928, Maurice Sendak transformed the children’s picture book by exploring the realms of imagination and the dark side of children’s -- and adults’ -- psychology. His young protagonists display the characteristics of children: petulant, stubborn, adventurous, and imaginative. The enduring success of his many books proves that children crave works that voice the real anxieties of growing up. His most famous work, "Where the Wild Things Are" (1963), uses a scant 338 words to craft an adventure of rage, victory, and homecoming. Other titles like "In the Night Kitchen" (1970) and "Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue" (1962) further explore dreams and nightmares, fears, and familial love.
Sendak admitted his own life was frequently overwhelmed by feelings of fear and ostracization, fed by his marginalized status as lower class, Jewish, and gay. The creative process became a way of coping with and channeling anxieties. But for all their dark tones, the books are also humorous, quirky, and ultimately reassuring. Visualized with his distinctive drawing style, the books permit, even demand, rereading after rereading, generation after generation.
