Sendak, Maurice Books

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 369 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A lifetime favorite 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This story is about imagination and reality and maintaining a healthy balance between them. The understanding that was intended to be brought from reading it is that imagination is good but remember that make-believe is make-believe and reality is reality.

The story has remained popular with children because of it's simplicity, because of the element of adventure. The pictures of course draw the children in. When teaching high school English I brought my copy to school and had a student that was enjoying reading my Dr. Seuss Sneeches book, and I showed him Where the Wild Things Are (he is a senior! And 18 years old) and he had never seen the story before! I was amazed.

What part do the pictures play in it's popularity? It is a big facet of it! The pictures are soft, they give a humorous twist to big hairy monsters... It is appropriate for the age group it was written but also a great blast of the past for us adults. The book is adventurous and jovial. It has a happy ending. I've remembered this story all of my life. I used to have a copy of this story as a child... I purchased a copy for myself as and adult and it remains in my collection. I remember this story because my parents read it to me - it was one of my favorites. I think it is the artwork, the muted colors of the story and the warmth of the book that makes it a classic. The overall message of the book: Daydreaming can be fun. (even as adults!)

Editorial Review:

The 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year by Maurice Sendak. Brian O'Doherty of The New York Times said the Mr. Sendak's work "disguised in fantasy, springs from his earliest self, from the vagrant child that lurks in the heart of all of us."

Nutshell Library (Caldecott Collection)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Keepsake quality 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I always get this small collection of books by Sendak when I get a baby gift. My youngest daughter got this set long ago from her godparents and they are worn and much loved, by her parents as well as my daughter, and are now in use by her children. They are catchy, memorable rhyming stories that stay with you forever and just make you happy. The small size fits so neatly and comfortably into little hands. They become "companions" the way good books are meant to do. I highly recommend this "Nutshell Library" to everyone. Adults should have their own set!

GREAT STORYS, BUT SMALL BOOKS 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

PERFECT FOR POCKETS, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE BIGGER. STILL WORTH THE MONEY. PERFECT FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THE STORIES AND A MUST FOR THOSE WHO DON'T .

Editorial Review:

This 4-volume boxed set contains an alphabet book, a book of rhymes about each month, a counting book, and a cautionary tale all written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Includes the titles Alligators All Around, Chicken Soup with Rice, One Was Johnny, and Pierre. (Titles available separately in library and paperback editions.)

Notable Children's Books of 1940-1970 (ALA)

In the Night Kitchen (Caldecott Collection)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 102 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

My feelings have changed about this book over time 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

As a mother and a teacher, I am always looking for quality books to read to my fourth graders as well as my 3 year old daughter. Although I would never be able to read In the Night Kitchen to my class (parent complaints and such), it didn't take long for my little girl to fall in love with this book.
Sadly, many children today are lacking a tremendous amount of imagination, getting caught up in video games and the newest electronics. This is the primary reason why I knew I would expose her to Maurice Sendak. She's loved Where the Wild Things Are since she was a baby. I just checked out this book in the public library last week.
In my Children's Lit class in college many years ago, our teacher lectured us about the Freudian undertones of this children's book. Being young and impressionable, I vowed to myself to NEVER expose my future child to a book like this. Well, what can I say? I've learned quite a bit since then.
I'm a firm believer that nothing is a big deal unless you MAKE it a big deal. Sure, the book is certainly different from any other children's book you normally see. However, Sendak wrote this in 1970 and wanted it to be a nostalgic piece and he brought it into his illustrations. He was brought up reading comics of the 1940s, which is clearly seen in the story.
It's a whimsical, mystical story showing a journey through the imagination of a little boy. My daughter adores it and I often hear her quoting, "Quiet Down There!" and "Good bless me." I'm sure I will have a difficult time bringing this one back to the library, so I plan on purchasing it for her very soon. Thank goodness she has the Scholastic Video Collection that includes "Where the Wild Things Are" as well as "In the Night Kitchen."

Editorial Review:

When asked, Maurice Sendak insisted that he was not a comics artist, but an illustrator. However, it's hard to not notice comics aspects in works like In the Night Kitchen. The child of the story is depicted floating from panel to panel as he drifts through the fantastic dream world of the bakers' kitchen. Sendak's use of multiple panels and integrated hand-lettered text is an interesting contrast to his more traditional children's books containing single-page illustrations such as his wildly popular Where the Wild Things Are.

Little Bear Boxed Set: Little Bear, Father Bear Comes Home, and Little Bear's Visit

Else Holmelund Minarik

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful stories all children should read 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a set of books that is perfect for children to read. Innocent, heart warming, and charming, Little Bear is a series that your young child will love to read again and again. Also, if your child loves the Little Bear series as much as mine do, there are dvds of episodes from the tv show based on these books that they would love as well.

Every American Child Should Know These Books 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought these books for my 4 month old daughter. We've already read them (just before bedtime) more than once. I grew up with these books and they bring back great memories of when I was younger. These books are great for bedtime with the real little ones, and perfect starters when they first start to read on their own. Every child should be familiar with these books. They are classics.

Heartwarming, charming, what a great book, and at a great value too. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The little bear stories are one of my son's absolute favorites. It is a shame the cartoon is no longer on the air, as I'm sure he'd love that too, but the books are adorable and heartwarming as well. My son loves reading these books, and its really a joy to read this to him and see the expression of delight on his face. Really a great book for your kids.

Editorial Review:

To celebrate Little Bear's thirty-fifth anniversary, three paperback editions in the series—Little Bear, Father Bear Comes Home, and Little Bear's Visit—have been slipcased in a boxed gift set for a whole new generation of children.

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An annual favorite 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I use this book every January with my music students. We read the book, analyze the rhymes and rhythms but most of all....we enjoy the song by Carole King. If you're thinking of getting this book, you MUST, MUST, MUST get the Carole King sound track to go with it. (Also, see the video on YouTube!!!)

I've read some reviews that complained about the size of the book. Yes, the hardcover book is small. This is one time where I would go for the paperback over the hardcover. The paperback is larger.

This is also a good tool for teaching fiction and non-fiction. Each month has some silly, not-possible situation with chicken soup with rice.

Sipping once, sipping twice, sipping chicken soup with rice!

chicken soup with rice months 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a fun way for children to learn their months of the year! We will learn all of the poems throughout the school year. they like the handmotions which I invent for each poem.

Love the book, miss the hard cover version 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I grew up reading these Sendak books, and watching the Really Rosie movie that incorporates them, and love them. My son loves them too. I do however, miss the hard cover version. The paperbacks seem kind of flimsy and it takes two hands to keep the pages open.

Editorial Review:

Each month is gay, each season nice, when eating chicken soup with rice.

Donde viven los monstruos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

disappointing 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I bought this online guided by the good reviews, but the book proved dissapointing. Though pictures are very good, the story of a boy that gets sent to bed for bad behavior and travels to an island where mosters live, and where he reigns as his king, has absolutely no soul nor magic. Story starts with the boy mother calling the boy "a monster". I know raising a boy is challenging, but I felt uneasy about that language from a mother to his son. In short, the very short story seems focused on the boy getting away with everything he does: no moral, no tenderness, no warmth. AND my kids found the pictures alluring but the book boring. I bought three books, read all of them to the kids and asked them to choose their favourites to keep, and this one was last.

Editorial Review:

Maurice Sendak's beloved Where the Wild Things Are, winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal, is now available in a newly revised Spanish edition exclusive to Harper Arco Iris. Spanish speakers and listeners will now be able to join Max as he sets sail and becomes king of all Wild Things.

Nutcracker

E.T.A. Hoffmann

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not suitable for young children 2 out of 5 stars.
69 of 78 people found this review helpful.

My daughter loves the Nutcracker ballet and I thought it would be good for her to know the full story behind it (I had never heard it myself). The previous reviews and comments on the beautiful illustrations led me to believe this would be a great choice for my 5 year old daughter.

The illustrations are very similar in style to those in Where the Wild Things Are. If you don't like that book, you won't like the illustrations in this one. Also be aware that this is NOT a picture book. There is a very high ratio of text to illustrations.
I also feel the text is inappropriate for young children. The actual story is very dark and the language, while beautiful, is above the vocabulary and experience of most young children. ( "These intrepid and magnificently uniformed troops, consisting of gardeners, Tyroleans, Tunguses, barbers, harlequins, cupids, lions, and tigers, and monkeys, fought with coolness, courage, and perseverance. With their Spartan bravery, this elite regiment would have wrested the victory from the enemy, had not a daring mouse captain leaped into the fray and bitten the head off one of the Chinese emperors, who in falling crushed two Tunguses and a monkey." p32)

I WOULD recommend this book for older children.

Editorial Review:

After hearing how her toy nutcracker got his ugly face, a little girl helps break the spell and watches him change into a handsome prince.

A Kiss for Little Bear (An I Can Read Book)

Else Holmelund Minarik

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Simply Adorable 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

A Kiss for Little Bear is a charming story about a young bear who draws a picture for is grandmother. Not surprisingly at all, this picture looks like one of the monsters from "Were the Wild Things Are." Little Bear has his friend Hen deliver the picture to Grandmother Bear. She is so delighted with the drawing that she sends Hen back to Little Bear with a kiss for him. The simple kiss gets passed on, friend to friend ("telephone style") until it finally gets to Little Bear. Little Bear ask Hen to take a kiss back to Grandmother Bear. But Hen refuses because "kisses get all mixed up." In the end, the girl and boy skunk get married, because they enjoyed the kissing. It is all very sweet and innocent.

My copy is 40 years old. I remember my mother reading this to me. It was then passed to my aunt to read to her children. When I was pregnant, my aunt gave it back to me. I love reading this enchanting story to my daughter. We giggle and trade kisses and have a great snuggle right before bed. This is another memory filled classic that I am truly thrilled to be able to pass on. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Grandmother likes Little Bear's picture so much she sends him a thank you kiss. "Will you take it to him, Hen?" she says. Hen passes the kiss to Frog who passes it to Cat who passes it to Little Skunk until Hen decides there is too much kissing -- and finally gives the kiss to the Little Bear.

Little Bear (An I Can Read Book)

Elsa Holmelund Minarik

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This is the first I Can Read Book ever, and the first of five classic Little Bear books, expressly designed for beginning readers. Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak teamed up to create these simple stories that are deeply comforting and lovingly playful. In one story, "Birthday Soup," Little Bear cannot find his mother and presumes she has forgotten his birthday. With the prospect of guests arriving and no cake in sight, he sets out to make birthday soup (all his friends like soup). Just as the gathering is sitting down for soup, Mother Bear shows up with a big, beautiful birthday cake. "I never did forget your birthday, and I never will," she says to her son as he hugs her leg. In "Little Bear Goes to the Moon," Little Bear declares that he will fly to the moon in his new space helmet. Mother Bear tells him to be back by lunch, and he is. The gentle, teasing repartee between Little Bear and his mother will delight young readers, and the spacious layout and large type will encourage them to keep on reading! (Ages 4 to 8)

Little Bear's Friend (An I Can Read Book)

Else Holmelund Minarik

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

charming beginning reader 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

These stories about Little Bear and his friend Emily are a charming introduction to the world of reading for beginners. Little Bear is a sweet child to his mother and father and a good friend to Duck, Hen, Owl and Cat. Minarik's simple narrative will be easy enough for early readers, and Sendak's illustrations will hold their attention. The four stories are: Little Bear and Emily, about the friends' meeting; Duck, Baby Sitter; The Party at Owl's House, in which Lucy falls from a tree; and "Your Friend, Little Bear", about Little Bear's coping when Emily goes away for the school year.

Another good Primer from Ms. Minarik - a review of "Little Bear's Friend" 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I am amazed at the sort of complex storytelling that Ms. Minarik can accomplish with fairly simple words. [Why can't more modern authors accomplish the same?!?]

In this book, Little Bear finds two new friends, a little girl named Emily and her doll, Lucy. Together they have adventures which include going to a party, a broken arm for Lucy, and tragedy of tragedies... Emily's having to go away at the end of summer to attend school.

Five Stars. Wonderful storytelling. Good Read-aloud. I would estimate that this "I Can Read" book is on the first grade level. [Other sources list it as a second grade reader: 2.2 Level.]

Principally the difficulty lies not in the vocabulary but in the fact that there is quite a bit of dialog and more words per page than is found in Ms. Minarik's earlier stories.

Editorial Review:

Little Bear meets Emily, a human girl, and her doll.`Once again Little Bear proves himself to be as wistful and tender a little creature as exists in the child's library.' —K.