{"id":11845,"date":"2012-07-09T23:25:03","date_gmt":"2012-07-10T03:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=11845"},"modified":"2012-07-09T23:46:43","modified_gmt":"2012-07-10T03:46:43","slug":"1-picture-book-author-and-illustrator-maurice-sendak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=11845","title":{"rendered":"#1 Picture Book Author and Illustrator – Maurice Sendak"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Maurice Sendak
\n#1 Picture Book Author, 570 points
\n#1 Picture Book Illustrator, 607 points<\/p>\n

I should point out that Betsy Bird’s Top 100 Picture Books Poll<\/a> happened before Maurice Sendak’s death. So these numbers were not inflated by the news of his death. I can’t help but wish he’d seen this one more triumph, but I imagine he knew he was on top with the last poll, so this was simply one more honor to a picture book genius.<\/p>\n

Now, this name won’t come as a surprise, since Where the Wild Things Are<\/a><\/em> all by itself was #1 with 533 points. As it turns out, no other author or illustrator got a total that passed that one. But he had another book in the Top 100, Pierre<\/a><\/em>, at #79 with 25 points. What other books showed up on the poll for Maurice Sendak?<\/p>\n

Higglety, Pigglety, Pop!<\/em> got 5 points.
\nIn the Night Kitchen<\/em> got 5 points.
\nChicken Soup With Rice<\/em> got 2 points.<\/p>\n

And for illustration:
\nLittle Bear<\/em>, by Else Holmelund Minarik, got 17 points.
\nA Kiss for Little Bear<\/em>, by Else Holmelund Minarik, got 7 points.
\nMr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present<\/em>, by Charlotte Zolotow, got 5 points.
\nA Hole Is to Dig<\/em>, by Ruth Krauss, got 4 points.
\nA Very Special House<\/em>, by Ruth Krauss, got 2 points.
\nWhat Can You Do With a Shoe?<\/em>, by Beatrice Schenk deRegniers, got 2 points.<\/p>\n

So you see, Maurice Sendak well deserves the Number One spot!<\/p>\n

I should confess that when I was a little girl, I didn’t really like Where the Wild Things Are<\/em>. I’m afraid I was a real goody-two-shoes who didn’t like that Max was being bad<\/em>. However, years later, as a mother of boys, I came to appreciate the need for a Wild Rumpus at times.<\/p>\n

Though my truly favorite Maurice Sendak books are A Hole Is to Dig<\/em>, Chicken Soup With Rice<\/em>, and Little Bear<\/em>. His children are truly ready to jump and play and dance. I so love the way the child laughs when the words say a tablespoon is to eat a table.<\/p>\n

Truly Maurice Sendak was a genius and left the world a richer place.<\/p>\n

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