Maurice Sendak

"Childhood is a tricky business," says noted children's author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak (9/26/2006). "Usually, something goes wrong." In this piece from Morning Edition, NPR's Steve Inskeep looks at the latest work from the beloved, but sometimes disturbing, children's author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak (9/26/2006 - ). The interview is about Sendak's latest book, Mommy?, although discussion with or about Sendak never goes far without mention of his classic story, Where the Wild Things Are. Sendak is most noted for placing his children in great dangers; in Mommy the child hero wanders among such famous monsters as Frankenstein and the Mummy.

Musings

• What can you learn about the connection between Sendak's art and his childhood, from this slide show and this conversation, as well as the video at this American Masters site?
  
• How would one answer a concerned parent who might find Sendak's work inappropriate for kids?
  
• At one point, Sendak discusses how the Lindberg kidnapping played such a key role in his childhood fears. How do world events affect children?