From Publishers Weekly
The first volume of The Art of Maurice Sendak, published when he was 53, covered the period 1951–1981, and spanned more than 80 books, including Sendak’s signature, Caldecott-winning book, Where the Wild Things Are. This new collection presents 350 illustrations, many of which are drawings for set and costume design work, which Sendak has been producing prolifically, others of which are posters for plays and for events such as the New York is Book Country fair. The style of all these works will be familiar to fans of Wild Things; Sendak’s precise, intensely shaded yet welcoming shapes and figures have lost none of their luster. They would ordinarily be enough in themselves in a survey like this, but Kushner’s lovely, funny, partisan text ("I’ve been his devoted fan since I was four years old") lifts the book to another level. It’s not often that the subject of such as book is matched with a writer as gifted and assured. His discussion of the book’s better known gems—such as the poster for Really Rosie (the theatre production based on Sendak’s book of the same name)—as well as his analysis of less celebrated works—such as Sendak’s Blakean illustrations for an edition of Kleist’s Penthesilea—help makes this volume a worthy companion to Selma Lane’s initial, classic collection. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
It has been 20 years since Selma G. Lanes's The Art of Maurice Sendak (Abrams, 1998) provided a "picture biography" of this groundbreaking picture-book creator. This companion volume has the same coffee-table size and is as copiously illustrated, but its new page design and approach reflect the new directions in Sendak's career as an operatic "theater artist." Playwright Tony Kushner's "unapologetically subjective" paean is divided into a prologue and six movements. They include a recapitulation of Sendak's life and work to 1980; an analysis of the "trilogy" Outside Over There, Dear Mili, and We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy; brief mention of other books since 1981; and an extended analysis of Sendak's work in the opera world. Kushner's book is a more intimate portrait than Lanes's. It addresses not only Sendak's projects but also his aesthetics and psychology. Academic institutions with programs in the arts, even those without Lanes's book, will find the volume valuable.-Sue Burgess, Framingham State College, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
Maurice Sendak is one of most admired artists in children's literature. His uniquely expressive illustrations, which bring to life a world of fantasy and imagination, have won him the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and most recently the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature in 2003. Picking up where Selma Lanes's earlier, landmark monograph, The Art of Maurice Sendak, left off, this new book traces Sendak's life and work from 1980 to the present, representing two decades filled with projects inside and outside the children's book arena. This strikingly designed volume is overflowing with hundreds of wonderful Sendak illustrations: sketches and final art for opera, ballet, and theater productions, as well as children's books, adult book jackets, posters, and CD covers. An extended essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, a friend of the artist, provides an intimate view of Sendak. With an insider's perspective, Kushner not only gives us a chronological overview of Sendak's work, but also allows us to see him as an accomplished author and artist redefining his legacy, and as a man coming to terms with himself. This survey will only add to our understanding and appreciation of this multitalented artist, whose creative endeavors are among the most inventive and treasured of our time.

About the Author
Tony Kushner is one of America's most lauded playwrights. His Broadway production of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes received a Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards, the New York Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and the LAMDA Literary Award for Drama. In 1998, London's National Theatre selected Angels in America as one of the best plays of the 20th century.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Tracing Maurice Sendak's life and work from 1980 to the present, this illustrated volume is filled with projects in various mediums, both inside and outside the children's book arena. Reproduced here are lavish set and costume designs for a number of theatrical and dance productions, from The Nutcracker to The Magic Flute to The Love for Three Oranges. Also represented is artwork for numerous posters, CD covers, book jackets, and adult books, as well as children's picture books. Profusely illustrated, this book introduces Sendak's recent work, particularly in the theater, to a wider audience and pays tribute to his genius." Playwright Tony Kushner, a longtime friend, and more recently, a collaborator with the artist, chronicles Sendak's work and provides new insights into his unique past. Using Sendak's journals, personal interviews, and a wealth of shared anecdotal experience, Kushner paints a singular portrait of a man with burning passion, acute sympathy, and a hunger for beauty. Readers are offered an intimate view into Sendak's personal and professional frustrations, as well as his triumphs.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

An assortment of books introduces art masterpieces, contemporary and historical. The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present by Tony Kushner takes an in-depth look at one of the most prominent artists within and beyond children's literature. Perhaps best known as the Caldecott-winning artist of Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak also wrote the libretto and produced theatrical set and costume designs for the opera version, plus posters, CD covers and much more. Picking up where The Art of Maurice Sendak (1981) left off, this volume includes a look at the artist's dark picture book, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy, his witty illustrations for James Marshall's Swine Lake, his sets and character studies for the musical Really Rosie and the opera The Magic Flute, as well as his most recent work on the opera Brundibar and the picture book on which it is based, adapted by Kushner (see Children's Forecasts, Nov. 3). This elegant volume, lavishly filled with hundreds of Sendak's illustrations, including two expanded gatefold spreads (one from Dumps, and the other a watercolor study of the set for the Nutcracker ballet), is an enthusiastic celebration of the artist's work by an award-winning playwright and personal friend of Sendak. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This exquisite full-color book continues the evaluation of Sendak's work that began with Selma Lane's The Art of Maurice Sendak. This present volume surveys Sendak's life and later work "as a serious adult artist" from the last two decades. Recognized worldwide as the author of Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak is shown here as a more mature artist who wrestles with despair and self-doubt as he creates three of his more daring and disturbing children's picture books-Outside Over There, Dear Mili, and We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy. In addition to his picture books, Sendak's output is incredible, including sets, costumes, and lyrics for numerous operas; detailed storyboards of the operas, showing Sendak's understanding of pictorial narrative; several posters, magazine, book, and CD covers; and illustrations for adult books that display a ribald energy and sexuality. In addition to the detailed display and evaluation of these and other works, a televised interview with Sendak is reprinted in its entirety. Celebrated playwright Kushner's heartfelt evaluation of Sendak's work and personal observations bring Sendak, the person, alive for every reader. Essential.-David A. Berone, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal