Maurice Sendak’s hidden gem
Delving into lesser-known work of children’s author
Monsters haunted me at night when I was a child. They hid in the closet, under the bed, and ran about the room. I’d hide my head under the covers to keep them from finding me. At age 4, however, a book read to me by my father, gave me the courage to take the blanket from my head. That book was “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.
My father theatrically acted out his narration. I was amazed by the young boy Max’s ability to quiet his own monsters with a glare and a snap of, “Be still!” The unique designs of the monsters and their respect for Max also allowed me to view them not as man-eating abominations, but rather as other creatures who could become scared like the humans they terrorized.
Jonathan Cott’s “There’s a Mystery There: The Primal Vision of Maurice Sendak,” delves into “Outside and Over There,” a lesserknown work of the beloved children’s author. Published in 1981 after a tumultuous period that the late author compared to giving birth, including a bout of depression, the picture book told the tale of Ida, a young girl who rescued her baby sister from a group of goblins.
Mr. Cott refuses to dismiss it as merely a colorful tale. Identifying it as the book Sendak considered his greatest work, Mr. Cott carefully unpacks the author’s masterpiece by using an analytic and personal approach to his criticism. In doing so, Mr. Cott reveals his own connection to Sendak. He details a moment when he brought the author a deli sandwich for his birthday. This intimacy was underscored by an interview with playwright Tony Kushner in the final part of the book, which begins with the playwright stating that the reason he agreed to be interviewed was that he was good friends with Sendak.
Mr. Cott’s analytical approach is fascinating. He focuses upon both the visual and psychological aspect of the story’s creation. Sendak’s work on the production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” which in fact allowed him to work through his depression while working on “Outside and Over There” is brought to the forefront. As Sendak’s works focus upon more mature themes for children, his very real childhood trauma and obsession with the Lindbergh baby kidnapping was woven into “Outside and Over There.”
Mr. Cott’s book carefully explores the balance of the illustrated and the written in Sendak’s work. Colorful imagery and charming characters highlight several pages. Each section carefully analyzes the themes and influences within “Outside and Over There,” while spending less time on his other works. The image of Ida, her fists clenched and waving angrily in the air at her younger sister’s abduction, is displayed in a full page, while her dispatching of the goblins into a stream fills two pages like a mural.
“There’s a Mystery There” is an intimate look at not only a classic of children’s literature, but also its creator. Mr. Cott carefully balances his insights with an analytical approach that never loses sight of the beloved author’s humanity.