If you haven't seen the television show "Gilmore Girls" you are missing on out on some fast talking, diner food eating, book reading goodness. This blog is about celebrating the book reading aspect, but you might also find additional references to "Gilmore Girls" or reading in general throughout. Some awesome soul compiled a list of 349 books read or featured on "Gilmore Girls", and this blog is my attempt to read all of them in two years. Join me for the good, the bad, the oh-my-gosh-i-don't-wanna-read-that, and more. For every book I complete, I will be donating books to children.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Let's be Enemies by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Janice May Udry and Maurice Sendak

Do you have favorite childhood books? Those books that you just loved to read over and over or books that you think of fondly when you consider your early reading experiences?

For me, Let's be Enemies written by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Maurice Sendak is just one such book. I adore this little treasure! It's a great little story that perfectly tells the tale of friendship among children -- friends today, enemies tomorrow, and friends again the next day. It's about navigating me versus you versus both of us together.

I just adore it.

I also appreciate the simplicity of the tale and the pared down, simple style of Sendak's illustrations. The simple story and the simple illustrations compliment one another perfectly.
Maurice Sendak

I love that this little book and Sendak's illustration style doesn't confine itself to the borders of the page. Sendak was never afraid of the action going off the page, much like Edgar Degas paintings where it often appears that something is happening just outside the frame of the image.
Cropped images
And, the images throughout the book are just plain adorable. Sendak captures emotions and thoughts in the way he illustrates a face or the position of arms or legs. He creates whole characters in each illustration.
 Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak
 Maurice Sendak
 Maurice Sendak
I love Maurice Sendak so much that when an exhibit of his work came to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco several years ago, my son and I jumped at the chance to go! Cameras were not allowed in the exhibit so I don't have pictures, but if you ever have the chance to see Sendak's work, please do go.
Maurice Sendak

A beautiful illustrated talk between Terry Gross from NPR and Maurice Sendak, originally on NPR but illustrated by Cristoph Niemann for The New York Times -- this talk starts with mention of Sendak being an atheist. If you are not an atheist, I hope that won't discourage you from watching and listening as this really is a lovely little video and chat (although a bit sad as well). It is an excerpt from a longer interview on NPR's Fresh Air in an interview titled On Life, Death, and Children's Lit. I love this video and talk:

A second, lovely video -- this one is also illustrated for Blank on Blank on PBS Digital Studios, and it features Maurice Sendak talking about "Being a Kid":

Do you have a favorite Maurice Sendak book or illustration? Please share with a comment!

Did you enjoy this post? You might also enjoy:
Please note, Amazon links may be affiliate links. Making a purchase through them may result 
in a small commission for me. However, any such commissions are greatly appreciated. 
All opinions expressed here and anywhere else on my blog are 100% my own.



No comments:

Post a Comment