Goodbye Maurice

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When I heard this week that Maurice Sendak had passed away at age 83, I thought of all the enjoyment I've had over the years reading his books with and to children. I hear the little voices of kids at our preschool who memorize and recite all the verses each year from his little illustrated jewel, "Chicken Soup With Rice." I thought of this photo I took of a Sendak display made by librarians at the Seattle Central Library. Sendak's drawings are so distinctive. He was an illustrator and author of myriad children's picture books from the 1950s to the present, many of them now classics. He was the costume and set designer of The Pacific Northwest Ballet's beloved Seattle production of "The Nutcracker." Raised in Brooklyn and the son of a Holocaust survivor, he had a long and productive life and was predeceased by his life partner of more than 50 years. Maurice Sendak brought so much understanding, wit, and humor to life in his pages for children. Thanks, Maurice. Generations of your readers will miss you."Going once, going twice, going chicken soup with rice."