Synopses & Reviews
The New York Times bestselling author of Wicked presents an inspired visual tribute to the work of legendary writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak
Published in 1963 to great critical acclaim, Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Award-winning Where the Wild Things Are has sold millions of copies worldwide, garnered countless awards, and been translated into nineteen languages. In Making Mischief, Gregory Maguire reconsiders Sendak's oeuvre with the same adroit and idiosyncratic scrutiny that allowed him to see a heroine in the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked) and add a charming dimension to the story of the Little Match Girl (Matchless).
An accomplished critic with signal reviews published in the New York Times Book Review and lectures on art delivered at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and at other locations, Maguire examines Sendak's aesthetic influences from William Blake to Walt Disney, revealing the "conversations"—often unconscious and unspoken—that artists have with one another. A master of literary invention himself, Maguire explores recurring motifs in Sendak's life work—from monsters to mayhem—as well as his profound understanding of children, their creativity, and the breadth of emotions with which they encounter the world.
Making Mischief is a gift of the imagination to Maurice Sendak, one of the master mythmakers of our time.
Review
“Refreshing. . . . Maguire arranges a bounty of favorite or rare illustrations into five playful and accessible essays. This fitting and witty homage gives ample evidence for Maguires contention that ‘the word genius isnt grade inflation.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Erudite and imaginative. . . . Maguires appreciation is rooted in his subjects own appreciation of such artists as Randolph Caldecott, William Blake, Phillip Otto Runge, Winsor McCay, and a host of others. [A] beautifully conceived, gracefully written, and lovingly considered tribute.” Booklist (starred review)
Review
“At once a serious survey of Maurice Sendaks antecedents and a playful accounting of his preoccupations and themes, Making Mischief, in its subject and in its form, is a joyful, loving, intelligent celebration of that rare and wonderful thing: originality.” Tony Kushner
Synopsis
With the same adroit scrutiny that enabled him to recognize a heroine in the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire, New York Times "bestselling author of Wicked, " reconsiders the oeuvre of the incomparable Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are"). Making Mischief "pays tribute to the visionary author and illustrator, his profound understanding of children, and his stunningly imaginative and groundbreaking work that carried the picture book so much higher and farther than it had ever flown. A beautifully designed, endlessly fascinating volume, Making Mischief "is one master mythmaker s heartfelt appreciation of another."
Synopsis
With the same adroit scrutiny that enabled him to recognize a heroine in the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked, reconsiders the oeuvre of the incomparable Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are). Making Mischief pays tribute to the visionary author and illustrator, his profound understanding of children, and his stunningly imaginative and groundbreaking work that carried the picture book so much higher and farther than it had ever flown. A beautifully designed, endlessly fascinating volume, Making Mischief is one master mythmakers heartfelt appreciation of another.
About the Author
Gregory Maguire is the author of several best-selling adult novels, including Wicked, which was turned into a Broadway musical. His books for younger readers include the picture book Crabby Cratchitt, the novel The Good Liar, and the popular Hamlet Chronicles series. While writing Leaping Beauty, Mr. Maguire sadly became allergic to all creatures great and small. Now he lives in a house without pets, though he is the father of three happy, noisy small children to whom, at this writing, he has not yet developed allergies.