Maurice Sendak's Long History of Scaring Kids

February 23, 2012 - 12:40pm — Blake

Maurice Sendak's Long History of Scaring Kids
The librarian's comment reveals the paradox of Maurice Sendak books: So often, children and adults disagree about them. She's on the defensive, her persnickety "we should not like" suggesting some standard of tact or dignity has been broached; meanwhile, the "sensitive" child is not terrified but enthralled, poring over the work with awe and wonder. It's not the child who feels threatened, but the adult.