WebQuest

Maurice Sendak


Maurice Sendak is artist, illustrator, theatrical set designer, costume designer and writer who is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are: a story about an angry little boy who gets sent to his room without dinner and imagines himself as king of the wild beasts in an imaginary land.




Maurice’s interest in art started at age twelve after seeing the Walt Disney movie Fantasia, but his love of books came even earlier when he developed serious health problems and had to be confined to his bed. His illustrations were first published in 1947 in a textbook titled Atomics for the Millions by Dr. Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff. He spent much of the 1950s working as an artist for children's books, before beginning to write his own stories.

Maurice has also written and/or illustrated other books:

The Nutshell Library (1986)
-A boxed set including miniature versions of "Alligators All Around: An Alphabet", "One Was Johnny: A Counting Book", "Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months", and "Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue".

Outside Over There (1981)
- Story about a little girl who is jealous of her baby sister, but ends up saving her from goblins by playing her wonder horn. He received the American Book Award in 1982 for the book, which was also a Caldecott Honor Book and won the 1981 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Illustration.

Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1999)
-Jeannie the dog is pampered, but unhappy. She leaves home to find more and discovers a wonderful opportunity to be an actress. However, she needs experience and goes on to have some very disconcerting experiences. This clever story is also interesting as an account of the lure of an artist's true vocation, even in the face of obstacles and discomfort.

In the Night Kitchen (1970)
-Illustrated in a style reminiscent of comic books, this is the exuberant story of a little boy and his nighttime adventures. Mickey is awakened by a noise, falls out of his clothes, and "into the light of the night kitchen." This fantasy is very appealing to small children. In 1971 it was recognized as a Caldecott Honor Book. The book, first published in 1970, has often been subjected to censorship for its drawings of a young boy prancing naked through the story. It has been challenged in several American states including Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Texas. It regularly appears on the American Library Association's list of "frequently challenged and banned books." (6]

Questions:

-What is the job of an illustrator?
-What are the benefits of writing and illustrating your own stories?
-Does an artist have more freedom writing and illustrating his/her books or solely illustrating?

Your Webquest:

1. Use the internet to research more work of Maurice Sendak. There is something in common that many of his books have. It is called a "style." His style of writing and illustrating includes monsters and/or animals in his stories. The way he paints his images also has a style, it has texture by the way he uses his lines.

2. Look for another artist/writer/illustrator who has written or illustrated books. Choose one of these people who you think has a "style" to their work.
(HINT: look up the work of artist Kadir Nelson)
I would define his style of work as:
* Using African Americans in his work.
* Using images of people
* Telling stories about important people in history.

3. Define what kind of style that this artist has. Present 2 to 3 images or books that shows the artist's style.

Here are some websites that will help you to get started on your search:
-http://www.google.com
-http://www.yahoo.com
-http://www.childrensillustrators.com
-http://www.qbbooks.com/store/40380.htm

Activity:
• Write your own children's book!

Here are some suggestions to get your stories going:
-Think of a funny incident that has happened you in your life.
-Base your story on a cool dream that you have had.
-Make up an imaginary character and write about their adventures.

• Be the illustrator and define your style!
-First, think about the words you have written in your story.
-Next, choose “key” words that help to describe your story.
-Use those words to create pictures that will describe the story.
-Use colors that will help to set the “mood” of your story
(Example: happy-yellow, sad-dark blue/black, angry-red, etc.)

• Take your time, do the best you can, and have fun!

References:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Wild_Things_Are
-http://collectingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/arts-and-sciences.html
-http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060255008/Nutshell_Library/index.aspx
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Night_Kitchen