Maurice Sendak Poster & Resources | The Center for Jewish-Inclusive Learning Portal

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Topic

Jewish American Heritage

Summary

Meet Maurice Sendak, a renowned Jewish illustrator, children’s book author, and explorer of the emotional world of young people, in this poster and resources from the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Sendak invented worlds and characters who were outsiders, others, and sometimes perceived as monstrous. His creative works reflect the experiences of Jewish immigrants and the pain of antisemitism and exclusion. His legacy is of an artist who imagined worlds where everyone belonged.

His work represented the following Jewish values:

Celebrating outsiders

Valuing immigrants

Promoting belonging

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish Jewish immigrants, Maurice Sendak (1928-2012) was an award-winning illustrator and children’s book author who focused on the inner lives of young people in his stories. He challenged mid-20th century children’s literature conventions as his characters were not always well-behaved, and they lived in worlds that were not idyllic. His writing led young readers on fantastical adventures to frightful, delightful, and dreamy worlds where fear, anger, and joy could be felt openly and honestly.

These resources feature Sendak as part of a poster series recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Classroom learning resources such as lesson plans, teaching materials, children’s books, and videos of picture books being read aloud are included. Professional learning resources, including websites, books by Maurice Sendak, biographies, books and articles about him, videos, and podcasts, are also provided.

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Lesson

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NPS