A Call for Submissions: Re-Sendakify Sendak!
Last year the idea was simple if a bit odd. I called upon my artist readers out there to consider in all that ample free time they have (why, oh why, is there no sarcasm font?) taking a classic Dr. Seuss book and drawing some aspect of it in the style of another children’s illustrator. Result was the remarkably fun, if wacky, Re-Seussification Project. The results, as I’m sure you have seen, were beyond splendid.
Now we find ourselves in 2013 and without our north star. Maurice Sendak passed away on May 8, 2012. This season his picture book My Brother’s Book has hit bookstore and library shelves nationwide. To honor the man, his life, his books, and his characters, let us do so in the strangest way possible. Ladies and gentlemen, I call upon you to Re-Sendakify Sendak.
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The rules are simple. Reinterpret a famous scene from any Maurice Sendak book in the style of another famous children’s picture book artist. Perhaps you’d like to do Pierre ala Ezra Jack Keats or Outside Over There in the style of Marcia Brown. All power to you. Whatever you prefer, if you think this is a fun notion send me a scan of your idea and I’ll cull together a post filled with some of the different submissions and post the results on the anniversary of the publication of Where the Wild Things Are (October sumthin’ sumthin’). And if you want to do it in the style of someone living (Mo Willems, Kevin Henkes, etc.) it could be fun but let it be on your head. Admittedly, last time Dan Santat did a Jon Klassen that was absolute perfection.
All submissions must be received at Fusenumber8@gmail.com by April 30st.
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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Hi Betsy, this is a great idea! I can see a lot of wonderful possibilities. One question: Are we considering any book Maurice Sendak illustrated or just the ones he wrote AND illustrated?
Oh, excellent question Diandra. This wasn’t an issue when we did Seuss since he pretty much always illustrated his own work. Sendak did so many classic characters written by other folks (Little Bear, Little Lori, etc.) that this is open to anything he drew. The more choices the better, sez I.
WOW! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this! The images from the re-Seussification project are wonderful. Looking forward to seeing what artists can do with Sendak’s work. I’m not an illustrator, but I learn so much about the books we make by studying the art. And did I say I LOVE this idea?
Yipee! I love these!
That’s because you’re frighteningly good at them. I had a dinner party this past Saturday with friends and we ended up looking at your Stephen Gammell version of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish yet again. Briliance.
Working on this year’s entry! I think you are bound to get more than last year, but even if I don’t make the cut I find it very entertaining (and my kids think I’m quite talented). I’ve moved back to the US this year so I have a new group of students to present the idea to. I have the 7th graders at my new school working on it. If I get some good ones I’ll pass them on.