Overview
Maurice Sendak illustrates his father's words.
A huge talking bird, a friendly giant, and other fantastic creatures help David find his missing grandfather and discover the lessons every Jewish boy should know.
Synopsis
Maurice Sendak illustrates his father's words.
The Washington Post
Translated from the elder Sendak's Americanism-rich Yiddish, the story retains an engaging artlessness. Little David's parents are missing. With the help of a miraculous bird, he sets out to find them, encountering giants, monsters, fish and tiny people before arriving at his grandfather's house in heaven, where Grandpa explains the meaning of David's adventures and restores him -- a better, wiser Jewish boy now -- to his anxious parents. Maurice Sendak's black-and-white drawings capture the lost world of the shtetl and also interestingly prefigure the illustrations he did for his most recent children's book, Brundibar. — Elizabeth Ward