maurice sendak bookworm cover art

We went to Goodwill this morning and found this! It's actually an old elementary reading textbook. 

I probably would not have bought it if not for the beautiful cover art and the photo of Sendak on the back, but then again, I always enjoyed my literature textbooks. 

Not sure what grade this is for, but maybe one day Juliet will have fun reading through it on her own. 

For now, I might just prop it up on a shelf in the playroom as book art. 

With Maurice Sendak's recent passing, I have been thinking about his books. Of course, everyone immediately thinks of Where the Wild Things Are when they think of him and I am no different. 

I remember my kindergarten teacher reading it to us and I also remember going home to tell my parents about the MOST AMAZING book we had read at school. 

Something about it was so magical to me. I really don't know what it was, but I loved it. 

It is the only book I can remember my teacher reading to me that entire year--even though surely she would have read dozens upon dozens to us, right? 

I have no idea. Where the Wild Things Are is the only one I remember. 

We never owned a copy of it. I don't know that I ever read it again after kindergarten. 

When Juliet was two, I dared to pick it up at the library, but then quickly put it back on the shelf because I didn't want to rush into it! I didn't want to spoil it for her by reading it to her before she could fully appreciate it. 

We still haven't read it together because I wanted her be in kindergarten and be blown away by it like I was. 

So guess what? She starts kindergarten this fall. 

It's time for me to get a copy! 

Do you have a favorite Sendak book or a special memory associated with one of his works? Please share!