In Grandpa’s House.

SENDAK, Maurice.

$200.00

Item Number: 46061

New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1985.

First edition of the re-issue of this Sendak work. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by Maurice Sendak on the half-title page.

At age 75, a year before his death in 1970, Philip Sendak wrote down some of his father's stories in response to a request from his son, Maurice. The stories, translated from the Yiddish and combined into one tale, are presented in this small volume along with a short reminiscence of Philip Sendak's life. In a simple, straightforward style that reflects his Polish shtetl roots, Sendak tells of a young boy's fairy tale-like quest for his parents. Carried by a large bird from place to place, in true allegorical fashion, he witnesses a war between friendly giants and greedy monsters, is swallowed by a large fish and finds a brave runaway slave in a cave. He encounters little people who are rich in possessions but have no food and saves a sick man's flock from wild beasts. The boy finally visits his grandfather in heaven, learns the meaning of his travels and is returned to his parents. In Maurice Sendak's pencil illustrations, children glimpse the boy's grandfather watching over him.