Into the Forest
Sendak’s dynamic cityscapes, landscapes, and scenery are layered with references to friends and family, events, and nostalgia for the New York of his childhood. His “trilogy” highlights the importance of setting in its very titles: Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There. These fantasy lands each have their own unique mood and concealed secrets that hint at the emotional core of the story. The illustrations here survey the haunted yet captivating forest and landscape imagery within Sendak’s stories, and their stylistic breadth. By looking closely at these various settings and fantasy spaces, you can discover how Sendak channels undercurrents of remembrance, humor, and ambiguity in his stories.
