Wild Things Happening at the GRAM

When I used to baby-sit perpetually, Where the Wild Things Are was a book that I could recite by heart:

"The night Max wore his wolf suit, and made mischief of one kind and another, his mother called him 'Wild Thing' and Max said "I'll eat you up!", so he was sent to bed without eating anything."

A compilation of work by children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak is currently on exhibition at the GRAM, and features dozens of original Wild Things sketches. 

The beloved children's classic was published in 1963 and transformed the genre of children's literature—portraying children as individuals, with real moods and emotions.

Sendak originally pitched the story idea as Where the Wild Horses Are—the editor loved the idea, but Sendak soon realized he couldn't draw horses. When he told his editor*, she asked: “Maurice, what can you draw?”

“Things,” he said.

The "Things" take on the personas of some of Sendak's aunts and uncles, who he remembers having crooked teeth and hairy noses. His child-like and literal understanding of things they often said frightened him, "How fat you got, you look so good we could eat you up," they'd say.

Since its release, Where the Wild Things Are has been animated, made into an opera (that Sendak designed the set for), and a feature length film. 

But that wasn't Sendak's entire legacy. He also wrote the book and lyrics for the children's musical, Really Rosie. I did not know this before visiting the museum today, but I remember seeing this play as a kid, and wearing the hot pink t-shirt for YEARS afterwards. So thanks, Maurice Sendak. 

Sendak was born the same year as Mickey Mouse, and the mouse was very influential in Sendak's childhood, inspiring him to draw and tell stories. Often sick as a child and confined to bed, Sendak's astounding imagination took over. He often showed tribute to the mouse via illustration. 

Self Portrait

This Sendak original is currently for sale online for $11,000. 

Google even honored Sendak on his 85th birthday with this impressive Google Doodle.

The exhibition at the GRAM continues now thru May 22nd and contains about 50 sketches. If you have fond memories of Max in his wolf suit, I suggest you check it out. 

*This editor was also responsible for a few other classics like The Giving Tree, Goodnight Moon, Harold and the Purple Crayon and Charlotte’s Web among others.

The Extended Tale of Beatrix Potter

Beloved children's author Beatrix Potter died in 1943, but in September of this year, she will publish a new book: The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots. 

Jo Hanks, a publisher at Penguin Random House discovered the unpublished manuscript in the Victoria and Albert museum archives. It was written in 1914 but was never published due to WWI.

Along with the manuscript, Hanks found a signle color sketch of Kitty-in-Boots.
Potter describes our new heroine in a letter to her publisher as "a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads rather a double life."

The cover art and illustrations will be completed by Sir Quentin Blake, known for artwork for the Roald Dahl classics. 

The cover will feature Kitty in her gentleman's jacket and fur-lined boots, drawn in Blake's scratchy, angular illustrative style. I personally feel this design lacks the soft appeal of Potter's own illustrations, which always felt comforting and safe, like an animal I wanted to cuddle up with. 

Hanks considers this story the best of Beatrix Potter. With rambunctious humor, colorful villains, and some of our favorite characters —including an appearance from Petter Rabbit.

I'm a believer that history and legacies should be left alone, but I'm not going to lie, I'm super excited about this additional Tale being added to the Beatrix Potter collection. 

Holidays on Rails

I love the city my town has become. But what I like even more than looking at what Grand Rapids is, is looking at what Grand Rapids was. And our local Christmas legend gives us an amazing opportunity to do that.

Grand Rapidian Chris Van Allsburg wrote The Polar Express in 1985, inspired by childhood memories of the holidays in Grand Rapids.

Back then,  Herpolsheimer's and Wurzburg's department stores were basically the Macy's and Gimbels of GR.

"When you went downtown to do your Christmas shopping, you always had to make a choice to go to Wurzburg's or Herpolsheimer's," Van Allsburg remembers.

Today, the Grand Rapids Art Museum is located on the former site of Wurzburg's. And the GR police department sits on the somewhat iconic corner of Monroe Center and Division, where Herpolsheimer's once was.

Before shopping malls, and certainly before the internet, shopping was a different experience, and department stores reigned. And for the kids, visiting the shopping at Christmas meant a visit to Santa Claus.
During the Christmas shopping season, Herpolsheimer's operated the "Santa Express"—a miniature train on a monorail suspended from the ceiling in the basement. While it looks cheesy and somewhat dangerous to me now, back then I'm sure it felt futuristic, like something straight out of the World's Fair.

The train in The Polar Express was based on a 482 Baldwin Steam train. When they made the movie, the train they referenced was the Pere Marquette, which is the rail line between Grand Rapids and Chicago. And the train they studied.... #1225 of course.

I myself, have very early holiday memories of The Polar Express, specifically because of the Breton Village Mall, where they always had an elaborate train set up, and the story was illustrated annually around Santa's Village.

In a season where tradition reigns, Grand Rapids looks a little different than it did when Van Allsburg was growing up. People head to the suburbs (or their desktop) to shop. But his story will continue to delight for as long as children have the ability to believe.