Mommy? ( a pop-up book) [Hardcover]

Maurice Sendak (Author), Arthur Yorinks (Author), Matthew Reinhart (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 26, 2006 | Age Range: 5 and up

Maurice Sendak's first pop-up book!

They're all here! Everybody's favorite monsters are just going about their business when a plucky little boy wanders into their cuckoo house. And what does he want? He wants Mommy!

No matter how scary these monsters are, there's no besting a little boy who's looking for his mommy. In one hilarious pop-up extravaganza after another, this kid shows them a thing or two.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Children who get the better of monsters are a Sendak specialty, from Where the Wild Things Are to Brundibar. In this light bite of spine-tingling fare created by Sendak, Yorinks (Hey, Al) and Reinhart (Encyclopedia Prehistorica)—sort of a dark twist on Are You My Mother?—a mischievous boy addresses the title question to some unmaternal characters. Sendak's quintessential black-haired boy (with a strong resemblance to Mickey), wearing blue PJs and a red cap, wanders into a haunted house and naively calls, "Mommy?" Stylized, softened characters from Nosferatu and Lon Chaney creature features unfold in 3-D to menace the child, but the boy might as well be saying, "Trick or treat?", because he pulls pranks on everyone. A tall Frankenstein's monster gets ready to stomp on him; in a gatefold at the right-hand side of the spread, the disarming toddler jerks the bolts from the startled monster's neck. On a brick roof, the boy surprises a werewolf and a green goblin; the gatefold reveals the boy yanking down the Wolf Man's jeans to reveal silly boxer shorts, while the goblin giggles. In Reinhart's neatest engineering feat—a spinning dowel-and-string contraption—the not-so-harmless boy spins the white wrappings off an Egyptian "mummy." The title is the book's only word until the conclusion, when the Bride of Frankenstein at last replies to the child's question. Although the illustrious creators' do not appear until the back cover, readers cannot miss Sendak's signature graphic style. These gags are not too serious, but the suspenseful setups pointedly suggest humor's power over fear. All ages. (Sept.)
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From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 4–This pop-up tour de force abounds with humor, vibrant artwork, and visual fireworks. A sweet-faced tyke, attired in a sky-blue onesie and fuzzy hat, toddles into a creepy house. Unperturbed by his gruesome surroundings, he encounters one monster after another, calmly asking each, Mommy? Although the creatures try their best to scare him, the childs unwavering smile and mischievous actions quickly clarify whos in charge. The youngster corks a ghouls fang-filled mouth with a pacifier, removes the bolts from Frankensteins neck, unwraps a startled mummy, and pulls down a werewolfs pants before making his way to the welcoming arms of Frankensteins bride (Baby!). Masterfully illustrated in Sendaks familiar style and muted palette, the almost-wordless pages are chock-full of skeletons, mysterious lab equipment, and strange vessels brimming with unidentifiable contents. Amusing details include a framed baby picture of a dour-faced, diaper-clad Frankenstein and the werewolfs bright-yellow boxers. Each three-dimensional spread features an additional foldout pop-up, adding another element of surprise. The effects are delightful, as characters burst from hiding places with limbs flailing, heads move and eyes open and close, and the mummy–complete with shoelace bandages–spins around and around as the boy tugs a loose end. A fun, not-too-frightening romp thats loaded with child appeal.–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 12 pages
• Publisher: Michael di Capua Books / Scholastic; 1st edition (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439880505
• ISBN-13: 978-0439880503
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For more than forty years, the books Maurice Sendak has written and illustrated have nurtured children and adults alike and have challenged established ideas about what children's literature is and should be. The New York Times has recognized that Sendak's work "has brought a new dimension to the American children's book and has helped to change how people visualize childhood." Parenting recently described Sendak as "indisputably, the most revolutionary force in children's books."
Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are, in 1970 Sendak became the first American illustrator to receive the international Hans Christian Andersen Award, given in recognition of his entire body of work. In 1983, he received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association, also given for his entire body of work.
Beginning in 1952, with A Hole Is to Dig by Ruth Krauss, Sendak's illustrations have enhanced many texts by other writers, including the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik, children's books by Isaac Bashevis Singer and Randall Jarrell, and The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm. Dear Mili, Sendak's interpretation of a newly discovered tale by Wilhelm Grimm, was published to extraordinary acclaim in 1988.
In addition to Where the Wild Things Are (1963), Sendak has both written and illustrated
The Nutshell Library (1962), Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1967), In the Night Kitchen (1970), Outside Over There (1981), and, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy (1993). He also illustrated Swine Lake (1999), authored by James Marshall, Brundibar (2003), by Tony Kushner, Bears (2005), by Ruth Krauss and, Mommy? (2006), his first pop-up book, with paper engineering by Matthew Reinhart and story by Arthur Yorinks.
Since 1980, Sendak has designed the sets and costumes for highly regarded productions of Mozart's The Magic Flute and Idomeneo, Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Prokofiev's
The Love for Three Oranges, Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and Hans Krása's Brundibár.
In 1997, Sendak received the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton. In 2003 he received the first Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an international prize for children's literature established by the Swedish government. Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn in 1928. He now lives in Connecticut.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! October 8, 2006

By dephal VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been a Sendak junkie since I was a kid. His books have always been among my very favorites, and I'm happy to say they're among my kids' favorites as well. I also love pop-ups, so I was really excited to learn about this book. And I must say, my expectations have been surpassed.

The story line is very simple: a young child looks for his Mommy, encountering various monsters along the way and defeating them in creative ways. There are only a few written words in the book. But the story that the pictures tell is wonderful. What child wouldn't be delighted by a book in which a kid defeats the wolfman by pantsing him? Nosferatu gets a binky! And there's a ton of detail in the pictures as well. My girls like to spend several minutes looking at each page spread.

Then there are the pop-ups. This book is really a paper engineering marvel. The pop-up bits are enormously detailed and full of movement. My favorite part is when the boy unwraps the mummy. It's an understatement to say the pop-ups are spectacular.

The only reservation at all I have about this book is that my kids will probably love it to death. Like another reviewer, I think I'm going to buy them their own copy and keep one for myself!

If you have the least interest in Sendak or pop-ups, or think you might, buy this book.

80 of 88 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mommy, can you hear me? September 26, 2006

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

In the April 17, 2006 edition of "The New Yorker", there was a remarkable article by Cynthia Zarin on Maurice Sendak. In the article was a whole host of interesting information regarding Sendak's past, literary achievements, and current untouchable status as an icon. At one point, Sendak discusses the character of Max from "Where the Wild Things Are". He says of his character, "My God, Max would be what now, forty-eight? He's still unmarried, he's living in Brooklyn. He's a computer maven. He's totally ungifted. He wears a wolf suit when he's at home with his mother!" Later, Zarin touches a little too close to the subject of the author's parents. "If I had a real mother and she made me happy, and a real father who made me happy, I would be working in the computer store with Max", he points out. Now, I don't like to come off as a person who reads too much into a cute l'il ole pop-up book, but it seems to me as if a thorough reading of, "Mommy?", could only be helped by knowing the above information. This is probably the most interesting, most elaborate, and most enjoyable Sendak creation to hit the market in years. It deserves a bit o' critique.

A small boy in blue footie pajamas, sporting a red cap on his head, bursts through the front door of a magnificently haunted castle. Our intrepid hero offers a quizzical, "Mommy?" on every page before defeating a variety of different movie monsters in wholly original ways. Right off the bat he stumbles past Doctor Frankenstein before popping a pacifier into a spooky Nosferatu lookalike. No Frankenstein's monster fears he. It's amazing what the removal of those bolts around his neck can accomplish. Whether he's unraveling a mummy or causing the Wolfman to drop trou, the kid has everything well in hand.... Finally all our villains are out for a spectacular double spread. The little boy gives a final "Mommy?" at a door and behold! The Bride of Frankenstein appears with a resounding, "Baby!", to set everything ah-right.

It seems only natural that our greatest living picture book artist should join with one of the greatest living pop-up book artists (one Mr. Matthew Reinhart) to create something together. What I doubt anyone could have predicted was that that "something" would turn out to be "Mommy?". Oh sweet heaven above it's weird. Weird and wonderful. I don't think I'm the only person in the world who takes a perverse pleasure in watching a certain breed of parent freak out while their kids take great delight in "inappropriate" children's fare. First of all, I'd just like to point out that The Bride of Frankenstein is undoubtedly the sexiest Sendak female the man has ever drawn. This is an odd thing to say, but I feel it really needs to be pointed out. She's a cutie. The reason this book works, first and foremost, is because our hero never shows anything resembling fear at these various beasties. At one point he looked vaguely pissed off at The Mummy, but he soon has a handle on the situation.

Both the art and the pop-ups are stronger for the rare Sendak/Reinhart partnership. Getting to work with the great man himself, Reinhart seems to have gone all out with this one. As with all his other book, he's designed the title so that you have to open a smaller pop-up section within the larger two-page spreads. But while this was always an option in his past books ("Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs", for example) here it becomes a requirement. The story only moves along if you open the small pop-up within the larger pop-up. At the same time, Reinhart is doing all kinds of neat tricks that you wouldn't think would necessarily work. Open one little pop-up and a picture's eyes move. Open another and the little boy is unraveling the mummy. This is nothing short of amazing, by the way. It involves string, a spinning plastic centerpiece, and who knows what-all. I've been spinning the mummy back and forth for about an hour now and I'm still not bored with it (nor, for that matter, has it broken yet). The Wolfman frowns as his picture is opened up. The Bride stands up and her head looks down. This is madness. Pure remarkable gorgeous madness. Also, has anyone else noticed that Sendak's art here looks as if he's grown thirty or forty-some years younger? When he reillustrated Ruth Krauss's, "Bears" it was clearly Sendakian but broad and loose. "Mommy?", in contrast, looks as if it could have been made at the same time as "In the Night Kitchen", for all its details and delicate linework (to say nothing of subtext).

I was admittedly a little confused by the role Arthur Yorinks chose to play in this book. The credit he receives is the uniquely unhelpful designation of "Scenario By". The book is not particularly forthcoming on the subject, so it helped that I discovered the following: "In 1994, Yorinks wrote and directed a play entitled It's Alive! for the Night Kitchen theater company (founded by him and Sendak), the plot of which became the storyline of Mommy? 'About six years ago,' Yorinks recalls, 'I got to thinking about how Maurice had painted a beautiful backdrop for It's Alive! and had not only done drawings of the costumes, but he had actually drawn the characters in the costumes. Looking at them, I realized that we actually had at least half a book already. So I went to Michael di Capua, and suggested we do something with all of this." Voila. Instant pop-up book.

This isn't the only classic movie monster title for the young `uns to be coming out in time for the Halloween season, of course. Adam Rex's, "Frankenstein Made a Sandwich" is also well-worth reviewing, should you be in need of some monster-related poetry. But "Mommy?", is wonderful. I wonder which uptight parent will try to ban it from a library first. Children will absolutely adore this book, by the way. It's just the teensiest bit frightening, so the ones who want to feel brave will be able to do so. At the same time, they'll feel safe in identifying with the plucky kid who foils a monster at every turn. In the New Yorker article mentioned above, a prevalent theme in Sendak's work is declared to be, "always about a child in danger whose best defense is imagination." Editor Michael di Capua says in reference to this title, "Maurice reinvented what a children's book is: it's a book." It is. And this is the book to beat out all the rest. Take a gander at it if you've a chance. Just make sure you place a pillow at our feet when you do so. I don't want any injuries to occur when your jaw takes a header for the floor. Beautiful, psychologically twisted, kid-friendly stuff. Read more ›

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing October 30, 2006

By Andy H

Format:Hardcover

I recently heard an interview on NPR with Maurice Sendak. He talked about how this was his first pop-up book. However, he had been very interested for years in 19th century pop-ups, such as the works of the great Munich artisan, Lothar Meggendorfer. I've loved Sendak's style for years so I was quite excited by the prospects of his new endeavor.

This book is truly beautiful. Astonishingly so. It did scare my 2 year old daughter a bit, but she's warming up to it seeing how much enjoyment her father is getting from it.

Good stuff.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Amazingly intricate Pop-up Book. October 6, 2006

By SL

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My kids and I love pop-up books, and I love paper engineering and building castles and palaces out of paper. When I read this book, I was amazed at how intricate the pop-ups were. Whereas most pop-up books may have 5 or so different pieces of paper on each page, this book has what looks to be 3 to 5 times that number of different small pieces of paper that all interconnect and make an amazing picture. I can't believe they were able to produce this book for the retail price! Surely it can't be by machine? Anyways, your kids will love it, although younger ones will need help closing the pages so that the pieces don't get mangled. I might buy 2 - one for the kids to read and probably destroy, and 1 for my collection. Highly recommended if you love pop-up books!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A different fun book November 12, 2006

By Cynthia

Format:Hardcover

This book is fun comical book for children who want to read something mysterious. This cute book gives the reader the enthusiasm in turning the pages to see what happens of the young boy going into a creepy house focusing on the search of his mother.

Cynthia Marie Rizzo, author of "Julie and the Unicorn" and "Angela and the Princess"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Beautiful November 24, 2009

By MIA

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is by far the most beautiful, magical children's book I've ever seen. It's a paper engineering marvel. I bought this book for my daughter but find myself playing with it again and again, thinking of how many people I want to share it with.
It will bring out the child in you. Enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for preschooler scared of monsters January 5, 2007

By N. Picard

Format:Hardcover

I bought this book for my newly 4-yr-old son who expressed a fear of monsters. When he saw the silly monsters in this book, it was a great jumping off point to address his fears. Plus, he loves the other Maurice Sendak books he has.