Penny Sibson's Copy of Where the WIld Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Penny Sibson was a book publicist who worked for a number of houses, including the Bodley Head, a London imprint of Penguin Random House. A copy of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are from her personal library is dedicated to her by the author. He included a drawing of the wild thing Moishe, whom Sendak closely identified with. The book is available from Book Box London.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks listing accessed April 18, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Where-Wild-Things-Inscribed-Presentation-Copy/32423504192/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks item description

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks bibliographic details

May 10, 2026 Update:  Sold!

05248

Maurice Sendak: Max Arriving at the Island of the Wild Things

Max has arrived! Maurice Sendak's original two-page illustration of Max in his sailboat arriving at the island of the Wild Things is by far the most important work of this artist ever to appear at auction. This is first illustration Sendak made for Where the Wild Things Are (1963) and the first ever to be sold. The remaining illustrations are unlikely ever to be released to the market.

Prior to the sale, online bidders brought the hammer price up to $130,000, or $162,500 with the buyer's premium. The most spirited bidding would have to wait for the live auction.

Maurice Sendak
Heritage Auctions listing of May 16, 2025

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/paintings/maurice-sendak-american-1928-2012-max-arriving-at-the-island-of-wild-things-where-the-wild-things-are-first-drawing/a/8200-68021.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116#

Maurice Sendak
Heritage Auctions item description

Maurice Sendak
Heritage Auctions condition report

04943

Maurice Sendak's Hillbilly Wild Thing

I'm not surprised to learn that children's book illustrator Maurice Sendak commemorated his 1997 visit to the University of Charleston in West Virginia by publishing a signed, limited edition photolithograph, but I am a bit surprised he chose to call it "Hillbilly Wild Thing." Nevertheless, it's a strong image of a character from his most memorable book, and the regional hat looks handsome enough, if perhaps out of place.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks listing accessed January 1, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/HILLBILLY-WILD-THING-Sendak-Maurice-Parchment/31065892116/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

After the print edition was completed, the original drawing was colored by the artist. It was offered for sale at Heritage in 2003 with a $15,000 reserve. It went unsold.

Maurice Sendak
Heritage Auctions

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-illustration-art/mainstream-illustration/maurice-bernard-sendak-original-illustration-1997-titled-hillbilly-wild-thingmaurice-sendak-is-considered-the/a/808-2376.s

03843

Maurice Sendak: The Horn Book Magazine Poster

Traditionally, The Horn Book Magazine's cover featured an adaptation of an illustration by Randolph Caldecott showing three huntsmen on horseback blowing their—you guessed it!—horns.

https://www.abebooks.com...

Starting with the issue of November-December 1985, the magazine commissioned an annual cover illustration to run for each of six bimonthly issues. The first of these covers was by Maurice Sendak and it featured an image that included Caldecott himself sketching in the park, Caldecott's cat and the fiddle, and, for good measure, a Sendak Wild Thing. A poster of the cover was issued in a signed edition of 300. One of these posters was recently listed on AbeBooks.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks listing accessed February 14, 2021

https://www.abebooks.com/POSTER-HORN-BOOK-MAGAZINE-Sendak-Maurice/30365519100/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook_high

The original art was offered last year through Christie's Private Sale:

Maurice Sendak
Christie's Private Sale

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-maurice-sendak-cover-for-horn-book-magazine-6262750/?lid=1&from=relatedlot&intobjectid=6262750&sc_lang=en

Note:  Christie's Private Sales don't retain price information, at least not any that I can locate. I'd like to hear from anyone who knows the asking price for this illustration and, if possible, whether it was sold.

Scans of original art by Maurice Sendak are eagerly sought for future blog posts.

03537 

Maurice Sendak: Moishe by Moonlight

We are plausibly told that the second state of Maurice Sendak's 1980 etching Moishe by Moonlight is a rarity, but that doesn't quite tell us how many prints of this image were actually pulled. It's an atmospheric etching of a Wild Thing that would look splendid on any wall. Some of us who admire it though might find the $60,000 price tag to be somewhat prohibitive. 

Maurice Sendak
Moishe by Moonlight
Etching, Second State, 1980

Maurice Sendak

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&kn=Moishe%20by%20Moonlight&sts=t

I believe I saw this impressive piece on display at the Society of Illustrators in November but I was not up to the challenge of photographing it through reflective glass.

Maurice Sendak
Moishe by Moonlight
Etching, Second State, 1980
The Society of Illustrators
November 6, 2020

03154

Maurice Sendak: Some Swell Tree!

Illustrator Maurice Sendak created a painting of a Wild Thing decorated as a Christmas tree for the cover of the December 30, 1976 issue of Rolling Stone. Four years later, The Art of Maurice Sendak was published and the Rolling Stone design was reworked into a poster promoting the book with new text in the word balloons. "Some swell tree!" became "Some swell book!" A signed and inscribed copy of the beautiful poster was sold in October on eBay for a best offer somewhere under $350.

Maurice Sendak, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dec30-1976-ROLLING-STONE-Magazine-229-MAURICE-SENDAK-10-pge-story-ILLUSTRATED-/121126432851?pt=Magazines&hash=item1c33b2b053

Maurice Sendak, The Art of Maurice Sendak poster, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1980
Inscribed "To Freddie--/Maurice Sendak/1980"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Maurice-Sendak-Book-Poster-The-Art-of-Maurice-Sendak-/271291278656?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3f2a386540&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Maurice Sendak, The Art of Maurice Sendak poster detail, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1980
Inscribed "To Freddie--/Maurice Sendak/1980"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Maurice-Sendak-Book-Poster-The-Art-of-Maurice-Sendak-/271291278656?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3f2a386540&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Maurice-Sendak-Book-Poster-The-Art-of-Maurice-Sendak-/271291278656?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3f2a386540&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Maurice Sendak, The Art of Maurice Sendak poster, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1980
Inscribed "To Freddie--/Maurice Sendak/1980"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Maurice-Sendak-Book-Poster-The-Art-of-Maurice-Sendak-/271291278656?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3f2a386540&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Maurice Sendak, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dec30-1976-ROLLING-STONE-Magazine-229-MAURICE-SENDAK-10-pge-story-ILLUSTRATED-/121126432851?pt=Magazines&hash=item1c33b2b053

Maurice Sendak, [The Wild Rumpus,] "Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLLING-STONE-MAURICE-SENDAK-KING-OF-WILD-THINGS-Feature-Cover-Art-1976-FN-/161168255223?pt=Magazines&hash=item25866068f7

"Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dec30-1976-ROLLING-STONE-Magazine-229-MAURICE-SENDAK-10-pge-story-ILLUSTRATED-/121126432851?pt=Magazines&hash=item1c33b2b053

"Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLLING-STONE-MAURICE-SENDAK-KING-OF-WILD-THINGS-Feature-Cover-Art-1976-FN-/161168255223?pt=Magazines&hash=item25866068f7

Maurice Sendak, Fantasy Sketch, "Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dec30-1976-ROLLING-STONE-Magazine-229-MAURICE-SENDAK-10-pge-story-ILLUSTRATED-/121126432851?pt=Magazines&hash=item1c33b2b053

"Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLLING-STONE-MAURICE-SENDAK-KING-OF-WILD-THINGS-Feature-Cover-Art-1976-FN-/161168255223?pt=Magazines&hash=item25866068f7

"Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLLING-STONE-MAURICE-SENDAK-KING-OF-WILD-THINGS-Feature-Cover-Art-1976-FN-/161168255223?pt=Magazines&hash=item25866068f7

"Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things," article by Jonathan Cott, Rolling Stone, December 30, 1976

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLLING-STONE-MAURICE-SENDAK-KING-OF-WILD-THINGS-Feature-Cover-Art-1976-FN-/161168255223?pt=Magazines&hash=item25866068f7

Note:  More blog posts featuring the art of Maurice Sendak including some Wild Things are here.

The Rosenbach Museum and Library houses the extraordinary Maurice Sendak Collection.

'Tis the season for more Christmas posts from the archives of Attempted Bloggery. See them here.

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