I would probably only have given this an “Additional Purchase,” even if it was better than it is. Given how little interest my students generally show in reading authors’ biographies, it would have had to be something truly exceptional to get a Recommended from me.  But it’s not even well-written, On the first page it describes Sendak’s work as “realistic,” which doesn’t jive at all with the rich fantasy worlds he is famous for creating. On the next page it tells us that,  “The Brooklyn Bridge is the most famous landmark in Maurice’s hometown.” Never mind that I might argue that the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building might outrank the bridge — no comment is offered as to how New York landmarks are relevant to the person or work of Maurice Sendak. On the page where the text is trying to convey that WWII impacted our author by showing him that the world could be a scary place, the accompanying picture shows everybody smiling and having a grand party to celebrate the end of the war — doesn’t exactly convey scariness.