This post is part of the Books That Made Me Love Reading Challenge.
I had hoped to read a novel for the challenge this month, but I haven't gotten as much reading done in February as usual, so I ended up reading another childhood favorite: Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak.
Most people probably know Maurice Sendak best as the author of Where The Wild Things Are. I know I read that book as a child, but I don’t really remember much about it, and I never owned it. The Maurice Sendak book I loved was Outside Over There.
This story is about Ida, who sets off into ‘Outside Over There’ to rescue her baby sister after she's kidnapped by goblins, who leave a changeling made of ice in her place.
I was obsessed with this book as a child, but to be perfectly honest, as an adult I’m not really sure why I enjoyed this book so much back then. Granted, I liked some pretty weird things. My mum was always saying how my taste in books and movies ran to the creepy and disturbing, and this book is definitely those things.
I guess maybe my love of this book had to do with Ida’s independent spirit and her bravery. To set out alone after her baby sister, into an unknown world, and to use her creativity and imagination to get her sister back was an intriguing concept. Reading it now, I find myself thinking ‘huh?’ The rhythm of the words is strange; it doesn’t really flow like most children’s books, but perhaps that’s part of the appeal. The illustrations are both beautiful and creepy, and as a visual person, I’m sure that was part of why I loved it as a child. Also, I've always had a vivid imagination, so I guess I liked the idea of a fantasy world, and a quest.
Book details:
Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak
Published: February 28th, 1989 (It's kind of freaky that I'm reading this book on the 23rd anniversary of its publication!)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository
Have you read this book? What did you think? Have you read Maurice Sendak's other books?
I haven't read this one but I definitely know what you mean...some things we watched/read/loved as children are so...DIFFERENT when we re-visit them as adults! I'm so glad to see I wasn't the only kind with her nose stuck in a book. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Marie. I didn't know about this book, either. I only knew about the Wild Things. Michele at Life is Short reviewed another Sendak book I had never heard of as part of the challenge. Gosh, I'm learning so much :-D
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