Celebrate Sendak at the Contemporary Jewish Museum!

This fall, the work of legendary children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak will be on view at San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum. The exhibition There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak is a major retrospective of over 100 works by Maurice Sendak, and features original watercolors and drawings from more than 40 of his books—including the groundbreaking Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen—as well as rare sketches, working materials, and interview footage.

There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak opens Tuesday, September 8, and runs through January 19, 2010.

The exhibition is organized by the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia, the world's only repository of Maurice Sendak's work. The exhibition allows both children and adults to gain a deeper understanding not only of Sendak's beloved characters and books but of the author himself, as well as explore the real-life people, places, and events that inspired many of the elements in his stories.

The Contemporary Jewish Museum is located in San Francisco's South of Market area at 736 Mission Street (between 3rd and 4th Streets). The museum is open daily (except Wednesdays) from 11 am to 5 pm and Thursdays 1 to 8 pm. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors with valid ID, and $5 on Thursdays after 5 pm. Youth and children 18 and under are always free!

For more information, visit www.thecjm.org or call (415) 655-7800.

Image credit: Maurice Sendak. Final drawing for Where the Wild Things Are. Pen and ink, watercolor. © Maurice Sendak, 1963. All rights reserved.