"Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak" at the Morgan Library & Museum

New Yorkers of all ages like to walk on the wild side, so it’s not surprising that there’s a roar of excitement throughout the city in anticipation of Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are, a cinematic adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s iconic kids’ book. A number of Big Apple cultural institutions are getting in on the ferocious fun by featuring related programming. At the traditionally tranquil Morgan Library & Museum, the wildness comes in a pretty tame package: an exhibit of Sendak’s original drawings and sketches for the 1963 classic.

The collection is small: Just 14 glass-encased illustrations, each paired with a line of text, are showcased in the stately East Room, a setting that certainly does not encourage mischief. Works on display include early designs for the book’s dust jacket, drafts of Sendak’s text (scrawled with insightful notes such as “concentrate on MAX!”), smeared pencil sketches and a watercolor rendering of Max on his return voyage home. The picture of Max in his wolf suit atop the dinner table, slurping spaghetti and brandishing a fork, was not used in the book, and visitors learn a lot about Sendak’s creative process by seeing which images he selected. While younger children, eager to create a rumpus at the sight of Sendak’s monsters, might find the exhibit a bit too hands-off, older kids, especially aspiring artists, should enjoy this look into a wild man’s mind.—Caitlin Brody

"Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak" is on display at the Morgan Library & Museum through Nov 1.

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