Mommy? by Maurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks, Matthew Reinhart, Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

Maurice Sendak and Matthew Reinhart have created this pop-up tour de force that follows a brave little boy as he wanders through a monster-filled house, searching for his mommy. From Frankenstein to the Wolf Man, the extraordinary 3-D creatures try their best to scare the smiling tyke, but he marches on, mischievously moving past each one. Featuring few written words, this charmer combines Sendak's distinctive illustrations with Reinhart's ingenious paper engineering and abounds with charming humor, stunning artwork, and plenty of not-too-frightening fun. This is one delightful book that will sit well with kids of all ages.

From the Publisher

They're all here! Everybody's favorite monsters are just going about their business when a plucky little boy wanders into their cuckoo house. And what does he want? He wants Mommy! No matter how scary these monsters are, there's no besting a little boy who's looking for his mommy. In one hilarious pop-up extravaganza after another, this kid shows them a thing or two.

Publishers Weekly

Children who get the better of monsters are a Sendak specialty, from Where the Wild Things Are to Brundibar. In this light bite of spine- tingling fare created by Sendak, Yorinks (Hey, Al) and Reinhart (Encyclopedia Prehistorica)-sort of a dark twist on Are You My Mother?-a mischievous boy addresses the title question to some unmaternal characters. Sendak's quintessential black-haired boy (with a strong resemblance to Mickey), wearing blue PJs and a red cap, wanders into a haunted house and naively calls, "Mommy?" Stylized, softened characters from Nosferatu and Lon Chaney creature features unfold in 3-D to menace the child, but the boy might as well be saying, "Trick or treat?", because he pulls pranks on everyone. A tall Frankenstein's monster gets ready to stomp on him; in a gatefold at the right-hand side of the spread, the disarming toddler jerks the bolts from the startled monster's neck. On a brick roof, the boy surprises a werewolf and a green goblin; the gatefold reveals the boy yanking down the Wolf Man's jeans to reveal silly boxer shorts, while the goblin giggles. In Reinhart's neatest engineering feat-a spinning dowel-and-string contraption-the not-so-harmless boy spins the white wrappings off an Egyptian "mummy." The title is the book's only word until the conclusion, when the Bride of Frankenstein at last replies to the child's question. Although the illustrious creators' do not appear until the back cover, readers cannot miss Sendak's signature graphic style. These gags are not too serious, but the suspenseful setups pointedly suggest humor's power over fear. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

An appealing Sendak youngster seeks his mother in a mysterious castle. No text is needed beyond his title question, "Mommy?" set in yellow speech balloons—flame enough to light the dark interiors. As we turn the pages following his entrance, each double page depicts a classic frightening character, each more threatening than the last, rising off the page to try to shock our hero. But inside each fold-in on the right-hand side, our young seeker deals cleverly with his confronter. A fanged Dracula is pacified with, yes, a pacifier. Frankenstein's creation is manipulated. The mummy is spun and unwound. And the werewolf is caught with his pants down. Finally, as all rise together, our hero is greeted by the open arms of the Bride of Frankenstein as she exclaims, "Baby!" Every scene is filled with multiple, delectable details guaranteed to command attention, perhaps as much for the complex, efficient paper engineering as for Sendak's imaginative objects and rib-tickling, creative portraits.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 4-This pop-up tour de force abounds with humor, vibrant artwork, and visual fireworks. A sweet-faced tyke, attired in a sky-blue onesie and fuzzy hat, toddles into a creepy house. Unperturbed by his gruesome surroundings, he encounters one monster after another, calmly asking each, "Mommy?" Although the creatures try their best to scare him, the child's unwavering smile and mischievous actions quickly clarify who's in charge. The youngster corks a ghoul's fang-filled mouth with a pacifier, removes the bolts from Frankenstein's neck, unwraps a startled mummy, and pulls down a werewolf's pants before making his way to the welcoming arms of Frankenstein's bride ("Baby!"). Masterfully illustrated in Sendak's familiar style and muted palette, the almost-wordless pages are chock-full of skeletons, mysterious lab equipment, and strange vessels brimming with unidentifiable contents. Amusing details include a framed baby picture of a dour-faced, diaper-clad Frankenstein and the werewolf's bright-yellow boxers. Each three-dimensional spread features an additional foldout pop-up, adding another element of surprise. The effects are delightful, as characters burst from hiding places with limbs flailing, heads move and eyes open and close, and the mummy-complete with shoelace bandages-spins around and around as the boy tugs a loose end. A fun, not-too-frightening romp that's loaded with child appeal.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Sendak's first foray into the world of pop-up books is a brilliant success. After Yorinks sets up the Are You My Mother? theme with a twist, Sendak makes it his own, and Reinhardt adds the surprises as a little Mickey-like boy moves through a haunted house, from monster to monster, looking for his mother. None of the ghouls stands a chance against the mischievous tyke, as he unscrews Frankenstein's monster's bolts, pulls down the werewolf's pants and spins the Mummy in its own wrapping. This last action makes the most effective use of the pop-up possibilities: When the gatefold is opened, the creature actually spins on a dowel pulled by the boy. The combined talent of Sendak, Yorinks and Reinhardt offers some of the best art and artistry in the genre: As each page is opened, the spread is filled with multiple pop-ups of everything from a bag of "hands" to a snake poking out of a basket, as well as a side gatefold, also a pop-up, illustrating each monster's undoing. The text is only one word-"Mommy?"-until she is found in a surprise ending and answers-you guessed it-"B-A-B-Y!" Readers will answer, "AGAIN!" (Pop-up. All ages)

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