In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

Now, this book I'm showing you is one the of the most banned children's books in libraries and schools.  And it's by one of America's most well known authors:

Recognize the name of the author?  If you don't, you are crazy!  Okay, not too crazy, but on a scale of 1 to 10, it would be maaayyybeee a 1, which is still crazy.

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak; 1970.  

Maurice Sendak, yep, if you guessed right, he is the author of Where the Wild Things Are and one of my favorite illustrators.  This book came about 7 years after that wonderful story of Max, and now comes Mickey, a little boy who's world turns into a giant kitchen....and gets baked into a pie and swims in milk ---  sound's offish.....yeah, it really is.

Not sure what edition or printing I have but it is a very early printing.

On a scale of 1 to 10, this book is about a 9 on the weird list.  No, it's nothing like his previous story and 

not nearly as good, but it's still imaginative.  

Mickey, while trying to sleep hears a strange noise and is suddenly thrown into this strange world of kitchen appliances, tools and bakers who are getting ready for the morning rush.  He is baked into a pie, but pops out and makes his clothes out of the pie crust (I'm going to go over this in just a sec) and takes some dough and makes a plane out of it to find some milk for his new baker friends.  

Now, about the pie crust clothes....well, let's just say that before then, nothing, no clothes, plus he has to change when he goes back to the real world and again, no clothes.

When I got this copy for about $1.00 at Deseret Industries, I didn't even notice the black underwear on this little boy, which is nothing...I don't mind the underwear.  But, while I was researching this book after getting it, I found out that either a bashful librarian or a protective mother took a black pen and drew some undies on his tush.  So yeah, on 8 different pages, you can either see his bare bottom or his little noodle.  Which is why this book is banned.....which I could understand.  What parent wants their children opening a book to see pictures of wee-wees?  

Is this book worth it?  In my opinion, if you can find this book for $3 or less, than maybe yes but only if  you want a piece of children's literature history.  Otherwise, I would just stick to the Wild Things.  This is just speaking on behalf of the story and not the *cough* image material.  And if you prefer your child to not view a cartoonish ding-a-ling or a full moon, just do what the previous owner did and draw a nice pair of undies on him.  

You can purchase this book on Thriftbooks for a good price of around $3.50 plus .99 shipping.  

In the Night Kitchen by: Maurice Sendak $3.59

Or get it at Amazon for around 1.00 plus $3.99 shipping used.