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.  

There Are Rocks In My Socks Said the Ox to the Fox by Patricia Thomas

Well, before that Fox said fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow, he was telling an ox how to get rocks out of his socks.

I have no idea why this book rang in my memory when I saw it.  I don't know if maybe I read it in Elementary, or saw it on Reading Rainbow, or what...... but the poem in this book is so familiar.

It was the title that really stuck out to me when I saw it in the thrift store.

There Are Rocks in My Socks Said the Ox to the Fox by Patricia Thomas

Such a clever book, really.  I think this is a great classic that would be read over and over by a child of this generation.  It's long enough to keep a 5 year old busy for sure but interesting enough that my 2 year old will actually stay engaged during the entire story.  Most because of the pictures and the fact that I keep saying rocks in my socks.  

The entire book is a poem, where all the lines try to rhyme with the next.  Such a poor big ox has rocks in his socks and can't get them out.  So he puts his trust in the fox who makes the ox try different things to get them out but the ox gets in a worse predicament then the last.  

I also adore the illustrations.  The colors are true to it's age....published back in 1979.  Every other page is color and the other pages are in black and white.  They are just perfect.  The colors do remind you of the 70s.  The pictures are amazing.  I love illustrations where you know that the illustrator actually took their time do draw and not just putting down scribbles.

I have no idea how many of these books they made.  They never made a printing line for it but unfortunately, this book is out of print.  They really do need to bring it back.  I found this gem at Deseret Industries for $1.00 and did find two other copies for .50 quite a while later (one of which I sold on Amazon)

This book does cost a little more than what I would like to pay.  If you want a decent copy, it's going to cost you.  You can get this book for about $18 plus $3.99 shipping for a good used copy or you can buy it like new for about $50
BUUUUTTTT... if you are okay with the library edition, you can purchase this book on Amazon for $1.75 plus $3.99 shipping. And, as I said before, I love library editions, so I think it's worth it.
Thriftbooks is usually sold out but you can add it to your wish list and they will email you when a copy becomes available.

Honestly, this novel used to be only around $8-9 on Amazon just a year ago and now they've doubled in price.  So I would get a copy now because this book only increases in value the more it ages.

Anyone remember this book as a child or heard the poem elsewhere?

Click below to purchase from Amazon. The first one is for the original hardcover book and the second one is if you want to pay much cheaper for library edition.