"In The Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak

Staying on the topic of controversial Sendak books, it was only natural I should check out Sendak's most controversial children's book. When opening the first three pages of the story, it is fairly obvious why this book is controversial: the main character appears to be naked in some illustrations. Although there were no negative intentions by the authors, it is clear why some parents would be upset if this story was read aloud in class. Aside from the brief nudity, the illustrations in this story are rather creative - typical of Sendak's stories. Whenever the bakers or the main character say something - there is a giant word bubble coming from their mouth to express the tone in which it is said (whether it be very loud, or quieter).

Reflecting on this story, I really couldn't figure out why Sendak decided to make the main character nude in a few pictures. Obviously, parents have become more vocal about controversial aspects in literature over the past few decades; however, it is understandable that some would be a bit upset. If this was read in a younger classroom, I could forsee many students giggling and cracking jokes about the main character being naked - so I wouldn't reccommend reading it in a younger elementary classroom. Overall, this controversial book is a fun, simple story that would be good for 1-1 parent to child reading, but if read in the classroom I believe it could become a bit distracting to younger students.