A new book from Maurice Sendak will always attract attention – and the new Bumble-Ardy, about an errant pig-child who throws an unauthorised party for his grubby ill-mannered friends – is true Sendak-signature style.
In fact, one might even say Sendak returns to the winning formula he emphasised in his In the Night Kitchen/ Where the Wild Things Are/ Outside over There trilogy; firstly by exposing and celebrating the over-the-top exuberance of young children, and secondly, ending with the unconditional and redemptive love of a parent (in this case, an aunt). Bumble-Ardy is feverish, anarchic and won’t be everybody’s cup-of-tea. It’s crazy! – and therein lies its appeal.
Bumble-Ardy by Maurice Sendak
Harper Collins $29.99
ISBN 9780007447381
Reviewed by Annemarie Florian, Storytime Whangarei
