Maurice Sendak/Fanja Ralison

        i was tooling around the world wide web a while back, and though i can't for the life of me remember (or imagine) what i was searching, i somehow came across and bookmarked these cute rag dolls by Fanja Ralison, which reminded me of one that i had growing up of Maurice Sendak's character Rosie.
        though i recently wrote an essay that touched on female characters in my childhood that helped form who i am now (this included Rosie) i had completely forgotten about the doll! this of course then prompted me to go dig out my old copy of The Sign on Rosie's Door and pour over it for a while.
        with the Where the Wild Things Are movie coming out soon (!!!!!!!!) it seemed only appropriate that i call some attention to one of his other pieces, which influenced me even more greatly than his more well known book. i'm not sure how popular The Sign on Rosie's Door was or is, but the few people i've talked to seem to know her character from Really Rosie, a musical which is based off five of Sendak's books, including The Sign on Rosie's Door. the musical was apparently made into a thirty minute animated special on CBS in 1975, which is what the people i talked to remember (and there are parts if not all of it on youtube) but i have no recollection of it myself.
        Rosie is supposedly based off of a real girl who would sing and dance on the steps of her building that Sendak would watch growing up in Brooklyn, and she was someone i could really relate to growing up with her larger than life imagination.

        what i realized looking at the book again, some fourteen or so years later, is that i didn't remember the storyline, or any of the side characters, i remembered Rosie's spirit. i also remember ALL the illustrations (which of course Sendak did himself). i don't care how childish it makes you feel, you must find a copy of this book and at least look at the pictures.

Fanja Ralison's flickr (lots of adorable rag dolls)
aaaand be SURE to head to a bookstore or library and take a look at The Sign on Rosie's Door!!



images: flickr.com/fanjaralison & randomhouse.com