Outside Over There
Encyclopedia
Outside Over There is a 1981 children's book by Maurice Sendak
. It concerns a young girl named Ida, who must rescue her baby sister after the child has been stolen by goblins.
case, and saw an early newspaper that featured a photograph of the child's remains. This experience opened an awareness of the mortality and peril of children, which Sendak has expressed through many of his books. This story explicitly draws from the Lindbergh case, in which a child is stolen from its crib through a window, accessed by a ladder. In fact, one of the illustrations of the lost baby is a deliberate portrait of the infant Charles Lindbergh Jr. The theme of a protective sister is drawn from Sendak's own upbringing, in which his older sister was his primary caregiver and devoted playmate.
is based on this book, though the main character has been aged up some and it lacks the violent ending.
The book is featured in the 2003 Japanese film
Café Lumière
. It is used to help the main character, a young Japanese student named Yoko, interpret a dream.
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.-Early life:...
. It concerns a young girl named Ida, who must rescue her baby sister after the child has been stolen by goblins.
Plot
A young girl named Ida harbors feelings of jealousy and resentment towards her baby sister, for whom she is largely responsible while their father is away. When her sister is kidnapped through the nursery window by mysterious robed goblins, Ida resolves to rescue her, embarking on a fantastic adventure. Initially, Ida is easily distracted from her goal, nearly passing her sister as she becomes absorbed in the magic of the quest. Ultimately, she succeeds in rescuing her baby sister and returning home, now fully committed to the care of her sister until their father returns home.Inspiration
In the documentary Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (2009), Sendak describes how, in 1932 (around age 4) he became aware of the sensationalized Lindbergh baby kidnappingLindbergh kidnapping
The kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., was the abduction of the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The toddler, 18 months old at the time, was abducted from his family home in East Amwell, New Jersey, near the town of Hopewell, New Jersey, on the evening of...
case, and saw an early newspaper that featured a photograph of the child's remains. This experience opened an awareness of the mortality and peril of children, which Sendak has expressed through many of his books. This story explicitly draws from the Lindbergh case, in which a child is stolen from its crib through a window, accessed by a ladder. In fact, one of the illustrations of the lost baby is a deliberate portrait of the infant Charles Lindbergh Jr. The theme of a protective sister is drawn from Sendak's own upbringing, in which his older sister was his primary caregiver and devoted playmate.
Awards
Recognition for Outside Over There include:
School Library Journal Best Book
Caldecott Honor Book
American Book Award
Horn Book Fanfare
National Book Award
Library of Congress Children's Books
Other
The 1986 film LabyrinthLabyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
is based on this book, though the main character has been aged up some and it lacks the violent ending.
The book is featured in the 2003 Japanese film
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
Café Lumière
Café Lumière
is a 2003 Japanese film directed by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien for Shochiku as homage to Yasujiro Ozu, with direct reference to the late master's Tokyo Story . It premiered at a festival commemorating the centenary of Ozu's birth...
. It is used to help the main character, a young Japanese student named Yoko, interpret a dream.