In the 1970 edition of Story Number 1 by Eugene Ionesco and
illustrated by Etienne Delessert is a picture of a child holding a
balloon in the shape of a Wild Thing from _Where The Wild Things Are_
by Maurice Sendak. What is the connection between Delessert and
Sendak?

---

Clarification of Question by danomano-ga on 20 Aug 2004 07:45 PDT

I should note that I heard a rumor several years ago that Sendak and
Delessert studied together...

---

Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 29 Aug 2004 09:18 PDT

Danomano --

The formal studies of the two men are separated.  According to the
Gale biography series, Sendak was educated at the Art Students'
League, New York, NY, 1949-51.  Sendak, who was born in 1928, is still
living in Connecticut.

And Étienne Delessert, who's Swiss, was educated at  College
Classique, Lausanne, 1951-56, and Gymnase Classique, Lausanne,
1957-58.  Delessert is younger, being born in 1941.  Delessert is
married to an American, Rita Marshall, and lives in both Connecticut
and Lausanne, Switzerland -- so perhaps there's a link there.

We could provide contact information for both gentlemen, should you
wish to make a query through their publisher or agent.

The Google search strategy below doesn't find much of a link, mostly
noting books in which both of their works appear:
Sendak + Delessert

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

---

Clarification of Question by danomano-ga on 29 Aug 2004 15:00 PDT

No, thanks anyway, omnivorous - I could contact their
publishers/agents pretty easily, but I'm to lazy to do so.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 29 Aug 2004 15:40 PDT

The only "connection" I came up with is this glowing review written by Sendak:


"Ionesco's poker-faced absurdities and Delessert's uncanny
illustrations reflect the interior world of children with immense
originality.  Their 'Story Number 1' and 'Story Number 2' must be
considered among the most imaginative picture books of the last
decade."


I take it, though, that you're looking for more of a biographical
connections...is that correct?

pafalafa-ga

---

Clarification of Question by danomano-ga on 30 Aug 2004 09:04 PDT

That's correct - biographical information, not reviews. Knowing the
book world, that review could certainly indicate a relationship
between Sendak and Delessert (since people get their friends to write
quips), it is more circumstantial than concrete evidence.

Well after 1970, they collaborated illustrating on "Hans Christian
Andersen's the Emperor's New Clothes: an All-Star Retelling of the
Classic Fairy Tale"
http://www.biblio.com/books/14609048.html

Yeah, I knew about that...I was looking for more biographical
information than what could easily be a loose association via
authorship or illustratorship. (If illustratorship is a word.)

Thanks for the reference, tho.