New York City's Jewish Museum has invited author Maurice Sendak to rummage through its collection and choose menorahs for a Hanukkah exhibit.

The exhibit opens Friday and features 33 menorahs from the 18th to 20th centuries. Also included are original drawings from Sendak's books and audio conversations with curators.

Open gallery view Author Maurice Sendak Credit: AP

Sendak - the author of children's books including "Where the Wild Things Are" and "In the Night Kitchen" - says he chose severe-looking menorahs because their simplicity evoked the Holocaust.

The exhibit, "An Artist Remembers: Hanukkah Lamps Selected by Maurice Sendak," runs through January 29.

