Best known for his children’s books, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN, Maurice Sendak has spent the past fifty years bringing to life a world of fantasy and imagination. His unique vision is loved around the globe by both young and old. Beyond his award-winning work as a writer and illustrator of children’s books, Sendak has produced both operas and ballets for television and the stage.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, Sendak was a frail and sickly child. Spending much of his young life indoors, he turned to books at an early age. His view of the outside world was often limited to the family that came to visit him and the little that he could see from his window. It was during this time that he began to draw and to allow his imagination to run free. At age twelve, he went with his family to see Walt Disney’s FANTASIA. This animated world, constructed completely of invented characters and fantasy, had a great influence on him.
Throughout high school, Sendak continued to draw, and after graduating, published a handful of illustrations in the textbook ATOMICS FOR THE MILLIONS. In 1948, he began working for F.A.O. Schwartz as a window dresser and continued there for four years while taking night classes at the New York Art Students League. After finding work illustrating Marcel Ayme’s THE WONDERFUL FARM and Ruth Krauss’s A HOLE IS TO DIG, Sendak left F.A.O. Schwartz to become a full-time, freelance children’s book illustrator.
Throughout the 1950s, Sendak worked regularly, producing nearly fifty illustrated children’s books. He saw in book illustration the opportunity to expand the imaginary world of the reader. While many illustrators had concentrated on clarifying the images in the text, Sendak believed that an illustration should add to the mystery of the work. His oddly grotesque characters seemed strangely inviting in their imperfections. Unlike much of the Disney cartoons and the illustration that followed it, Sendak’s artistic imagery brought a self-conscious attention to its origin and its maker.
By the early 1960s, Sendak had already gained a following as one of the more expressive and interesting illustrators in the business. In 1963, his book, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, brought him international acclaim and a place among the world’s great illustrators. For this project, Sendak worked as both the illustrator and the writer. It is the story of a young boy named Max, who is sent to his room only to find his imagination has created a new world there, populated by wild geographies and monsters of all kinds. Initially, its graphic portrayal of the toothy wild things concerned parents, but before long it was a favorite among children everywhere, having been translated into fifteen languages and selling more than two million copies.
Over the following years, Sendak created dozens of popular children’s books including one of his best known, IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN (1970). In the late 1970s, Sendak turned his attention to other forms. While continuing to write and illustrate, Sendak began producing and designing performances. Incorporating much of the same imaginative design that had made his books so popular, Sendak put on a number of operas, including Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and Prokofiev’s “Love for Three Oranges”. In 1979, he turned his book, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE into a popular opera, and four years later designed a winning production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker”.
Throughout the past fifty years, Maurice Sendak has been one of the most consistently inventive and challenging voices in children’s literature. His books and productions are among the best-loved imaginative works of their time. Like the Grimm brothers before him, Sendak has created a body of work both entertaining and educational, which will continue to be popular for generations.
Mr. Sendak I really love your books. I’m doing an author study on you for my children’s literature class. Thank you! I really enjoy reading your books and hope to have some of your books in my class one day! :)
-UNM Student
I Thin This Is A Good Website but i wish it would say an important think maurice said
It’s laborious to search out educated folks on this subject, however you sound like you understand what you’re speaking about! Thanks
Maurice is amazing….
Some thing which i know about Maurice Sendak and want to share with others is that Maurice Sendak wrote and drew Where the Wild Things Are, a children’s book first published in 1963. He grew up in Brooklyn, the child of Polish immigrants, and worked as an illustrator of comics before getting work as an illustrator of other authors’ books.His all the writing are very unique and fresh.
I have his signed work, I have his signed work…
tra la la la la.
true. Very cool. I don’t know if he remembers (I think he will) Dr. Fraser Drew, WM V Sieller) I have the 91 year old progenitor of those guys upstairs napping.
I never had kids, I do not know the work…but I know the name and the sig is cool, with a comment…and I have a friend in Brooklyn who deserves it, so…it isn’t my signed Hemingways….she is gonna get it. Because everyone who ever had a child is only interested in my signed Sendaks.
(What….is it like something I should read…or just sell or give away to buy a roof over her head?)
blessings, thank you sir.
This is really good information. It is helpful for all guys who need it.
Remarkable post, saw you on bing and happy I clicked. Keep up the amazing job!
Mr. Sendak I enjoyed your stories and drawings when I was a girl and now my grandchildren love them as well. Thank you for your wonderful art.
Dear Mr. Sendak,
Yesterday I heard your podcast with Terry and I felt for you because you do not believe in God. And yet you believe in love, and beautiful trees, and feel blessed to be alive. And yet you realize that if you did believe in God all the death around you might be easier to accept.
I pray to God that you find him and maybe even some day feel him and that he brings you peace.
You have given us a beautiful gift through your writing and I would like to thank you. Sincerely, David
When I worked at Marshall Fields in Houston, Texas in the 1980’s I met Mr. Sendak. He signed a poster of the Houston Grand Opera “The Magic Flute” for years the poster has been framed and hanging on my bedroom wall.
I was on the internet and could not believe that I had a signed piece of work by an American Master.
i love it
I really love Mr Sendak’s books. It always remembers me some old times.
So I was a bit disapointed about the adaptation from Spike Jonze : http://www.enmodefashion.com/concours-max-et-les-maximonstres-en-dvd
Dear Maurice Sendak
having just watched a (video cassette) 1982 production of Prokoviev’s opera THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES performed at Glyndebourne I was reminded of the fact that in Prague there is a cafe/restaurant the walls of which are covered with your wonderful drawings – what is the reason for that?
As I AM NOW TOO OLD to return to my home country but still have happy memories of living there for 6 months of each year after 1994 – I came to Britain with a Kindertransport in 1939, a “Winton child” – I would be very interested to hear from you via my email address. Thank you very much, Susanne Medas
Years ago I found “Where the Wild Things Are and since then when I need a gift for a new baby, that book is always included. What a wonderfully rich world of imagination you have opened to today’s children. Then about 10-12 years ago I heard on the news that Maurice Sendak’s book “The Night Kitchen” had been banned (by some whom I cannot remember). This made me so angry that I ordered the book sight unseen and had it sent to my grandson who was about 3 years old at the time. This, along with “Where the Wild Things Are”, became some of his favorite books. This morning I listened to an interview of Maurice Sendak on NPR. Now I am going to order Bumble-Ardy for myself and I am a 72 year old retired high school art teacher. Thank you so much, Maurice Sendak,
Barbara Murdock
Hello again.Poem about #ten tomr. Sendak:
please forgive me for trying to take on dr. ruth westheimer’s job. I am following a delighful course in art with the Stratford Institute. My family believes in both education as well as work. I am happy with myself, and happy to better myself. I still love children’s books and illustrations.
Sincerely, andrea hiotis Everything i write is poetry. P.S. I do not know what prose is yet.no time to look it up in our large print dictionary today.that is for after I get my Florida I.D., perhaps.
I live in slow motion because I walk. No one picks me up often because my spouse is practically a disabled invalid who still works a 40 hour shift on his feet . He’s a doll. As I said before, he’s a great guitar-man.
I saw two boys in our park today and cracked almonds for them. They did not know what almonds were in the shells.
Don’t look at me again, I’m busy and shy. I hope our pineapple plant and lemon tree stay alive through this winter.Peace. Shalom.Praise God. Praise love. The pennies make the business.
Dear Mr. Sendak,
I have seen some of your “never bee seen before” sketches in library books that would illustratee
exactly what I was writing about here, so I will stop. I hate the electri c c typewriting computer anyway.It feels weird. Sorry for the
typos.Your admirer”Copyright2012AndreaHiotis”
Thank you Mr. Sendak
I grew up in special education class.I was not bright but I always Love your Book”Were the Wild Things Are”
Even now im middleaged and have no kids.I still have your Book.The Picture are very understanding to me when I was young becuase Im slow learner.
I found this site becuase Im writing a Kids book too.I can you much but its about a boy who is bullied/teased with in his own family.I come up with movie story and this is my #1Movie I know will be a hit.So thats why I have to make it into a book..I also have one about a little girl who dont have friends but finds herself in Fantasy world.I cant tell you much either.Book Im trying to learn how to write a book or even know what illustration mean.I have my story in my head but as soon as I can afford a computer I can start writing.THANK YOU for the BEST BOOK STORY ever in my LIFE.Its too bad the Movie was Horrible.I mean it was Dark and Sad.Should of added more colorful bright and more funny parts.Trust me I know.Thank You for Sharing your Brain.I am aslo the creator of SamoanGirlPower on YouTube..hehehehehehe
Thank you Mr. Sendak for all your hard work and all you do for the people who love you and I have loved your book where the wild things are, it is my family’s favorite book. You are a very special man to me I am very grateful of all you do for not just yourself. I have chosen you for my project not caring about any other man or women to choose only one of my favorite book writers. I hope you have read this. It would mean a lot to me and I hope it means a lot to you.
Sincerely your #1 fan,
Jazzy
God Speed Sir..rest in peace
THANK YOU
from our three generations.
RIP Mr Sendak. Thanks for all you gave to myself, my children, my grandchildren and those to come…
I am so sad today. Truly an American Master- this man will be missed and forever remembered.
RIP Maurice….:>(
I was sorry to learn of Mr. Sendak’s death. While I love many of his books, I think “Where the Wild Things Are” is perhaps the most perfect picture book ever. The illustrations work seemlessly with the understanded yet powerful narrative. Just the other day I used this book after a rough evening during the course of which I threatened to send them all to bed without supper (as Max’s mother does in the book). We were all grouchy with each other. At the end of the day, I pulled out this book, and they all–including the two-year-old–sat silently as I read. When we got the last page where Max finds his supper waiting for him and it was still hot, I was near tears. The book said it all. We realized that both parents and children can be “wild things,” forgave one another, and ended the day with an impromptu picnic in the back yard watching the supermoon rise.
What an incomparable gift is a wonderful picture book!
Mr. Sendak,
We talked in Bologna Children’s book Fair years ago about mounting an exhibit and displaying some of your books in Barcelona. At that time I was working at the Catalan Council for children’s book. The exhibit was never done for lack of founds.
Nevertheless, I always admired you as the best writer & illustrator of children books. I am 69 years old and I found one of your books while living in Teheran in the 70’s. Since then I went to London to antique book dealers and bought all of your books. Now I am living in Iran again. I brought with me just one of them (the others are well kept in Barcelona) “Outside over there”, where I go he goes and your illustrations and words fill my space and time where ever I am and make it brighter. My two daughters that live in Chicago sent me several obituaries of your death 8th of May 2012. I told them to get me the last book “Bumble-Ardy” published in Sept. 2011.
You were gentle and kind and your words for an introduction of a children book of drawings of yugoslavian children during the war of Bosnia-Herzegovina are always in my mind. Thank you for giving the joy of your work and words to us. Luisa
Within Maurice’s life, and within his Jewish background and that of his experiences and extended family revolving around Polish-Jewishness and the old country there are many facts that can be viewed about his childhood years that I can say coincide with many Jewish genetic factors, and that my-self has been a part of. As sad as some of it is, as part of the old country ancestory, and Jewish myself, my genetic grandmother, and great grandmother of that time exhibit a similar character, in that that one genetic factor of hitting your children, making sure they get enough food to eat, and a few other details that are rough, on a childs mind and the mind or mentality of a Jewish mind that makes for a rough childhood. I can recall the number of times being called to the dinner table, more than 2 times and I would be in trouble. I recall the number of slaps on the face, and exterior and a few other places. I am not forgiving it, but to understand that shouting, swipes at children in many ways are a part of the Jewish genetic factor that has gone awry. That part of our minds are not always sound, but because we are of a scholarly genetic type, as many Jewish people are, example we love reading for knowledge, to become more knowledgable and maybe to correct whatever indifferences is that we have. On the other hand, we as Jewish people see hitting as a form of learning, and undoubtably, love. We love our children, scold them, and say some things like Maurice would say, “but you cant say that”, and hopefully , “no one heard it but you and me”, quote worse than being called a “wild thing”. We love our children and we want them to grow up doing all the right things so as a monstrous confusion, and twist in our Dna, we also feel badly after we do it. We say we are sorry, but we want what is best for them. Ever get scolded by Maurice, oh yes, many times, and many others have too. It is true that his expression this way is indicative of love. He just wants you to turn out right. Many people dont understand this and see it as basically, meanness, stuborness or cruelty. Especially when it is of the extreme. Grow up in a household like this with al of the other Jewish relatives and there I totally understand. The screaming and yelling, and enough food to eat sounds very normal, but painful at times and less acceptable at others. I do this, and yell at my children, but I am getting better at it, and more acceptable, more tolerant or I run out of energy fighting them. The Dna is still there, so I deal with the other parts of my chemistry on a daily basis. Maury’s long relationship with demons of the human kind as it is internal. “How would you like all of that gurgling in your tummy all of the time” It isnt worth digesting or beginging to swallow. Unfortunate for us Jewish people, but on the bright side there are ways to tackle those differences and we are getting better at it. Strokes are common among the Jewish. My grandmother too, We just need to learn to relax and stop fighting the things that will take more from out lives. It is called being smart. Otherwise we lose neurons and this is what sustains partsof our mobility and long life. Think before you scream. Okay, make a point I love you therefore I will scream at you once, and not let my blood pressure exceed. Otherwise, I love you and you are going to have to find out for yourself if this works or it doesnt. and, just because I didnt get angry at you 10 times already, I am saving my-self from the possibilty of not living to 100, which is what Maurice stated “Okay, I will never turn 10″, If you look all over the book, on one page there are two 9’s meaning 99, okay. What he means is that he will never make it to 99. Had I been given more time, I could have helped you make it to 100. I love you Maurice.