Maurice Sendak, one of the world’s most famous authors of children’s books, was born on this day in 1928 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He spent much of his childhood inside as he was prone to illness, which shaped him into a voracious reader and set him on a path in the arts. He became an illustrator, taking night classes and getting his drawings published in textbooks and other authors’ children’s books, all while working as a toy store window dresser. It was in the mid-1950s that he started making his name producing his own stories, but it wasn’t until 1963 that he published his most beloved work.
“Where the Wild Things Are” centers on a boy exploring his own imagination after being sent to his room without dinner. His bedroom becomes a fantastical island populated by beasts, whom he eventually rules as king. After this ascent to power, he realizes he misses his mother. He returns home and finds his supper ready to eat. The book’s art is a bit creepy, but the moral of the story made it a big hit. From there, Sendak made dozens more books and produced several operas. He passed away in 2012.
According to the Maurice Sendak Foundation, which works to keep the author’s works in print and showcases his art, he remains the most honored author of children’s books in history, receiving in his lifetime a National Book Award, an honorary doctorate from Princeton University, and a National Medal of Arts from then-President Bill Clinton.
