Sendak, Maurice (1928-2012), was an American illustrator and author of children’s books. Sendak won the 1964 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations for Where the Wild Things Are, which he also wrote. The story tells about a boy named Max who deals with his emotions through the use of his imagination. Sendak illustrated about 80 books, including about 20 that he wrote.
In addition to his Caldecott Medal, Sendak received several Caldecott Honor awards, each given the year after the honored book was published. The books include In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981). Both books describe the adventures of children who master their feelings by testing themselves in dangerous and odd places. Sendak also received a Caldecott Honor for Little Bear’s Visit (1961), the fourth in a series of six “Little Bear” books written by Else Holmelund Minarik. Sendak’s other Caldecott Honor books are A Very Special House (1953), written by Ruth Krauss; What Do You Say, Dear? (1958), written by Sesyle Joslin; The Moon Jumpers (1959), written by Janice May Udry; and Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (1962), written by Charlotte Zolotow. In addition, he wrote and illustrated We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy (1993). In this controversial book, Sendak expanded two nursery rhymes into a picture book exploring homelessness and urban problems.
Several of Sendak’s books are close observations of children at play, including The Sign on Rosie’s Door (1960). Sendak adapted the Rosie book and four of his other stories into the musical Really Rosie (1980). He wrote the story and lyrics, and the American singer-composer Carole King composed the music. Sendak collaborated with the American playwright Tony Kushner in Brundibar (2003), a picture book based on an opera that was performed by children in the early 1940’s, during World War II, in a German concentration camp. He collaborated with the American children’s author Arthur Yorinks on the picture book fantasies The Miami Giant (1995), Mommy? (2006), and Presto & Zesto in Limboland (published in 2018, after Sendak’s death).
Maurice Bernard Sendak was born on June 10, 1928, in the Brooklyn section of New York City. Many of his stories draw on his childhood there. He also wrote books for adults and designed sets and costumes for operas. His essays on children’s literature were collected in Caldecott & Co. (1988). Sendak died on May 8, 2012. My Brother’s Book (2013) and Ten Little Rabbits (2024) were published after his death.
