Maurice Sendak (1928–2012)
Author of Where the Wild Things Are
About the Author
Maurice Sendak was born on June 10, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. While in high school, he worked part time as an illustrator for All-American Comics adapting the Mutt and Jeff newspaper comic strip to a comic book format. His first professional illustrations were for a physics textbook, Atomics for show more the Millions, published in 1947. He later worked as a window-display director for F.A.O. Schwartz while attending night school at the Art Students League. In 1950, he illustrated his first children's book The Wonderful Farm by Marcel Aymé. He wrote his first children's book Kenny's Window in 1956 and went on to become a prolific author-illustrator. His works include Chicken Soup with Rice; In the Night Kitchen; Outside Over There; Higglety Pigglety Pop; The Sign on Rosie's Door; We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy; Brundibar; Bumble Ardy; and My Brother's Book. He received numerous awards including the Caldecott medal for Where The Wild Things Are in 1964, the Hans Christian Andersen International Medal in 1970, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the National Medal of Arts in 1996. Characters from two of his books were the basis of an animated television special, Really Rosie, which first aired in 1975. He was also the set designer and lyricist for a subsequent off-Broadway musical of the same title. He was the lyricist, as well as the set and costume designer, for the original production of an opera based on Where The Wild Things Are in 1980. In addition, he has designed sets and costumes for performances of operas by Mozart, Prokofiev, and other classical composers. He died due to complications from a recent stroke on May 8, 2012 at the age of 83. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Maurice Sendak
We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy: Two Nursery Rhymes with Pictures (1993) 416 copies, 19 reviews
Sendak at the Rosenbach : an exhibition held at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, April 28-October 30, 1995 (1995) 9 copies
Pierre, a Cautionary Tale 9 copies
Steven 5 copies
Questions to an artist who is also an author: A conversation between Maurice Sendak and Virginia Haviland (1972) 4 copies
The Publishing Archive of Lothar Meggendorfer: Original Drawings, Hand-colored Lithographs and Production Files for His… (1975) 3 copies
Tell Them Anything You Want 2 copies
Hector Protector et J'allais joyeux sur les flots bleus: Deux comptines illustrées par Maurice Sendak (2023) 2 copies
Higglety Pigglety Pop! + Where the wild things are [video recording] (2009) — Librettist; Designer, some editions — 2 copies
Gusci di noce: Alligatori in abbondanza-Uno è Johnny-Brodino di pollo-Piero e il leone. Ediz. a colori (2024) 2 copies
ジョニーのかぞえうた 1 copy
Miguel: Un conto exemplar en cinco capítulos e un prólogo (libros para soñar) (Galician Edition) (2017) 1 copy
Adrià: Conte moral en cinc capítols i un pròleg (llibres per a somniar) (Galician Edition) (2017) 1 copy
Where the wild things are [video recording] — Librettist — 1 copy
Father Bear Comes Home 1 copy
In the Night Kitchen 1 copy
Oliver Knussen's & Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Concert Scenes from Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1985) — Librettist — 1 copy
Δέκα κουνελάκια 1 copy
O que está lá fora 1 copy
Little Bear - At Home 1 copy
Rend og hop Bob 1 copy
The Juniper Tree 1 copy
Where the Wild Things Are and Other Maurice Sendak Stories (Scholastic Video Collection) [VHS] (2002) 1 copy
Little Bear: Pretend time 1 copy
Pierre and His Parents 1 copy
She Loves Me... She Loves Me Not... — Illustrator — 1 copy
Higglety Pigglety Pop! + Where the wild things are [libretto] — Librettist — 1 copy
This Land is Your Land 1 copy
The Horn Book Magazine 1 copy
In the night kitchen. 1 copy
Wat zeg je dan? 1 copy
Wat doe je dan? 1 copy
Little Bear Meet Little Bear 1 copy
Ở nơi quỷ sứ giặc non 1 copy
Associated Works
The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (1998) — Author — 1,664 copies, 14 reviews
All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists (2004) — Contributor — 570 copies, 13 reviews
Babar's Anniversary Album: 6 Favorite Books (1981) — Introduction, some editions — 189 copies, 2 reviews
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Boxed Set: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle / Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic / Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle / and Mrs.… (1986) — Illustrator, some editions — 130 copies
Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children (1990) — Contributor — 93 copies, 1 review
The Graphic Canon of Children's Literature: The World's Greatest Kids' Lit as Comics and Visuals (2014) — Contributor — 92 copies, 1 review
Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend (2005) — Contributor — 22 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 4, December 1980 — Illustrator — 2 copies
Hans-mon-hérisson — Illustrator — 1 copy
The Light Princess: Abridged [sound recording] — Cover artist — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Sendak, Maurice
- Legal name
- Sendak, Maurice Bernard
- Birthdate
- 1928-06-10
- Date of death
- 2012-05-08
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Place of death
- Danbury, Connecticut, USA
- Cause of death
- stroke
- Places of residence
- Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA
- Education
- Art Students' League, New York
- Occupations
- writer
children's book illustrator
opera stage designer
librettist
television producer - Relationships
- Sendak, Jack (brother)
Sendak, Philip (father)
Glynn, Eugene D. (partner) - Organizations
- Children's Television Workshop (member ∙ National Board of Advisors)
Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services - Awards and honors
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (1983)
Hans Christian Andersen Award (Illustration ∙ 1970)
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2003)
National Medal of Arts (1996)
May Hill Arbuthnot Lecturer (2003)
Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award (Contemporary, 2005) - Agent
- The Wylie Agency
- Short biography
- Maurice Bernard Sendak (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American illustrator and writer of children's books.
Members
Reviews
Independent Reading Level: Pre-K - Third Grade
Awards: 1964 Caldecott Medal
Awards: 1964 Caldecott Medal
Independent Reading Level: K-3
Awards: Caldecott Medal 1964
Awards: Caldecott Medal 1964
Lists
Five star books (1)
Sonlight Books (1)
1970s (1)
Best Dog Stories (1)
1960s (1)
Favourite Books (1)
Reading Rainbow (1)
Ambleside Books (2)
Books About Boys (2)
2024 Reads (1)
BitLife (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 153
- Also by
- 102
- Members
- 43,123
- Popularity
- #394
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 1,921
- ISBNs
- 598
- Languages
- 29
- Favorited
- 77
Two kids wander over a mysterious mountain in search of a mystery. There's a very unimpressive final reveal, but it does make me wonder if Dave Sim saw this story before creating Cerebus #20.