Maurice Sendak

Birth Name: Maurice Bernard Sendak
Born: June 10, 1928
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: May 8, 2012
Death Place: Danbury, Connecticut, United States
Gender Identity: Cisgender Man
Pronouns: He/Him
Sexual Orientation: Gay
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Polish Jewish
Profession: Author, Illustrator, Set Designer
Years Active: 1947-2012
Genres: Children’s Literature, Picture Books, Fantasy

Overview

Maurice Sendak was a visionary American author, illustrator, and set designer whose revolutionary picture books reshaped the emotional and visual landscape of children’s literature. With works like Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Outside Over There, he brought deep psychological complexity and artistic daring to a genre previously dominated by sentimentality and sanitized narratives.

Early Life and Education

Sendak was born in Brooklyn to Polish Jewish immigrants, Sadie Schindler and Philip Sendak. His childhood was shadowed by illness and the trauma of learning that many of his extended relatives were killed during the Holocaust. Confined to bed often as a child, he developed a passion for illustration, finding inspiration in Mickey Mouse, classic fairy tales, and comic books. A pivotal moment came when he saw Disney’s Fantasia, which solidified his ambition to become an illustrator.

He was the youngest of three siblings and frequently credited his brother Jack-an author himself-for encouraging his creative spirit. Though he briefly attended the Art Students League of New York, Sendak remained largely self-taught. He honed his visual voice through voracious self-study and apprenticeships, including designing window displays for FAO Schwarz, where he was introduced to editor Ursula Nordstrom.

Career and Major Works

Sendak’s first professional work was illustrating Atomics for the Millions in 1947. His breakthrough came with Ruth Krauss’s A Hole is to Dig (1952), which introduced his signature child-centered style. He illustrated dozens of beloved books, including Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear series and Randall Jarrell’s The Bat-Poet.

In 1963, Sendak wrote and illustrated Where the Wild Things Are, an international sensation that won the Caldecott Medal and remains a landmark in children’s literature. Max’s journey into the realm of the “wild things” expressed repressed childhood emotions in a radical visual narrative style. The title references the Yiddish term vilde chaya (“wild beast”).

This was followed by:

In the Night Kitchen (1970), a surreal tribute to 1930s New York and childhood dreams, controversial for its nudity
Outside Over There (1981), inspired in part by the Lindbergh kidnapping case, delving into sibling bonds and magical rescue
Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1967), a deeply personal farewell to his dog Jennie
We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy (1993), which explored themes of poverty and the AIDS crisis

Sendak also collaborated with playwright Tony Kushner on the illustrated version of Brundibár, based on the Holocaust opera performed at Theresienstadt.

Theater, Opera, and Animation

Beyond books, Sendak designed sets and costumes for opera and ballet productions, including:

The Magic Flute, The Nutcracker, The Love for Three Oranges, Hansel and Gretel, and Brundibár
Really Rosie (1975), an animated musical featuring Carole King
His illustrations inspired animated series like Little Bear and Seven Little Monsters

He was a founding advisor to Sesame Street, where he created segments such as Bumble Ardy and Seven Monsters, later adapted into picture books.

Personal Life and Philosophy

Sendak lived privately with his partner, psychoanalyst Eugene David Glynn, for 50 years until Glynn’s death in 2007. He never came out publicly until later in life, saying he wanted to spare his parents disappointment. After Glynn’s death, Sendak donated $1 million to youth mental health services in his memory.

A lifelong atheist, Sendak often expressed frustration with religious platitudes, emphasizing personal integrity and emotional honesty instead. He said, “I refuse to lie to children,” and his works consistently honored the complicated inner lives of young people.

Artistic Style and Influences

Sendak was inspired by William Blake, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Walt Disney, and European fairytales. His art ranged from detailed crosshatching to bold cartoon figures, often including oversized features and emotionally charged landscapes.

He frequently spoke of channeling the scared, creative child he once was: “One of my worst fears is losing contact [with that child].”

Death and Legacy

Maurice Sendak died of stroke complications on May 8, 2012, at age 83. His ashes were scattered as per his wishes. His final books, Bumble-Ardy (2011) and My Brother’s Book (2013), continued his themes of love, loss, and imagination.

His impact lives on through exhibitions, documentaries, the Maurice Sendak Foundation, and tributes by artists including Spike Jonze and Stephen Colbert. A Google Doodle commemorated what would have been his 85th birthday.

Honors and Recognition

Caldecott Medal (Where the Wild Things Are, 1964)
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration (1970)
National Book Award for Outside Over There (1982)
Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (1983)
National Medal of Arts (1996)
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2003)
Honorary degrees from Princeton, University of Connecticut, and Goucher College
Inducted into the New York Writers Hall of Fame (2013)
Two elementary schools named in his honor

Selected Works

As Author and Illustrator

Where the Wild Things Are (1963)
In the Night Kitchen (1970)
Outside Over There (1981)
Bumble-Ardy (2011)
My Brother’s Book (2013)
The Nutshell Library (1962)

As Illustrator

Little Bear series (Else Holmelund Minarik)
A Hole is to Dig (Ruth Krauss)
Zlateh the Goat (Isaac Bashevis Singer)
The Bat Poet and The Animal Family (Randall Jarrell)

Quotes

“There must be more to life than having everything.”

“I refuse to cater to the bullshit of innocence.”

“You must tell the truth and you must not be afraid.”

Jack of All Arts