Author. Regarded by many as being the most significant writer of children's books during the twentieth century, he dramatically changed the genre's landscape by introducing gloomy settings and at times terrifying imagery as a backdrop for the stories. He will perhaps be best remembered for penning "Where the Wild Things Are" (1963), a story of a child reigning supreme over monsters conjured from his imagination. Born to impoverished Polish-Jewish immigrants, his father was a dressmaker. Maurice's childhood was affected by ailments which limited his activities and kept him indoors for the most part. To cope, he took a keen interest in reading and had a particular fondness of Mark Twain, Robert Lewis Stevenson and Herman Melville. Although he was reared in America, many of his relatives who remained behind in Europe perished during the Holocaust. This would have a profound shaping on the development of his character. After seeing the Disney picture "Fantasia", his focus would fully be on the pursuit of a career as a cartoonist. Sendak found a position as a window dresser at F.A.O. Schwartz and studied at the New York Art Students League, prior to experiencing his first break as an illustrator for Marcel Ayme's
The Wonderful Farm" (1951). Not long after, he added writing to his talents and greatly emphasized on inserting his own emotional attributes into stories. At first, he found it a challenge to have his works published, however that changed after he secured a place in literature's history with "Where the Wild Things Are". For this, he earned the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1964. He drew controversy with "In the Night Kitchen" (1970) which resulted in censorship due to child nudity. He made his mark on television, as several of his books have been made into TV-movie adaptations. In addition, he was the creator of the "Seven Little Monsters" series. Among his other works include "The Nutshell Library" (1976) and "We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy" (1993). He died of complications from a stroke.