Maurice Sendak
The author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are.
Maurice Sendak is an author and illustrator. The author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are. This page is a short guide for parents, teachers and young readers: who they are, which of their books we recommend and where to start.
About Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak was born on 10 June 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, and died on 8 May 2012. He wrote and illustrated Where the Wild Things Are (1963), which won the Caldecott Medal in 1964.
His other books include In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There, and he illustrated the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik. He won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970 and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2003.
Maurice Sendak’s books in our all-time classics list
- Where the Wild Things Are (1963): number 3 in our best children’s books of all time. A boy sent to bed without supper sails away to a wild island and learns he can go home again.
Other well-known books and work
- Where the Wild Things Are (1963)
- In the Night Kitchen (1970)
- Outside Over There (1981)
- Little Bear books (illustrator, by Else Holmelund Minarik)
Awards and recognition
- Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are (1964)
- Hans Christian Andersen Award (1970)
- Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2003)
Where to start
Start with Where the Wild Things Are.
Frequently asked questions about Maurice Sendak
Who is Maurice Sendak?
Maurice Sendak was born on 10 June 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, and died on 8 May 2012. He wrote and illustrated Where the Wild Things Are (1963), which won the Caldecott Medal in 1964.
Which books by Maurice Sendak are on your all-time list?
Where the Wild Things Are (number 3). See our best children’s books of all time.
Where should I start with Maurice Sendak?
Start with Where the Wild Things Are.
Biographical details are drawn from publisher biographies, reference works and the author’s own site, and may have changed. The illustration is our own and is not a likeness of the author. See all the authors.