Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)

Children’s author and artist Maurice Sendak, 83, died May 8, 2012 in Danbury CT following complications from a stroke. Sendak is best known for his classic children’s fantasy picture book Where the Wild Things Are (1963). Other notable books include In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981). In a career that spanned nearly 50 years, he illustrated over 80 books and wrote more than 20.

Maurice Bernard Sendak was born June 10, 1928 in Brooklyn NY to Jewish, Polish immigrant parents. He got his start illustrating a science textbook in 1947, and in the ’50s began illustrating books by other writers. Soon he began to write and illustrate his own. He also produced animated programs for television, designed sets for operas and ballets, and collaborated with playwright Tony Kushner on opera Brundibar. Sendak won the Caldecott Medal for Where The Wild Things Are in 1964, and a Newbery Award for his illustrations of Zlateh the Goat by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1966).

See the June issue of Locus for a complete obituary.