Today is celebrated child author and illustrator Maurice Sendak’s birthday. To commemorate him on his special day, here are 10 things you might not know about Sendak!
- He had a rough childhood which strongly influenced his children’s books and illustrations.
2. Outside Over There was his favorite out of all the books he wrote and illustrated because of his strong ties to his siblings.
3. His parents were Polish first-generation immigrants that moved just before the war.
4. He was Jewish.
5. He was with his partner of 50 years, Eugene Glynn, until Eugene’s death in 2007.
6. According to an article from The Guardian, he hated eBooks and New York City.
7. He believed he was crazy which was why he was such a good illustrator.
8. He listened to classical music and Mozart was his hero.
9. He was a self-taught illustrator.
10. He was the 1964 Caldecott award-winning children’s book author and illustrator for Where the Wild Things Are.