Maurice Sendak comes from Brooklyn, New York. He was born in 1928, the youngest of three children. His parents were poor Polish immigrants who came to the United States before World War Maurice was sickly as a child. His mother worried constantly about his health and safety. You will see that most of his books have a moon somewhere in the picture watching over the scene. The moon represents his mother watching over him as a child.

He began his work as an illustrator while he was still in high school .. helping in drawing the pictures from the comic strip, Mutt and Jeff into comic books. He went to art school at the Art Students' League to continue his education and co-authored his first published book, Atomics for the Millions which was published in 1947 at nineteen years old.

Maurice Sendak designed wooden toys with his brother, did the lyrics for an animated film for television called Really Rosie which is from his books, the Nutshell Library, with Carol King doing the music. He has written the words for an opera, Where the Wild Things Are, based on his classic children's book..the book that brought him into the world of famous illustrators.

Brundibar by Maurice Sendak and Tony Kushner to me is one of his best books. It is a delightful reading for young children with a lesson on both caring and persevering based on an old Czech opera.

The illustrations present something new each time you look at them.

There isn't a child I have read it to who hasn't repeatedly asked to have it reread making it a "must" for every child to read.

It is a winner of the New York Times Best Illustrated Books award.

Read more about Maurice Sendak here.