Sendak, Maurice

Sendak, Maurice (Bernard)

(1928–  ) illustrator, writer, stage designer; born in New York City. He studied at the Art Students League (1949–51), worked for All American Comics (1944–45), and created window displays in New York City (1944–45). Under the direction of Ursula Nordstrom, he began illustrating picture books. Influenced by Dürer, Hogarth, and Cruikshank, he produced his own, often controversial children's classics, such as The Nutshell Library (1962), Where the Wild Things Are (1963), In the Night Kitchen (1970), and Outside Over There (1981). He was also a set and costume designer for operas, such as The Magic Flute (1980), and worked on films for television. For many years he lived in Ridgefield, Conn.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.