(Updates with confirmation, quotes, details)
By Patricia Reaney
NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) – American writer and illustrator
Maurice Sendak, whose children’s book “Where the Wild Things
Are” has been a standard bedtime story for at least three
generations, has died at the age of 83.
Sendak died during the night at Danbury Hospital in
Connecticut from complications from a recent stroke, a hospital
spokesperson said on Tuesday. He lived in nearby Ridgefield,
Connecticut.
Sendak, who was born in Brooklyn in 1928 and was dubbed by
one critic as the Picasso of children’s books, illustrated more
than 50 books during his long career and won a number of prizes
for his drawings. The Swedish government awarded him the Hans
Christian Andersen Award for children’s book illustration in
1970.
The Kane Funeral Home in Ridgefield confirmed it had been
contacted by the family to handle funeral services.
Sendak, who was a sickly child, spent much of his time
indoors. He enjoyed books and drew throughout high school. He
became a professional illustrator after working briefly as a
window dresser at the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store in New York and
taking classes at the New York Art Students League.
He illustrated his first book, “The Wonderful Farm” in 1951
and won international acclaim in 1963 with “Where the Wild
Things Are” about a boy who imagines a world of toothy monsters.
The following year the American Library Association awarded him
the prestigious Caldecott Medal for his illustration in the
book.
Dozens of other children’s book following including “In the
Night Kitchen” in 1970, which is dedicated to his parents, and
“Outside Over There” in 1981.
In 1996 then President Bill Clinton awarded Sendak the
National Medal of Arts.
Sendak also worked as a costume and stage designer for
operas by Ravel, Mozart and others.
“Bumble-Ardy,” the first book in three decades in which he
did both illustrations and text, was released in September by
HarperCollins Publishers.
(Reporting by Patricia Reaney and Barbara Goldberg; Editing by
Vicki Allen)
