Maurice Sendak is well known for being one of the most extraordinary author/illustrator’s in the history of children’s literature.  He has taken many criticisms as well as praise for his elaborate animation in picture books.  Sendak was born in Brooklyn New York, in 1928.  He developed a love of drawing and reading at an early age and would rely on his sisters to check out more mature books when he tired of children’s literature.  In high school Maurice started to work as an illustrator on a comic strip “Mutt and Jeff”.  After finishing high school he continued his education as an aspiring artist at the Art Students’ League.  Sendak coauthored his first published book at the age of nineteen, Atomics for the Millions (1947).  Early in his career Sendak many books written by other authors. Such as A Hole to Dig (1952) by Ruth Krauss, and What You Can Do with a Shoe? (1955), by Beatrice de Regnier.  Some of Sendak’s own early work includes Chicken Soup with Rice and Alligators All Around: An Alphabet Book (1962), which are still very popular today.  Sendak’s most famous work is Sendak’s most famous work is Where the Wild Things Are (1963) which generated both criticism and praise. The book won the 1964 Caldecott Medal and earned many other awards.  Sendak continued to illustrated books such as Hector Protector (1965), Really Rose (1986), and Pierre: A Cautionary Tale (1991). Sendak's work continued to receive many criticisms but remained popular because he connects with children.  Much of Sendak’s work has been translated into stage and video productions.