Maurice Sendak's career as an illustrator of children's books began in 1951 with the publication of Marcel Ayme's The Wonderful Farm. Since then he has illustrated over seventy books and has written and illustrated seventeen books of his own. Drawing on the great tradition of nineteenth-century book illustration, Sendak has forged a unique visual vocabulary and artistic style, at once rooted in the past yet contemporary in spirit and approach. His works, internationally acclaimed, include some of the best-loved books for children of recent years.

Beginning with the appearance in 1963 of his most famous and popular work, Where the Wild Things Are, both critical acclaim and controversy have heralded the publication of almost each new book. Credited by many critics and scholars as being the first artist to deal openly with the emotions of children, Sendak's honesty has troubled or frightened many who would wish to sentimentalize childhood--to shelter...