In Memory of Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak was one of those rare writers (and illustrators) whose work touched nearly everyone. If you never read or heard one of his books, you likely knew someone who was deeply affected by one of them. Most people I knew came to know of Maurice Sendak through his most famous work, “Where The Wild Things Are.” For those of you who love that, here is Christopher Walken reading “Where The Wild Things Are.”

My introduction to Maurice Sendak came via his book, “Pierre,” which my mom bought me when I was very young. It’s the story of a boy who doesn’t care about anything and the effect that attitude has on him and everyone around him. It’s probably what helped me grow into a healthy Gen X’er without becoming an insufferable hipster. Here’s Pierre as sung by Carole King from the Maurice Sendak-based musical, “Really Rosie.”

Maurice Sendak died today, and the world has lost one of its wildest imaginations, but in his life, through his work, he helped mold millions more imaginations that will endure in his absence. Did you have a favorite Maurice Sendak book? Let us know what it was in the comments.