While still at high school, Maurice Sendak - June 10th 1928 - May 5th 2012 - worked for All-American Comics doing backgrounds and supplying storylines for the Mutt and Jeff strip. In 1951 he illustrated his first book.  He went on to write his own stories. Where the Wild Things Are the most well known of the more than 100 books he illustrated and the 20 he wrote and illustrated .
He also contributed to television series and designed sets and costumes in opera and ballet.
Of all children’s author/illustrators he tops the poll for most often objected to. Usually by parents concerned about his depictions of ‘scary’ stuff considered too strong for impressionable children - which sounds like a recommendation. Sendak’s take on the inner lives of children had him discussed by psychiatrists and educators as well as artists. Apart from his considerable artistic ability it was his original view of what children and their reading matter might be that made him so memorable.
Born in New York the child of Polish Jewish immigrants he has said that the events of World War II were the root of his approach to his art.  His  awareness of his extended family dying in the Holocaust shaping his views on life and death.
A winner of many awards, in 1970 Maurice Sendak was presented the Hans Christian Anderson award for childrens book illustration, the most prestigious award in the field, and in 1996 was honoured  by US President Bill Clinton with the National Medal of Arts.