Today’s Google doodle is a special one because it celebrates what would have been the 85th birthday of beloved children’s author, Maurice Sendak!
Best known for writing and illustrating WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, Sendak was the writer and illustrator of tons of children’s books, but none surpassed the popularity of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.
Sendak passed away at the age of 83 on in May 2012, but his books and drawings continue to be read and loved all over the world. WHERE THE WILD THERE ARE was also adapted into a live action feature film in 2009 to high praise.
DID YOU KNOW?
- WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was initially supposed to be titled “Where the Wild Horses Are” and was to be about horses, foals and mares. However, Sendak was unable to draw horses and when asked what he could draw, Sendak replied, “Things.” Hence, the change from Horses to Things!
- Most of Sendak’s extended family died in concentration camps, but he didn’t realise this or how lucky he and his family were to escape until he was much older.
- Before he became a household name in children’s fiction, Sendak was best known for illustrating the popular LITTLE BEAR series by Else Holmelund Minarik.
- Sendak had an intense and inexplicable dislike for ebooks.
- The Things he drew for WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE were inspired by his immigrant relatives and how he perceived them when he was a child.