In 2003, he received the fi rst Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an international prize for children's literature established by the Swedish government.

He received the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are the 1970 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration the 1983 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, given by the American Library Association in recognition of his entire body of work and a 1996 National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America. In addition to Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak's books include Kenny's Window, Very Far Away, The Sign on Rosie's Door, Nutshell Library (consisting of Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, One Was Johnny, and Pierre), Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life, In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy, and Bumble-Ardy. Maurice Sendak enthusiastically approved this remastered rendition of his art. The original pictures have never before been as faithfully reproduced as they are in this new edition. Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year This Sendak classic is more fun than you've ever had in a wolf suit, and it manages to reaffirm the notion that there's no place like home. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentences-one of his trademarks-lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination. The wild things-with their mismatched parts and giant eyes-manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary at times they're downright hilarious.

Sendak's color illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. If you disagree, then it's been too long since you've attended a wild rumpus. Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up.

Where the wild things are book