Quotes by Maurice Sendak

“You cannot write for children Theyre much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.”

“There must be more to life than having everything”

“Where the Wild Things Are,”

“I dont know what to make of it, exactly, but I am so for it, ... I am in love with it. If Spike and Dave do not do this movie, now, I would just as soon not see any version of it ever get made.”

“clinch with and collaborate with.”

“What most people wanted was a reproduction of the book, because the book made money,”

“He was the strangest little bird Id ever seen. He had fluttered into the world of the studios and, could he not be swatted dead, I knew he would manage. I had total faith in him.”

“I have been doodling with ink and watercolor on paper all my life. Its my way of stirring up my imagination to see what I find hidden in my head. I call the results dream pictures, fantasy sketches, and even brain-sharpening exercises.”

And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.

I have nothing now but praise for my life. Im not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I cant stop them. They leave me and I love them more...

Sendak is in search of what he calls a yummy death. William Blake set the standard, jumping up from his death bed at the last minute to start singing. A happy death, says Sendak. It can be done. He lifts his eyebrows to two peaks. If youre William Blake and totally crazy.

The day after Paul Newman was dead, he was twice as dead.

Each month is gay,Each season nice,When eatingChicken soupWith rice

I remember my own childhood vividly...I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustnt let adults know I knew. It would scare them

Its only adults who read the top layers most of the time. I think children read the internal meanings of everything.

. . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.

And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things.

It is sometimes hard to be a family.

You cannot write for children. Theyre much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.

But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!”And Max said, “No!”The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye.