Maurice Sendak

A book is really like a lover. It arranges itself in your life in a way that is beautiful.

Let the wild rumpus start!

Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

Oh, please don't go—we'll eat you up—we love you so!

I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more.

There must be more to life than having everything!

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

There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen.

And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.