I have always been an admirer of children’s book creators, and one of my childhood (and adult) favorites has always been Maurice Sendak. A couple of his books still have a place on my bookshelf.
Google has an amazing little animation on their search “doodle” page today, recognizing Mr. Sendak’s 85th birthday. When I saw it this morning, it all came back to me: wishing I had a monster suit like Max’s when I was a kid; that I too often checked out Chicken Soup with Rice from the library. And, just last year, I was trapped in my car, mesmerized, when NPR played a past Terri Gross interview with Mr. Sendak, commemorating him at his death. I didn’t know much about him, and had never heard him speak before. He sounded like a very complicated, whimsical and inspiring man—as most artists should be. I was, and still am, impressed.
So, let’s salute our childhood heroes who never lose their impact. Happy Birthday, Maurice Sendak! – Jen