Where the Wild Things Are: What Did It Mean to You?

But Sendak, the winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the classic Where the Wild Things Are, told PEOPLE in 1988 that he believed children were tough enough for the grimmest fairy tales. “Parents shouldn't assume children are made out of sugar candy

[Updated at 10:34 a.m. ET] Maurice Sendak, author of the classic children's book "Where the Wild Things Are," died from complications after a stroke on Tuesday, said Erin Crum, a spokeswoman for HarperCollins Publishers.

Maurice Sendak, a renowned children's book author best known for 'Where the Wild Things Are,' has died at the age of 83.

Maurice Sendak, writer and illustrator of beloved children's picture books Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, passed away today of complications stemming from a recent stroke. He was 83.

But Sendak, the winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the classic Where the Wild Things Are, told PEOPLE in 1988 that he believed children were tough enough for the grimmest fairy tales. “Parents shouldn't assume children are made out of sugar candy