Children's author Maurice Sendak, best known for his 1963 book Where the Wild Things Are, died today at the age of 83.
Where the Wild Things Are marked a renaissance of sorts in the world of children's literature, as it rejected the idea that children should only be exposed to the cleanest, most saccharine of stories. Sendak allowed a bit of the darkness of the human condition into the nuanced worlds of his books, while at the same time remaining sweet and thoughtful.
In 2009, Spike Jonze directed a live-action/CG adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, which captured beautifully the provoking visual style of the book.