Maurice Sendak was an American author and illustrator of more than 100 children’s books. He began his career illustrating Atomics for the Millions in 1947 and later worked as a costume designer for the New York Metropolitan Opera, and a window dresser for FAO Schwartz, where his artwork gained national recognition. Sendak is best known for writing and illustrating Where the Wild Things Are (1963), which earned him a Caldecott Medal in 1964. His book Outside Over There (1982) won a National Book Award, and he also illustrated works by others and advised the Children’s Television Workshop during the development of Sesame Street. Sendak remains the most honored children’s book illustrator in American history. He was also the 1970 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 1983 Laura Ingalls Wilder Pulitzer Award, and the 2003 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. In 1996 he was presented with the National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America.
https://www.sendakfoundation.org/biography