Anyone who knows Maurice Sendak's work can recall his hauntingly beautiful pictures in the children's books Outside Over There and Dear Mili and the frightful wild things in Where the Wild Things Are. But do you know from where these images evolved?

The mind of Sendak is simultaneously childlike and complex. As a Jew growing up before World War II, he knew there were a lot of things to fear in the world, and that stayed with him. Through his art, he shows children that all is not safe and that there are things to fear. But his illustrations stop at just the right point so that children do not become frightened by them.

Readers will also learn that Sendak illustrated books for adults, such as Melville’s Pierre and Kleist’s Penthesilia. Additionally, Sendak did set design for operas such as The Magic Flute and collaborated with composer Carole King on a musical play entitled Really Rosie.

The scope of Sendak’s work is huge, yet it is not finished. He is still creating wonderful, beautifully muted pictures for us to embrace.