Top 15 Maurice Sendak Quotes

A book is really like a lover. It arranges itself in your life in a way that is beautiful.

Let the wild rumpus start!

Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

Oh, please don't go — we'll eat you up — we love you so!

"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"

I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more.

And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.

I'll eat you up I love you so.

There must be more to life than having everything!

There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen

I have nothing now but praise for my life. I'm not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more...What I dread is the isolation. ... There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready.

You cannot write for children. They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.

And [he] sailed back over a year
and in and out of weeks
and through a day
and into the night of his very own room
where he found his supper waiting for him
and it was still hot

And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.

But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!”
And Max said, “No!”
The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye.