The New York Times is reporting that Maurice Sendak, the author and illustrator of "Where the Wild Things Are", passed away on May 8th, 2012 at age 83 in Danbury, Conn.  He passed away from complications after a recent stroke.  

Maurice Sendak removed himself from the children's book mold.  Instead of focusing on colorful happy stories, Maurice brought a more gritty vision of the human psyche to his books.  His ground breaking work will not be forgotten.

Below you can watch a 1o minute documentary shot on Maurice Sendak in 2008.  In the video, he talks about his life and influences for his illustrations and stories.

And lastly, enjoy the trailer for Maurice's most famous title, "Where The Wild Things Are."

For more on the story, visit The New York Times.

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