Eternal Peace: Maurice Sendak.

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Sendak in 1985. (AP/File)

Maurice Sendak, childhood author and creator of the hauntingly wonderful “Where The Wild Things Are“, passed away today at the age of 83. Sendak succumbed to complications of a recent stroke.

The ubiquitous author created worlds that piqued every child’s imagination despite challenging our psyches with characters evoking something out of a nightmare. Sendak was essential in building our library of childhood books and when WTWTA hit shelves in 1963, it was not only groundbreaking, it broke literary barriers into pieces.

His other titles include: “In the Night Kitchen” and “Outside Over There”, which coupled with “Where the Wild Things Are” form a trilogy; “The Sign on Rosie’s Door”; “Higglety Pigglety Pop!”; and the always favorite “The Nutshell Library”, a boxed set of four books including “Alligators All Around,” “Chicken Soup With Rice,” “One Was Johnny” and “Pierre.” His most recent release, “Bumble-Ardy”–his first in over 30 years–spent five weeks at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list last year, and a posthumous book dedicated to his late brother, Jack, is set to be released in February.

His legacy is one that will ring true with generations to come. Take a look at this candid footage of the author from December 2011, courtesy of the UK’s Tate Museum.

TateShots: Maurice Sendak.

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