Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963.

Born to Polish-Jewish parents in Brooklyn, New York, Sendak's childhood was affected by the tragic loss of many of his family members during the Holocaust. His decision to become an illustrator was sparked after viewing Walt Disney's film Fantasia at the age of twelve. His illustrations were first published in 1947 in a textbook titled Atomics for the Millions by Dr. Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff.

Throughout the 1950s, Sendak worked as an artist for children's books, later beginning to write his own stories. He also wrote works such as In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There, and illustrated the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik. An elementary school in North Hollywood, California is named in his honor.