Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

The son of Polish Jewish immigrants who arrived in the US before World War One, Sendak was born in Brooklyn in 1928. The story of a loveable rascal called Max whose mother sends him to his room for causing mayhem, it takes a more mysterious turn when, left alone, Max conjures a vivid world of towering trees and vines and sails off to become king of an island of party-loving monsters, before getting lonely and returning home. Yet, with its unforgettable colour palette of pinks, blues and greens and its depiction of perennial childhood joys like tree swinging and piggyback rides, it looks as fresh as the day it was born. Where the Wild Things Are turns 60 this November. The 21st Century’s greatest children’s books Read more about BBC Culture's 100 greatest children's books: Most importantly though, it has indeed captivated generations of children thirsty for mischief, mastery and a cracking wild rumpus. For this poll, children's authors and experts from Singapore and Iceland to Portugal and Peru voted for it in their droves, with one respondent, Pam Dix, chair of the UK section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), calling it 'a perfect, multi-layered picture book that reveals new dimensions on each reading'. It has inspired films, songs, books, an opera and even a spoof on The Simpsons. Of course, far from only appealing to children, after initially sending shockwaves around the literary establishment, over the decades the book has beguiled almost everyone who has encountered it, young and old, from world leaders to film directors. Accepting the coveted Caldecott medal in 1964, an annual award honouring the 'most distinguished American picture book for children', the author Maurice Sendak addressed the rumbles of disapproval his winning book had received from some quarters about it being too frightening by wryly commenting, 'Where the Wild Things Are was not meant to please everybody – only children.'

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak