Maurice Bernard Sendak (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He became widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak also wrote works such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and illustrated many works by other authors including the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 10, 1928
- May 8, 2012 (aged 83)
- Brooklyn, New York United States
- Writer, producer and actor
- 6 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Known for
What are Maurice Sendak's films like?
Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 1
Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 0
Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1
Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Maurice Sendak's films?
As of October 24, 2026, all 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Maurice Sendak's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
24 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Little Bear - Little Bear's Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Angels in America(2003)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
The Little Bear Movie(2000)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Where the Wild Things Are... and other Maurice Sendak Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Seven Little Monsters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Little Bear: Little Goblin Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
George and Martha(1999)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Little Bear: Winter Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Little Bear: Family Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Little Bear(1995)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows
Max et les Maximonstres et autres histoires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
In The Night Kitchen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Nutcracker(1986)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or, There Must Be More To Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Simple Gifts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Where the Wild Things Are (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Really Rosie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Alligators All Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
One Was Johnny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Chicken Soup With Rice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Pierre: A Cautionary Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 24 titles, 22 of them dated from 1962 to 2010.
How do Maurice Sendak's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th4
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 6 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 58, detractors 25. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Maurice Sendak work with?
People who share at least 2 of Maurice Sendak's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John B. Carls shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Spike JonzeShared titles: Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (2009), Where the Wild Things Are (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Spike Jonze
- Raymond JafeliceShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Raymond Jafelice
- John Van BruggenShared titles: George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with John Van Bruggen
Writers
- Nancy BarrShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 3 shared titles with Nancy Barr
- Else Holmelund MinarikShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Else Holmelund Minarik
- James StillShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with James Still
- Jennifer PertschShared titles: George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Jennifer Pertsch
Actors
- Catherine KeenerShared titles: Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (2009), Where the Wild Things Are (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Catherine Keener
- Amos CrawleyShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Amos Crawley
- Andrew SabistonShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Andrew Sabiston
- Dan HennesseyShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Dan Hennessey
Composers
- Lesley BarberShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), Little Bear (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Lesley Barber
Producers
- John B. CarlsShared titles: Where the Wild Things Are (2009), The Little Bear Movie (2000), George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 4 shared titles with John B. Carls
- Clive A. SmithShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 3 shared titles with Clive A. Smith
- Marianne CulbertShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 3 shared titles with Marianne Culbert
- Michael HirshShared titles: The Little Bear Movie (2000), George and Martha (1999), Little Bear (1995)See all 3 shared titles with Michael Hirsh
