What Maurice Sendak Understood About Children: They Want To Be Scared

“[He] wasn’t afraid of writing very dark and disturbing children’s books. In fact, he understood that what children really want is to be disturbed, ruffled, terrified. He wasn’t interested in writing sweet or charming books for children like Angelina Ballerina, or Olivia. ‘I refuse to lie to children,’ he said. ‘I refuse to cater to the bullshit of innocence.'”