Maurice Sendak books in order
American illustrator and writer of children's books
- Lived
- 1928–2012
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 36
Maurice Sendak published 4 novels, 2 novellas, 1 short story collection, 22 children's books, 2 poetry collections, 1 play and 4 other books, beginning with Alligators All Around (1962). The best-known is Where the Wild Things Are (1963).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Maurice Sendak
Start here
Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak's most-read book, rated by 109 Open Library readers.
Standalone novels in order
Caldecott and Co (1988)
Christmas Mystery/Full-Color Book of Clues and Jigsaw Puzzle (1995)
Little Bear's Bad Day (2003)
The Bee-Man of Orn (2010)
Novellas in order
Kenny's Window (1999)
Bumble-Ardy (2011)
Short story collections in order
Nutshell Library (1962)
Children's books in order
Charlotte and the White Horse (1955)
I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue (1956)
Very Far Away (1957)
Alligators All Around (1962)
Chicken Soup with Rice (1962)
One Was Johnny (1962)
Pierre (1962)
Where the Wild Things Are (Nov 1963)
Hector Protector (1965)
Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1967)
The Sign on Rosie's Door (1969)
In the Night Kitchen (1970)
King Grisly-Beard (1973)
Some Swell Pup (1976)
Seven Little Monsters (1977)
Outside Over There (1981)
Victorian Color Picture Books (1983)
Posters (1986)
Dear Mili (1988)
The Eventful History of Three Blind Mice (1996)
Mama? (Spanish) (2006)
Conversations with Maurice Sendak (2016)
Poetry in order
We Are All in the Dumps, with Jack and Guy (1993)
My Brother's Book (2013)
Plays in order
Really Rosie Starring the Nutshell Kids (1975)
Other books in order
Pictures by Maurice Sendak (1971)
But the Giraffe, a Curtain Raising and Brundibar a Libretto (2007)
Kiss for Little Bear (2024)
Hansel and Gretel (2025)
Film and TV adaptations
- Where the Wild Things Are (2009)Film · from Where the Wild Things Are
About Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak illustrated his own books as well as those by other authors, such as the Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik. He achieved acclaim with Where the Wild Things Are (1963), the first of a trilogy followed by In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981). He also designed sets for operas, notably Mozart's The Magic Flute.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Maurice Sendak FAQ
- How many books has Maurice Sendak written?
- Maurice Sendak published 4 novels, 2 novellas, 1 short story collection, 22 children's books, 2 poetry collections, 1 play and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Maurice Sendak's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Where the Wild Things Are.
- What is Maurice Sendak's last book?
- Bumble-Ardy (2011).
- What is Maurice Sendak's most famous book?
- Where the Wild Things Are (1963) is Maurice Sendak's most widely read book.
- Which Maurice Sendak books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Where the Wild Things Are (film, 2009).
Authors like Maurice Sendak
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.