It seems entirely fitting that Maurice Sendak was born on the same day that Mickey Mouse first made his cartoon debut—June 10, 1928. Sendak was crazy about cartoons and comic books, and at twelve, after seeing Disney's Fantasia, he decided that he was going to become an illustrator. His love of childrens books began early: often sick and confined to bed, little Maurice read and read and read. Though many of his own stories were light and...

When Max is sent to bed without supper, he sails off to a world inhabited by weird creatures. Mickey is awakened by noises in the night. Alligators dance and sing through the alphabet. Counting forwards and backwards has never been so much fun. Pierre doesn't care about anything until he meets a hungry lion. Chicken soup with rice can be enjoyed all year long while learning the months.