Today marks what would have been acclaimed children’s book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak’s 85^th birthday. Check out today’s whimsical Google Doodle that celebrates Sendak’s life and legacy as one of the most important children’s book artists of the 20^th century. His revolutionary approach to children’s literature—in which he “wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying, and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche” (New York Times)—earned him a plethora of awards, including the Caldecott Medal (for Where the Wild Things Are), the National Book Award (for Outside Over There), and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children’s literature. The Free Library has plenty of copies of Sendak’s books, and we encourage you take the time to share one with your little one or re-read an old favorite of your own!

For even more Maurice Sendak goodness, check out his collected works at The Rosenbach Museum & Library. (The Rosenbach and the Free Library Foundation jointly announced their intent to merge this past April.) The Rosenbach holds more than 10,000 works of art, manuscripts, books, and ephemera of Sendak’s, including original color artwork from books—such as Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, The Nutshell Library, Outside Over There, and Brundibar—never-before-seen working materials; and rare, unpublished sketches. Learn more about the Rosenbach’s Maurice Sendak Collection, and be sure to check out their upcoming exhibition, The Night Max Wore His Suit: 50 Years of Wild Things!