Maurice Sendak Childhood Quotations

Childhood is a tricky business. Usually, something goes wrong.

I had a brother who was my savior, made my childhood bearable.

I do not remember any proper children's books in my childhood. I was not exposed to them.

The magic of childhood is the strangeness of childhood — the uniqueness that makes us see things that other people don't see.

I remember my own childhood vividly...I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn't let adults know I knew. It would scare them

Children surviving childhood is my obsessive theme and my life's concern,

Childhood is cannibals and psychotics vomiting in your mouth!

I said anything I wanted because I don't believe in children I don't believe in childhood. I don't believe that there's a demarcation. 'Oh you mustn't tell them that. You mustn't tell them that.' You tell them anything you want. Just tell them if it's true. If it's true you tell them.

Why is my needle stuck in childhood? I don't know why. I guess it's because that's where my heart is.

William Blake really is important, my cornerstone. Nobody ever told me before he did that childhood was such a damned serious business.