Maurice Sendak: ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ author by the numbers
Maurice Sendak, the popular children’s book illustrator and writer, died today at age 83 in a Danbury, Conn., hospital after suffering a stroke. Sendak was best known for his book “Where the Wild Things Are” but was also a frequent collaborator on operas, television programs, films and theater.
Here’s a look, by the numbers, of his impact:
50-plus: Books written and/or illustrated by Sendak
17 million: Copies in print of “Where the Wild Things Are,” the 37-page classic about a boy named Max and the monsters that he meets that Sendak published in 1963 to much acclaim and controversy.
3: Rank on Amazon’s list of bestselling children’s book classics, behind Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” and Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” It’s ranked 184th among all books.
$10.94: Price of a hardcover copy of “Where the Wild Things Are” on Amazon
$100 million: Estimated budget for the 2009 film “Where the Wild Things Are”
$32.7 million: The movie’s opening weekend box-office haul in the U.S.
$77.2 million: The gross box office for the film’s North American theatrical run
$500: Starting cost of adult tickets for the New York City Opera’s April 2011 performance of “Where the Wild Things Are.” Oliver Knussen composed the work to Sendak’s libretto.
5: Number of seasons of “Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear,” a Canadian children’s television series that ran from 1995 through 2003 on Nickelodeon and was based on the “Little Bear” book series illustrated by Sendak. It still airs in reruns.
10,000-plus: Sendak objects -- including original drawings, sketches, manuscripts, proofs and more -- housed in the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia. The institution is allowing visitors to view its Sendak Gallery for free today.
766: Number of students enrolled at Maurice Sendak Elementary in North Hollywood.
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