Where The Wild Things Are was one of the first books I remember my mother giving me when I was learning to read. Sendak’s visual style, namely the monsters left an impression on me. The changed connotation of the term monster by Sesame Street definitely helped keep Sendak’s creations from being freaky.
Beyond Wild, I have a passing familiarity with a couple other books of his, namely another my brother borrowed from the Champaign public library. It was only memorable because someone jerk vandalized it.
Thanks Mr. Sendak, namely for helping me get started with reading since I ended up in the top reading class in Kindergarten and one grade ahead until St. Agnes.