“Then from far away across the world he smelled good things to eat, so he gave up being king of the wild things.”

“But the wild things cried, “Oh please don't go- We'll eat you up- we love you so!”

“And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.”

“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

“And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things.”

“And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.”

“Oh, please don't go—we'll eat you up—we love you so!”