'Where the Wild Things Are' author Maurice Sendak dies

Maurice Sendak, the children's book author and illustrator of classics such as Where the Wild Things Are has died aged 83.

The author who saw the sometimes dark side of childhood in books died at a hospital in Connecticut according to his long-time friend and caretaker Lynn Caponera.

"Where the Wild Things Are" earned Sendak a prestigious Caldecott Medal for the best children's book of 1964 and became a hit movie in 2009.

Sendak spoke at the premiere of the film directed by Spike Jonze in 2009, where he said was very happy with the result.

ITV News reporter Geraint Vincent tells use why he was so inspiring to children.

Former US president Bill Clinton awarded Sendak a National Medal of the Arts in 1996 for his vast portfolio of work. And he wasn't the only US leader to commend the children's book author.

Barack Obama read Maurice Sendak's picture book "Where the Wild Things Are" at the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll.

Sendak's varied resume did not stop at writing children's books. He was even responsible for creating costumes for ballets and staged operas, including the Czech opera "Brundibar," which he also put on paper with collaborator Pulitzer-winning playwright Tony Kushner in 2003.

In 2003, Sendak told the Associated Press:

Today, celebrities and fans from around the world paid tribute to the legend: