Maurice Sendak Shocks and Delights on Colbert

Beloved author Maurice Sendak cemented his place in the hearts of children worldwide with his classic Where The Wild Things Are - and thanks to Stephen Colbert, he’s even more of a hero to many of his now grown-up fans.

Appearing in a two-part interview series (the second of which aired last night), the 83-year-old author was more than on top of his game.

Sendak shares his thoughts on children’s literature today (“abysmal”) and which classics are actually worth reading. Curious George receives a nod, as do all Dr. Seuss books; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, however, doesn’t fare as well (“You should open up the door and say, ‘Get the hell out of my house!’”).

He also claims not to have “set out to make children happy or make life better for them, or easier for them.” Turns out he likes kids “as few and far between as I do adults. Maybe a bit more, because I really don't like adults at all.”

Colbert mentions e-books and Sendak spews forth the profanities.

“F--- them, I hate those e-books. They cannot be the future. They may well, I will be dead, I won’t give a s---.”

What about Newt Gingrich? “An idiot of great renown. There is something so hopelessly gross and vile about him, that it's hard to take him seriously.”

He’s not afraid to ruin your cherished childhood memories, either. Sendak cheerfully tells Colbert the reference to “wild rumpus” in Wild Things is - you guessed it - sex. Time to crack open your old copy and read it with adult eyes?

Well, if you like keeping your childhood pristine...maybe not.