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My great influence has been Maurice Sendak, who drew 'Where the Wild Things Are.' His characters really interact with each other.

When Maurice touched a keyboard, it was like something from a movie, magical. He would always give you something from a movie, and you'd go, what did you just play... immediately inspirational writings, amazing. That's what we're going to miss.

And that's why any of my picture books exist: They all seem to be built backwards from a simple, emotionally optimistic story beat.

Sendak's 1963 classic 'Where The Wild Things Are' has long been a favorite of mine because of the creative imagery, fantastic adventures and, most of all, because of how this timeless story shows us that children need to be free to roam, explore and invent in order to understand their place in the world that surrounds them.

If I give a book as a gift, it is invariably a children's book with beautiful artwork and a simple text. I adore the feel of them, the care taken in the artwork, and the high visual stimulation that sets off the simple but often powerful message the text conveys.

Dad was an amazing storyteller and illustrator, which he did in his spare time - very inspiring and dramatic.

Each picture has some sort of rhythm which only the director can give it. He has to be like the captain of a ship.

I think picture books should stretch children. I think they should be full of wonderful, amazing words.

Books, the children of the brain.

Anthony Powell taught me to write; he has such brilliant control of the mechanics of the novel.