Final answer:
Maurice Sendak had an early fascination with storytelling and illustration, influenced by the books he read as a child. His realization that stories could reflect his own experiences was pivotal, and he began to write and illustrate his own tales, which would shape his future work in children's literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
As a boy, Maurice Sendak was fascinated with the world of stories and the art of illustration. At the tender age of seven, Sendak began writing stories in pencil, complete with crayon illustrations, which were dutifully read by his mother. These stories, inspired by the books he read, featured characters and scenarios that were foreign to his own experience. It wasn't until he encountered African books that Sendak realized stories could reflect a wider range of experiences, including his own.
His passion for writing and art would continue from these early attempts into his teenage years, where at the age of twelve, he was already publishing his rhymes and poems for children in a local magazine. His creativity found various expressions, from engaging with African veldts and exploring his self-identity through literature, to learning about different cultures through his reading. This early exposure to foreign lands and his own growing understanding of his cultural identity would shape Sendak's later works, earning him a respected place in the world of children's literature and illustration.