In a bittersweet twist of fate, Stephen Colbert’s children’s book, I Am A Pole (and So Can You!) released yesterday, the same day Maurice Sendak died.

Sendak, of course, is the author of the classic Where the Wild Things Are, the book that earned him a lifetime of fame and accolades. But it was Sendak’s recent interview on the Colbert Report that thrust him back into the media spotlight.

Sendak’s charming, curmudgeonly wit was on full display as he matched Colbert’s satirical barbs, and when Colbert pitched an idea for his very own children’s book, Sendak offered a patient ear and wry response: “The sad thing,” Sendak quipped, “is I actually like it.”

Colbert’s pitch, which became the book I Am A Pole (And So Can You!), is now available everywhere. Something tells me that Sendak’s work will live on just as long as Colbert’s, if not longer.

Video: Watch Maurice Sendak’s interview with Stephen Colbert