Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Sendak, Maurice. 1963. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Ill. by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780060254926

PLOT SUMMARY:
This book tells the story of Max, who plays around causing "mischief" while dressed up as a wolf. He was acting wild and his mother punishes him by sending him to bed with no supper. In his imagination, his bedroom turns into a forest and he sails off to another land with other wild things where he is made "king of the all the wild things". He soon finds himself lonely for someone who loves him, smells his supper and returns back home to his bedroom. He finds his supper waiting for him when he gets there and it is still hot.

ANALYSIS:
Sendak's writing is clear and easy to understand. The topic is a good topic for children who want to play make believe and escape to a world where they are important and where there are no rules about behavior. Reality hits that things are not always better somewhere else. This book is appealing because of Max's conflct with his mother and the fact that kids can identify with Max's way of thinking. His escape to a place where he can be what he wants to be is a fantasy that many children can understand. Max's actions like chasing the dog and talking back to his mother are also universal actions that most children experience at sometime in their lives. Max is a realistic character who fantisizes like all children would.

This book is great because of the creative imagination of the author and his talented artistry. Students will enjoy the pictures, looking at Max and the wild things and figuring out what animals are portrayed as wild things. This book will capture children's attention. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is a book that children will want read to them again and again.

Review Excerpts:
Caldecott Medal - 1964
Notable Children's Books of 1940-1970 (ALA)
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Illustration - 1981
School Library Journal - "Each word has been carefully chosen and the simpliciity of the language is quite desciptive."

CONNECTIONS:
* Children can escape into a fantasy world.
* Children illustrate there own stories going to a make believe place.
Other books about behaving badly:
DAVID GETS IN TROUBLE by David Shannon
NO, DAVID by David Shannon