Module 2: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: In Where the Wild Things Are, a little boy named Max loves to cause trouble. One night after he’s sent to bed without supper, he takes a journey to land full of monsters called the wild things. He becomes king of the wild things and has many adventures with them, but eventually he decides to return home and finds a wonderful surprise waiting for him.

Citation: Sendak, M. (1963). Where the Wild Things Are. New York: HarperCollins.

Impression:
This was my first time reading Where the Wild Things Are, and I can see why it won the Caldecott Medal and why it has become such a classic. Many elements of Sendak’s story, like Max’s room turning into a magical forest and his wild rumpus with the wild things, still hold a lot of appeal for kids. Also, his illustrations of the wild things are bold and unusual, but not too scary— in most images they are smiling. However, there are some darker elements to the book as well. There is an image of Max chasing the family dog, he tells his mother “I’LL EAT YOU UP,” and the wild things “roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth.” These darker elements don’t take away from the book or make it inappropriate for young children. Instead, they add another layer of interest and complexity to the book.

Where the Wild Things Are was made into a movie in 2009. The movie captures the look and feel of the book perfectly, but there are significant differences. Parents, especially with parents with very young children, should be aware that the movie emphasizes the harsh, almost violent elements of the book.

Review:
Booklist:
*Starred Review* This simply written but subtle book became a classic not only because it legitimized children's angry feelings and their ability to use their imaginations to deal with those feelings but also because it showed punishment and love coexisting in a parent-child relationship. When mischievous Max, wearing his wolf suit, romps around the house and drives his mother to distraction, she calls him Wild Thing and sends him to bed without his supper. But in the quiet of his room, a forest grows, where claw-footed monsters with horns, Wild Things just like Max, lurk and leap. Max joins their wild rumpus and is made king of all wild things, but still he misses his home. When he finally returns, he discovers his supper waiting, and it is still hot. Where the Wild Things Are, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1964, has never gone out of print and is now available in several editions including paperback and a twenty-fifth anniversary remastered version. The year 2008 is sure to bring even more attention to this beloved children's book: Dave Eggers will publish an adult novel based on the 338-word story at the same time that a combination live-action and animatronic movie, scripted by Eggers and directed by Spike Jonze, is released. How Jonze will translate Sendak's exceptional crossed-hatched-watercolor artwork to the screen remains to be seen.

Zvirin, S. (2007, November 01). [Review of the book Where the wild things are, by M. Sendak]. Booklist 104(5). Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Uses in a library:
One of the ways libraries could use Where the Wild Things Are is to hold a “Wild Rumpus” night. They could invite children and their families for a storytime featuring Where the Wild Things Are and similar books, have children draw a picture of their version of the wild things or what they would look like as king or queen of the wild things, and watch the movie.