poseidon's Full Review: Maurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are
I have always been a huge fan of books. I can remember back when I was three, I learning how to read, and I started off with The Little Golden Book series with the help of my grandmother. As my reading abilities increased, my appetite for books became voracious, and I was soon devouring books almost as fast as my mother could check them out of the library.
One of my most favorite children’s book of all time is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
Why am I writing this review?
This review is part of a children’s book write-off. The other participants in this write-off are forkids, Leah, gracef, KristinThomas, caconti, cornelia, conradd, stonehousellc, Grouch, auntnono, halfsweet, taurusmoon, DoubleCoog, caravan70, kcfoxy, mshawpyle, sleestakk, kchowell, emlin, CurtisEdmonds, fdknight, WorkingMomof2, expono, kimmiko, Bonies7, pogomom, Redlass, jrk, sweetpaulie, ErgoPropterHoc and andy.
We have all chosen our own book to review.
Why did I pick Where the Wild Things Are?
Simply said, I could relate to this book when I was a child – much more so than any other book I read. The main character, Max, and I were so much alike. Like Max, I was a rambunctious kid. Like Max, I was always getting in trouble for being so wild. Like Max, I was constantly being punished and sent to my room to “calm down.” Like Max, I have always had a very vivid imagination.
Like Max, my imagination would take me away from this confining world and spirit me off to Fantasyland. Sometimes, my imagination would make me a great space traveler – sometimes I would pretend to be a wild animal – sometimes a racecar driver. It really didn’t matter, the point is my imagination could create worlds and make fantasies come alive.
What’s this book about?
As the story goes, Max is dressed up as a wolf and is running around his house causing a plethora of trouble. He finds he is soon sent to bed without any dinner because he has been such a hellion. As you turn the pages, you see Max’s imagination start to shape. First, a vine grows in his bedroom, then the vine becomes a tree. The tree then becomes but one in a forest, and finally, all semblance of a bedroom has disappeared.
Max then wanders throughout the forest and stumbles upon some very scary monsters, with large, sharp teeth and big, gleaming eyes. As scary as the description of the monsters seem, they are indeed not scary at all. In fact, they become Max’s friends. The monsters are all called “Wild Things.”
Max is elevated to the King of the Wild Things. He throws a party of sorts so that all the Wild Things are able to act like hyperactive children, and they dance and just have gobs of fun.
However, Max soon becomes bored with the Wild Things, and wants to go home to his Mom.
As his mind changes gears once again, he returns to the world of Reality. His Mom has kept his dinner warm and he doesn’t go to bed hungry.
What will children learn from this book?
First and foremost, I think children will learn that Mom loves him (or her) no matter what kind of trouble he (or she) causes. I think children are smart enough to pick up on this moral, and are able to glean it from reading the story.
Second of all, I think children understand that not all scary-looking monsters are evil. The monsters in Where the Wild Things Are, while drawn to appear vicious, are quite benevolent and friendly. I think this teaches a valuable lesson to kids to not judge others by their outward appearance. The lesson makes a child think about whom the person is behind the face.
What else can I tell you about this book?
Where the Wild Things Are has won the Caladecott Medal for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year in 1964. The Educational Paperback Association has listed Maurice Sendak in its Top 100 Children’s Authors. It has also been placed on the ALA Notable Children's Book list, been awarded The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book, was deemed a Reading Rainbow Selection and graced the Horn Book Fanfare Honor List.
This book has 37 pages, and comes in both hardcover and paperback, and is still in print. The 25th Anniversary Edition was released in 1988.
When I grabbed this book off the library shelf this week, all those wonderful memories flooded back, and an immediate smile crossed my face. The illustrations are superb, and as I flipped through the story, my imagination once again turned itself on.
I would definitely recommend this book for young children!
Max is sent to bed without supper and imagines sailing away to the land of Wild Things, where he is made king. Winner, 1964 Caldecott MedalNotable Chi...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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