WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sendak, Maurice. 1963. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0060254920.

PLOT SUMMARY

Max is wearing his wolf suit as he pursues some mischief, but instead his mother sends him to bed without supper calling him, “wild thing”. His room transforms into a forest, and then an ocean appears with a boat for him to sail away. He sails until he comes to the place where the wild things are. He tames the wild things and they make him their king. Max’s first act as king is to initiate a wild rumpus. Afterwards, Max sends the wild things off to bed without supper as he begins to think of home. He realizes he wants to go back to the comfort of his room, and it is here where he finds his warm supper waiting on him.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sendak’s magical drawings lure readers into Max’s dream world. It is a place where a mischievous young boy can escape his consequences and have power over the wild things as their ruler. Sendak’s use of run on sentences emphasizes the dreamlike sequence of the story. The description of the wild things sounds frightening. Sendak writes, “they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.” However, the pictures of the wild things as they participate in Max’s wild rumpus are whimsical and entertaining. In the end, Max realizes that he is ready to face his consequences in order to delight in the comforts of home.

REVIEW EXERPTS

Booklist starred review (November 01, 2007)- “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”

Winner, 1964 Caldecott Medal

Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)

1981 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Illustration

CONNECTIONS

• Pre-reading activity: Have students illustrate what they believe a wild thing would look like.
• Lesson plan for a texture and pattern art lesson: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/early/Jeryl-Wild.htm
• Other picture books with a theme related to consequences:
• Numeroff, Laura. IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE. ISBN: 006024586
•  dePaola, Tomie. STREGA NONA. ISBN: 1442416661
• Henkes, Kevin. LILY”S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE. ISBN: 0688128971