Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Maurice Sendak

GENRE: Children's Picture Book.

PUBLICATION DATE: April 9, 1963

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: Finally read this classic picture book! Good story, great illustrations. Quite imaginative and entertaining but many of the points will work better on discussion.

Plot Preview:

One night, young Max is wearing his wolf suit and making mischief in the house. His mother calls him “Wild Thing!” in anger, so he retaliates and declares that he will eat her up. As expected, he gets punished for his cheek, and is sent to his room without food. But something special happens in his room, and he soon finds himself sailing to where the wild things are and having much fun with them. Should he continue to stay there, where he can be the King of the Wild Things?

I have had this classic on my TBR since a few years now. Considered by many to be among the greatest picture books ever and the Winner of the Caldecott Medal for Most Distinguished Picture Book in 1964, this book came attached with a lot of hype. But as I had first heard of this book only as an adult, I went into the book with no nostalgia or bias. As such, my opinion might not be as enthusiastic as those who have fond memories of reading this book in their childhood.

The story is quite good when it comes to imaginativeness. Max’s wild thinking creates a virtual jungle and ocean in his room, travelling “weeks and weeks and over a year” to reach the wild things, have fun with them, even get appointed as the King of the Wild Things, but finally knowing when it’s time to return.

Kids might not be able to read between the lines on their own, but adults will understand that Max’s mind indicates his loneliness and his need to have some control over his fate. Kids will find fun and joy in Max’s imagination and comfort in seeing the tenderness of his mother’s heart.

Some parts of the story could have done better for me, but these are strictly from an adult reader perspective.

The text is minimal and well-written, making effective use of repetition and onomatopoeia to add to the read-aloud experience. There are also several action words and sound words. Storytime with this book will be fun!

The artwork is as imaginative as the story indicates. All the illustrations are coloured in nature-based shades. The “Wild Things” appear scary at first but the big grin on their faces ensures that children won't be scared of them.

Overall, I can see why this book is considered a classic. The gap of more than six decades makes it obvious that some things haven’t aged well. But it will be a great resource for bedtime storytelling, made better with a heartfelt parent-child discussion.

This was a library read.