Where the Wild Things Are

Name: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak

by Maurice Sendak

Max gets sent to bed and becomes a king.

For you if

you know a kid whose anger is bigger than the room.

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$20 MSRP · Hardcover
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Max puts on a wolf suit, makes mischief and is sent to bed without supper. His room grows a forest, he sails to an island of enormous creatures, and he tames them by staring into their yellow eyes and becomes their king. When the wild rumpus is over, he wants to go home, where his supper is still warm. A picture book that lets a small child be furious and safe in the same breath.

Where This Book Lives

Themes: childhood independence courage family bonds

Pass. Ages 4-8. Won the Caldecott Medal in 1964 and was widely challenged on release for being too scary and for letting a boy be angry at his mother. No documented concerns that require looking away. Fits the DoCR idea that childish feelings are a capacity, not a problem. Close relatives: Not a Box, The Big Orange Splot, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (suggested 11-10) and Be You!.

Same pattern, different era

Different time, different place. The same thing keeps happening.

Number the Stars

Lois Lowry