Synopsis
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was one of the first children's books to depict the sometimes subversive inner mind of a child. A seemingly straightforward tale about monsters, the story allows readers to deal with their fears of the unknown. Wearing a wolf suit and acting like a wild child, a boy named Max gets so out of control that his mother sends him to bed without his supper. That night Max laughs with delight as his room is transformed into a land inhabited by wild things--monsters almost as wild as Max himself. At first, the monsters try to scare Max, but, using a magic trick to conquer them, he becomes their king. Although Max eagerly participates in the creatures' "wild rumpus," he eventually returns home--where he finds his dinner, still hot, waiting for him in his bedroom. Although some found the jewel-toned, crosshatched pen-and-ink illustrations too frightening for children, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1963, and it also won the 1964 Caldecott Medal.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1988-09-01 | | Illustrator: | Maurice Sendak | | Edition Description: | Anniversary |
| Size | | Length: | 48 pages | | Height: | 10.3 in | | Width: | 9.3 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 14.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
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 Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1940?1970 (ALA)
1981 Boston Globe?Horn Book Award for Illustration
1963, 1982 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1963, 1982 (NYT)
A Reading Rainbow Selection
1964 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Children's Books of 1981 (Library of Congress)
1981 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing 1988 (NY Public Library)
A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.
Industry Reviews
"This vibrant picture book in luminous, understated full color has proved utterly engrossing to children with whom it has been shared....A sincere, perceptive contribution which bears repeated examination."
Horn Book - Virginia Haviland (04/01/1964)
"[A] most imaginative and unusual read-aloud picture book, with illustrations that are marvelously detailed....The text has a lovely lyric quality, and the psychological implications are sound but are not obtrusive in the story--rather, they give it body."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Zena Sutherland (03/01/1963)
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