Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
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Book Reviews of Where the Wild Things Are
Book Review: This Story Rules The Universe!
Summary: 5 Stars
Hey, don't waste time reading this pedantic review, because you can finish WTWTA cover-to-cover in about as long. Go! Really! Get this book! Run!
Well, if you're still here, let me try a second time to convince you. WTWTA (as we in the cool crowd call it...) is the wonderful tale of a little boy named Max, who dresses in his wolf suit and proceeds to run amok through his house, chasing his dog with a fork and making so much noise and mischief that he gets sent to his room. Ah, but rather than ending there, the story takes off. (Bet you never saw that coming, didya?) Max either imagines what comes next or--as I prefer to see it--is transported into another dimension, where Wild Things, some of the hippest, wildest-looking creatures this side of Budhuhastania live. To get there, Max sails in and out of a year and lands where the wild things are. Initially the Wild Things size Max up as a pre-dinner snack, but Max isn't scared of them. Nope, he tames them with a look and bids them to "BE STILL". And they do. The Wild Things recognize in Max a kindred spirit and make him their ruler. They begin a wild rumpus and dance and howl and party all night. It's a great sort of life.
And I bloody wish the book had ended here, but...
Well eventually Max becomes tired of his job as king and plots a return home. The Wild Things, being less than overjoyed to hear the news of their king's abdication, plead with him not to go and promise, "We'll eat you up, we love you so!"
Oooohh, heavy stuff indeed. Do the Wild Things feast upon fillet of Max? Sorry to leave you on the edge of your seat, but you'll have to travel through all dozen pages of Where The Wild Things Are to find out for yourself.
Unhesitantly recommended by me, Mr. Sendak's lifelong fan.
Book Review: read it for what it is
Summary: 5 Stars
I am surprised at some of the reasons some reviewers give for posting a negative score for this book. One reviewer stated that this book had wonderful illustrations but the writing was horrendous with little content. This reason seemed enough for that particular reviewer to give it a feeble one star. Well isn't it a picture book first and foremost? A PICTURE BOOK. Another point brought up by someone was that it set a terrible example to kids that it's ok to be bratty. Well here's a news flash... Every kid goes through tantrums and frustrations. Its all part of learning to understand the grown-up world outside their bedroom door. Sometimes a child's only haven is inside their room, where they are free to sort things out and release their frustrations. Sometimes its very hard for a child to make sense of the world around them. Remember when you were a kid and just didn't understand why you were getting in trouble? It may seem obvious to a parent, but to a two year old, its a whole mess of feelings. Max was, after all, being punished for his actions. Was he supposed to be a good little boy and be happy that he got in trouble? Every kid goes through those "terrible times" stage, and It's funny how some parents seem to forget... Sendak never said it was ok to snap at mommy, so I am curious as to where that reviewer assumed that this was the message. It's a story of what goes through the imagination of a young boy when he gets punished, and how he deals with these emotions. We don't become adults at the snap of a finger...
I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so I leave it up to you to make yours. My opinion is this: fantastic book, fantastic illustrations, fantastic pace... just right for what it is, a picture book that I loved as a kid and loving reading to the kids as an adult.
Book Review: Max versus Disney. For Bedtime Reading, it's no Contest
Summary: 5 Stars
A story on kids in the 90s that appeared recently in the Wall Street Journal compared the top three children's books from two eras: the 1960s and the 1990s. Despite being parent of a three-year-old who loves books, I had never heard of any of those listed as today's favorites, at least not in book form (two were adapted from Disney movies). However, I owned all of the books on the 1960s list, which included, in order of preference, Dr. Suess' classic Green Eggs and Ham, Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever and Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. While not passing judgement on the 1995 rankings, I had to wonder why or when the 1960s choices fell from favor. Where the Wild Things are is a timeless tribute to childhood imagination, a story as meaningful to kids today as it was 30 years ago.
Children simply can't help identifying with Sendak's hero Max, the type of kid who amuses himself by dressing in a wolf suit and chasing his hapless dog with a giant fork. Max's frazzled mother calls him a wild thing and sends him to bed without supper. "Wild thing?" As Max broods over the appelation, his imagination takes over. He soon finds himself on a boat to a strange land where he's named king of a herd of wild things all much larger, hairier, and meaner-looking than he ever pretended to be. The whole experience is fun, sure, who wouldn't like all the attention, all the swinging from trees and royal treatment? Still, the boat awaits, and eventually Max takes it back home, to where his mother (now calm) has thoughtfully kept his supper hot.
I've read some recent children's books that stand up to the classics, but Pocahontas and Lion King don't quite make the grade. If you haven't already, introduce your child to Max. It will seem like they've known each other forever.Book Review: There is no place like home!
Summary: 5 Stars
One night Max was up to no good: he wore his wolf costume, did mischief of all kinds, and, therefore, was sent to his room without any supper. "That very night in Max's room a forest grew and grew..." until it turned into a thick jungle of trees and vines hanging everywhere. There even was an ocean tumbling, and "a private boat for Max" that took him into the world where the wild things are. The roaring, fierce creatures with yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and claws filled the land of this world. But Max wasn't frightened - he tamed them "with a magic trick", and they made him the king of all wild things.
But soon Max realized that having everything your way wasn't that much fun anymore: "And Max the king of all wild things was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all." So, Max sailed back to "his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him and it was still hot."
The illustrations are very artistic and helpful to envision the story. The wild things are fierce and untamed, but they are not drawn to be graphically scary. Some of the pages have just drawings without any words, making it a great opportunity for the kids to fill in the blanks.
Maurice Sendak creates a magical world of imagination where children can escape to, the place where the wild things are. The heart of the story is that kids have different ways of dealing with frustrations, but they all have one thing in common - they want to be loved unconditionally, and accepted for who they are. After all, there is no place like home!
Julia Shpak
Author of "Power of Plentiful Wisdom". Available on Amazon.
For more reviews on children's books visit my blog "Julia's Library" at: ForwardQuoteDOTcom
Book Review: The best book by Abdul Jamal Jones Hakeem Ashmad Muhammed Jr.
Summary: 5 Stars
In the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak The main character Max is a very curious boy who has a short temper and gets sent up to his room without supper because he hit his mother. Max was thinking about how great it would be to leave his house. So slowly his room turns into a forest with water. When max sees a big sailboat in the water he decides to go on it and sail away into the distance. In the fog he sees these big strange creatures that look like monsters. Maxes body is full of fear as he lands on the island. The wild things pull him back into their tent area and sit him down on this thrown looking seat. The wild things were screaming and finally they put this wooden crown on the very top of his head and named him king of the wild things. Unfortunately Max realizes that what he has done is wrong and that he needs to go apologize to his mother and go back home. So that is exactly what he did he said goodbye to his new friends and told them that he needed to go back to his family. The wild things were so disappointed to say goodbye to there king ad friend, but they understood like a friend would do and watched Max sail away home. When Max gets home his room goes back to there is supper sitting down on his desk and away Max goes to sleep. That is a basic summary of the book.
This is my favorite book because Maurice Sendak uses such great details and the illustrations include such rich and vibrant colors and are so imaginative and unique. Therefore, Where The Wild Things Are is my favorite book of all time because of the two things I mentioned makes this book so well balanced for a picture book between writing and art.