by Amber Lesovoy

Created on: March 24, 2009

Few books delight readers generation after generation, becoming instant classics that millions of children demand to hear again and again. In Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak has done just this. In the space of only a handful of pages, Sendak explores the human psyche, creates an incredible fantasy world complete with wild beasts, and grabs his spot in literary history.

The book was first published back in 1963, and targeted to a 3-5 year old audience. It was one of the first books of that time to address the more negative emotions a child might face, in this case a child's anger at his mother. Children can understand and relate to the main character, Max, and his feelings. At the start of the book, Max, dressed as a wolf, gets into assorted mischief, including poking at the dog with his fork. When his mother reprimands him and calls him a wild thing. Max fires back with "I'll eat you up!" As a result, Max finds himself sent to bed with no dinner.

Rather than go to sleep, or sit alone and bored, this imaginative child finds a way to work through his anger at the consequences of his actions. His colorful mind turns his bedroom into a whole new world, complete with a forest and ocean... and our favorite monsters. Max sails into the forest in a little boat, where he meets the "wild things."

With one glance, Max is able to subdue the mighty beasts, and becomes their king and the "wildest thing of them all." Much partying ensues, roaring and stomping and mischief galore. That is, until Max realizes that he would rather be someplace where he is loved best of all, and not for his fierceness but for who he is as a little boy. In short, he is seeking motherly affection, and his place in the world. He realizes that being fierce and wild is fun, but nothing can replace being himself, and thus he can forgive his mother and himself. The fantasy ends when Max catches a whiff of his dinner, and he hops back into his boat, over the ocean, and back into his very own room.

The interesting point about this book is that it really explores a child's emotions, in that when Max is originally sent to his room, he chooses not to continue to misbehave, but to instead daydream and ultimately work out his anger in a healthy, non destructive way. in his own way, Max reasons through his anger, and resolves to forgive his mother, and not allow his behaviors to push his loved ones away. Just like any child in the three to five age group, Max's most basic desire, to be loved and to love in return, is the desire that wins out above all others.

All in all, Where the Wild Things are is a book that has, and will continue to appeal to people of all ages. The engaging storyline, coupled with it's whimsical artwork makes the book a must-have.

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