Where The Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is a children's picture book originally published by Harper & Row which describes the imaginary adventures of a young boy named Max, who is angry after being sent to his room without supper. Max wears a distinctive wolf suit during his adventures and encounters various mythical creatures. The book is generally regarded as a classic of American illustrated children's literature.

Written in 1963, it was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1964. It also won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and was an ALA Notable Book.

Story

The book tells the story of Max, who one evening plays around his home, "making mischief" in a wolf costume. As punishment, his mother sends him to bed without supper. In his room, a mysterious, wild forest grows out of his imagination, and Max takes a journey to the land of the Wild Things. They are fearsome-looking monsters, but Max conquers them with a scary look and he is made the King of the Wild Things. However, he soon finds himself lonely and homesick, and he returns home to his bed, where he had fallen asleep. Upon awakening, he finds his supper waiting for him..."And it was still hot."

Reception

The book became a best seller. In the book The Art of Maurice Sendak the following is noted in a conversation between a mother and Sendak:

Mother: "Every time I read the book to my daughter, she screams."
Sendak: "Then why did you continue reading it to her when she does not like it?"
Mother: "She ought to, it's a Caldecott book."

Sendak mentioned that he thought that was ridiculous and "if a child does not like a book, throw it in the trash."

Background

The Wild Things (except "Goat Boy", of course) were named after (and are presumably caricatures of) Maurice's Uncles:

and Tzippy.

Adaptations

The story also formed the basis of a children's opera of the same title by British composer Oliver Knussen. The first (incomplete) performance was in Brussels in 1980, with the first complete performance of the final version given by the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in London in 1984. This was followed the next year by its first U.S. performance in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
A 1988 animated adaptation contains narration by Peter Schickele, who also composed the music.
In 1997, composer Randall Woolf and Maurice Sendak created a ballet version for the American Repertory Ballet, which subsequently toured the United States. Woolf's version employs electric guitar, digital audio processing, and drumset.
A "Where the Wild Things Are" themed children's play area was one of the original attractions at the San Francisco Metreon when the latter opened in 1999. It was located on the fourth floor of the complex, along with an In the Night Kitchen themed restaurant, but both closed in early 2002.
In 2004 Chicago company, Emerald City Theater Company produced a musical version of the book with apperances by other books by Sendack, Hector Protector and Very Far Away.
A live-action movie version is currently in pre-production, with Spike Jonze to direct, due in May 2008.

Popular culture references

The song "Where The Wild Things Are" by Metallica is based on the book.

The song Where The Wild Things Are by Chenard Walcker is based on the book.

Bell Atlantic commercials used to feature details from the book.

The Simpsons episode The Girl Who Slept Too Little includes a parody of the book, entitled "The Land of Wild Beasts."

In the lyrics of the song "(Even) More Human Than Human" by the X-ecutioners.

External links

The creation of the book and a page by page analysis. Original dummy copies.

Caldecott Medal winners (book) | Children's books