Rumpusing Wildly

Where the Wild Things Are
A picture book with story and pictures by Maurice Sendak
Published by Harper Collins Publishers, 1963
Lexile: 740L
48 pages
Caldecott Medal, 1964
found: on the shelves

Where the Wild Things Are is a classic story of Max, a little boy behaving badly, and the wild imaginary place he goes to escape the punishment of being sent to his room. A tall forest grows, and he sails to a land where all the wild things are. When he arrives, they are all eager to be terrible but Max uses his powers to tame them and tell them what to do. Because of this, they make him king of all wild things, and gives them the famous command to “let the wild rumpus start!” After sometime of being king, Max decides he would rather be home where he was just Max, a little boy who was loved. Fortunately for him, he makes it back all the way across the world just in time to eat his dinner.

Max’s story demonstrates both independence and security in letting imagination take you away! It empowers readers to defeat and even control their fears, and reminds them that returning to reality can be a comforting conclusion. For me, the Caldecott winning drawings really capture the air of a child in his or her imaginary land. His expressions echo the snooty, “all-knowing” attitude that adults give kids when they are in trouble. The wild things themselves are hideous, yet endearing so that children can perhaps liken their fears to this sort of creature.

This story is great for little ones who are afraid to be alone or have nightmares. It teaches them they can guide their own thoughts and helps them increase their independence. It would also appeal to elementary children in general because of its amusing storyline. I would use Where the Wild Things Are for creative writing exercises such as “What does it mean to imagine something?” or “If you were kind or queen, what would you command your wild things to do?” It could be an art activity in which students are asked to use a particular medium (I like paper collages the best!) to create their own wild thing. My favorite, of course, would be to do a creative movement activity in which you put on some dramatic music and ask students what the wild rumpus looks and sounds like.