Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1964 Caldecott Medal Winner)

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1964 Caldecott Medal Winner)

There is something about a book or part of a book not having any words that makes me experience the story more. This is the case with Where the Wild Things Are. The wordless section is made more important in my mind by the text at the beginning and the end of the book.

You ought to know the story of this book. Just in case, though, here you go.

Max is a young boy who does not like to do what he is supposed to do. His mother dubs him "Wild Thing" and sends him to his room without dinner after getting frustrated with his antics. Max doesn't care (much like another Sendak character called Pierre.) He has his wolf suit, and that seems to be enough.

Max's room changes and becomes a giant forest with an ocean and a private boat for young Max which takes him for a journey that lasts almost an entire year to the place where the wild things are.

The wild things act threatening and display their terrible roars, terrible teeth, terrible eyes, and terrible claws, but this does not impress Max. He tells them to "be still" and stares into their eyes until they submit. That is when Max is made the king of all the wild things.

Then comes the wild rumpus. The rumpus consists of 3 full page spreads of the book showing Max and the wild things doing wild things. This is probably one of the best parts of the book because the art says so much, and you don't need words to know the story.

After the rumpus, Max sends the wild things to bed without dinner, and while they are all sleeping, Max realizes that being the king of the wild things isn't all it's cracked up to be. He decides to go back home and ignores the pleas of the wild things begging him to stay.

Max sails the year back home and finds his supper waiting for him.

This story is filled with potential for class room activities. Let me give you a few:

• Create your own wild thing. Create your wild thing in 3D or 2D. Use marker, crayons, clay, or whatever you like.
• Have a conversation about not listening to your parents. Why did it happen? What should you have done?
• Tell the story-make cards with parts of the story, and organize them in the correct order.
• Have a wild rumpus!

There are certainly plenty of other ideas you can come up with if you let your imagination run wild just like Max does.