126th out of 1,099 books
—
723 voters
Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Areis fifty years old! Let the wild rumpus with Max and all the wild things continue as this classic comes to life as never before with new reproductions of Maurice Sendak's artwork. Astonishing state-of-the-art technology faithfully captures the color and detail of the original illustrations. Sendak himself enthusiastically endorsed this impressive n...more
Hardcover, 50th Anniversary Edition, 48 pages
Published
December 26th 2012
by HarperCollins
(first published 1963)
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Jan 09, 2012
Gundula
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone!!
It is hard to review a book that was and still is one of my favorite all-time picture books. I love everything about this book, from the text to the illustrations. I also love the message Maurice Sendak promotes here, a message of unconditional love, a message that even if one misbehaves, there will be supper waiting on the table (Max does get sent to his room, but no matter how much he has misbehaved, his mother will always love him and cherish him). Of course, that particular message is only o...more
Like a gremlin crouched in the back of a dim cave, Where the Wild Things Are lay on my cousin's bedroom floor. My cousin was in kindergarden and I was being babysat by my aunt, busy in the kitchen downstairs - might as well have been miles away. The bedroom shades were drawn, the house quiet, the room empty. That book with its-its things in it called to me. I'd never seen anything like it. My books had colorful, happy animals that didn't make me feel this way....what was this feeling? Was this w...more
Jul 12, 2011
jzhunagev
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Kidz at ♥!
Recommended to jzhunagev by:
Saw the movie
Through a Child’s Eye
(A Book Review of Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are)
I’m glad that I recently scored a vintage 1963 edition (pictures here) of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are in Booksale during one of the mini Meet Ups with my Goodreads-The Filipino Group friends. I breeze through the book in a matter of minutes while waiting for them, and right there and then something just hit me. Without a doubt, it certainly earns its place as a classic storybook of Children’s Literat...more
Nov 03, 2007
Nathan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Delusional miscreants.
Shelves:
fiction
I have no doubt that this book damaged me, psychologically, as a small child. It is one of the earliest books I vividly remember reading aloud to myself, and I remember the first time my mother read it to me before she put me to bed. Here's the gist of the plot: A little boy named Max dresses up in a wolf costume, plays with a hammer, chases his dog with a fork, then threatens to cannibalize his mother. His mother, a master of irony, then puts him to bed with no dinner. Already, this story shoul...more
This book is crap, and let me tell you why. The kid is a jerk and is sent to his room without supper. He proceeds to go to some magical place where these monsters live and he bosses them around and is mean to them. Then he gets back home...having not learned that being a mean jerk is wrong...and there on his table in his room is dinner...and it's still warm. What's the lesson here exactly?
Hate the book.
Hate the book.
Jun 19, 2012
Kirk
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Satanists and Hippies
Recommended to Kirk by:
An evil librarian who used to ply us with candy bars to make us read
Where the Wild Things Are
What's the moral of this story? Some might say Sendack's work is a testament to the unbridled powers of a child's imagination. Others would posit that the true virtue of Where the Wild Things Are stems from the reversal of a timeless power dynamic in which monsters frighten children. In Sendack's carefully rendered world, monsters submit to the whims of children, which appears to suit Max well enough. I assume it works well for other children as well. If you can't convi...more
What's the moral of this story? Some might say Sendack's work is a testament to the unbridled powers of a child's imagination. Others would posit that the true virtue of Where the Wild Things Are stems from the reversal of a timeless power dynamic in which monsters frighten children. In Sendack's carefully rendered world, monsters submit to the whims of children, which appears to suit Max well enough. I assume it works well for other children as well. If you can't convi...more
Of all the books I read my kids, and there are many, this is my favourite to perform.
It is so easy to turn Where the Wild Things Are into a a big, rollicking tickle fest, and I am never able to resist the urge. When those Wild Things show up with their "terrible roars" and "terrible eyes" and "terrible claws," I attack my kids with everything I've got until they are reduced to quivering masses of giggled out jelly.
And Max, the King of the Wild Things, is one of the coolest kids in any kids book...more
It is so easy to turn Where the Wild Things Are into a a big, rollicking tickle fest, and I am never able to resist the urge. When those Wild Things show up with their "terrible roars" and "terrible eyes" and "terrible claws," I attack my kids with everything I've got until they are reduced to quivering masses of giggled out jelly.
And Max, the King of the Wild Things, is one of the coolest kids in any kids book...more
“Where the Wild Things Are” is Maurice Sendak’s most popular children’s book and has won the Caldecott Medal for being the most distinguished picture book of the year. Many libraries across the country have dedicated themselves to this book because of its imaginative creatures and illustrations. This book deserves the title “best children’s book” that it gained over the years.
Maurice Sendak beautifully illustrates this book with pastel colors and occasional pencil scratching for the wild things’...more
Maurice Sendak beautifully illustrates this book with pastel colors and occasional pencil scratching for the wild things’...more
Jun 08, 2008
Meg
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
EVERYONE (yes, even you adults)
Recommended to Meg by:
my mommy... who read it every night
Another 5 star! Man, I'm getting generous. You guys just keep bringing up stories that KICK TRASH! This is the greatest children's book in the history of time as far as I'm concerned. And I'll tell you something WICKED AWESOME about it that I figured out when I researched it for a play adaptation I wrote. **GET OUT THE COPY OF YOUR CHILDREN'S BOOK RIGHT NOW**... Flip through the pages, and notice that on the first page the artwork is a small rectangle... then it grows larger and larger on every...more
Mar 16, 2008
G
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kids-books-that-don-t-make-me-yawn
The classic. I would take this on a desert island. So much to explore and interpret in the words and the pictures. I'm afraid my girls don't like the book as much as I do. But sooner or later, they'll come around.
I see quite a few people complaining about Max being a little shit and not learning a lesson in "Where the Wild Things Are." Well, guess what, a lot of kids are little shits. And I believe Max did learn a few things on his journey. Sometimes it's not so good to be the king. Even with al...more
I see quite a few people complaining about Max being a little shit and not learning a lesson in "Where the Wild Things Are." Well, guess what, a lot of kids are little shits. And I believe Max did learn a few things on his journey. Sometimes it's not so good to be the king. Even with al...more
I never read this book as a child; in my immigrant family, the childhood tales were of Akbar and Birbil, not Max and the Wild Things.
With the movie coming out, and so much talk about it, I started feeling like maybe I was missing something. But I also felt trapped, because what I had already missed out on reading this book as a child. Reading the book now means I'll know what all of you are talking about, but the childhood memories of relating to Max just can't happen. I've missed something I'l...more
With the movie coming out, and so much talk about it, I started feeling like maybe I was missing something. But I also felt trapped, because what I had already missed out on reading this book as a child. Reading the book now means I'll know what all of you are talking about, but the childhood memories of relating to Max just can't happen. I've missed something I'l...more
It's hard to believe I never read this book as a child, but it's true. I'm glad to read it as an adult, when I can fully appreciate Sendak's artwork and subtle humor. This is a children's book that truly deserves every accolade and award showered upon it. It has a home in our permanent library now, for any child that comes along to enjoy.
Oct 22, 2009
Otis Chandler
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
childrensbooks
I didn't want to add any children's books - but this one was just too cool...
Update: Saw the movie - the book was much better!
Update: Saw the movie - the book was much better!
Aug 09, 2008
Dolly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents reading to their children
I remember this from my childhood - and I remember thinking that it was quite scary to me at the time! I finally got around to reading it to our girls - I figure they are old enough to handle it without being too scared. It's an interesting story, with very creative illustrations. But I still think the "Wild Things" are a little scary for little ones!
I took our girls to see the movie and it was okay, but I think we probably should've waited until they were 8 or 9. I think of this as a children's...more
I took our girls to see the movie and it was okay, but I think we probably should've waited until they were 8 or 9. I think of this as a children's...more
Maurice Sendak's classic picture book is the perfect read for children in their early years.Centred around a young boy sent to his room without dinner for causing mischief around the house, it is important to note that his mother referred to him as a 'wild thing' before disciplining him. Overnight his room transforms into a wild forest' leading him to embark on a journey to where the wild things are. There he uses his powers to tame the animals who appoint him to be their king. Life as a king do...more
Jan 18, 2012
Kathryn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books
"Where the Wild Things Are" is one of the books I remember vividly from my childhood. While I'm not sure I would call it a "favorite" (it didn't completely resonate with me as some books did, nor was it a "cozy" sort of story that I loved reading over and over), there was something utterly fascinating about it... I found the Wild Things so intriguing, I at once admired and felt ashamed of Max's behavior, I felt bad that he had to leave the Wild Things but yet happy that he went home, that his mo...more
"The pictures in this one scared me. Maybe when I'm older, say 6 months old, I'll like it then!!"
That was then, now that I'm older and more mature (I am 6.5 months old now!!) I was able to read this book, with mommy's help. While the picture's are still daunting, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. This one may very well become one of my favorites.
That was then, now that I'm older and more mature (I am 6.5 months old now!!) I was able to read this book, with mommy's help. While the picture's are still daunting, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. This one may very well become one of my favorites.
When I was kid I was a terror. My elementary school teachers were straight ducking for cover! Needless to say I was constantly reminded that I was a "bad kid." Well when you're just a kid that sort of stuff sticks in your head. Teachers and parents still held that mystical god-like quality over us. The whole thing bummed me out.
One day the teacher read us Where the Wild Things Are. Man, it was so great to finally see a book where the hero wasn't some wiener, goody two shoes being championed as t...more
One day the teacher read us Where the Wild Things Are. Man, it was so great to finally see a book where the hero wasn't some wiener, goody two shoes being championed as t...more
For years I had this memorized. I still love it. I dread seeing the movie, but someday I will.
reread Jan 19, 2011 for the Children's Books group -
omg
I just re-read Wild Things after a decade off and it was just a magical as the hundred other times I read it with my kids.
I loved how the size of the illustration grew, taking over more and more of the page until the rumpus, then rapidly shrinking until time to sleep. This not only reinforces the symmetry of the story's timeline itself, with the f...more
reread Jan 19, 2011 for the Children's Books group -
omg
I just re-read Wild Things after a decade off and it was just a magical as the hundred other times I read it with my kids.
I loved how the size of the illustration grew, taking over more and more of the page until the rumpus, then rapidly shrinking until time to sleep. This not only reinforces the symmetry of the story's timeline itself, with the f...more
I lived in Richmond,Kentucky when I was a kid. It was a sweet, semi-rural upbringing where a six year old could walk up the street with his little poodle dog (that would be me and mine) and visit a kindly elderly couple that would only allow the dog on their couch when the dog had just been washed. Somehow the dog knew this and was always ready to take that walk up the street after it had been bathed. Weird, I know. It was also the kind of small town where people who read the New Yorker were few...more
"The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind..." These are probably the best 13 opening words ever written in the history of picture books.
Sendak is a master of brevity, telling poignant stories in less words than most of us use to talk about the weather. His approach to children's literature is honest and non condescending. He remembers what is was like to be a child, and through his storytelling reminds the rest of us how our perception of the world was when we were young; d...more
Sendak is a master of brevity, telling poignant stories in less words than most of us use to talk about the weather. His approach to children's literature is honest and non condescending. He remembers what is was like to be a child, and through his storytelling reminds the rest of us how our perception of the world was when we were young; d...more
Perhaps if George Bush had chosen this as his favorite book instead of 'The Hungry Caterpillar,' then maybe his tenure in office would have been slightly different (it would have also been better for him to have chosen a book that had NOT been published simultaneous with his college years, as was the case with 'Caterpillar'; at least with 'Where The Wild Things Are,' we could have all at least PRETENDED that his mother read it to him..... but I digress).
Well, anyway, what more is there to say ot...more
Well, anyway, what more is there to say ot...more
Jan 04, 2009
Jasmine
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone that's ever been a kid
i STILL have this book!
Grade/interest level: 2-3
Reading level: 740L
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Main Characters: Max
Setting: Wild place
POV: Third person
Summary
Max dresses up in a wolf costume and his mother sends him to bed without any dinner. Max’s room slowly grows trees and vines. His room becomes a jungle. All of a sudden, he gets into a private boat and travels to a land far away. Strange creatures with large claws, large teeth, and yellow eyes greet him. However, they do not hurt him. In fact, they consider him to be...more
Reading level: 740L
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Main Characters: Max
Setting: Wild place
POV: Third person
Summary
Max dresses up in a wolf costume and his mother sends him to bed without any dinner. Max’s room slowly grows trees and vines. His room becomes a jungle. All of a sudden, he gets into a private boat and travels to a land far away. Strange creatures with large claws, large teeth, and yellow eyes greet him. However, they do not hurt him. In fact, they consider him to be...more
Mar 25, 2009
Erica R Hopper
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children
Recommended to Erica R by:
My mother
Maurice Sendak, in my opinion, struck oil when he created this children's story. Childhood memories can be shady or impossible to remember until you discover something that came directly from your childhood. Where the Wild Things Are has that magical power over me. Every time I hear of the book or see the familiar images I return to the age of six when I received my first (and only) copy of the book from my teacher as a Christmas present.
It was my favorite book as a child and one of the first b...more
It was my favorite book as a child and one of the first b...more
Jun 09, 2013
Elizabeth Vance
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
maurice-sendak
One of my favorites as a child and as an adult. Max is a typical child who gets himself into trouble, but when he is sent to his room, he creates his own world, where he makes the rules and people listen to him. But the terrible beasts aren't so terrible they love him and don't want to him to leave. This being a creation of his own imagination, shows the love that Max has in his heart. When he returns home he knows his mother loves him. How can this book not inspire imaginations in every child w...more
Where the Wild Things Are is written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. I think that it has only increased in its popularity since its publication back in 1963. The winner of the Caldecott Medal Winner for the Most Distinguished Picture Book in 1964 has recently been turned into a full motion picture which has only cemented its place as a classic of children's literature.
The story follows Max who dressed up as a wolf and he causes havoc around the house until his Mum calls him a wild thing. Max'...more
The story follows Max who dressed up as a wolf and he causes havoc around the house until his Mum calls him a wild thing. Max'...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorite as a kid!!!! | 35 | 151 | Apr 08, 2013 04:59pm | |
| Books2Movies Club: September 2012 - Where the Wild Things Are | 13 | 83 | Feb 03, 2013 10:26am | |
| Movie or book? | 73 | 187 | Jul 28, 2012 02:56am |
Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature who is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963. An elementary school (from kindergarten to grade five) in North Hollywood, California is named in his honor.
Sendak was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, and decided to become an illustrator after viewing Wal...more
More about Maurice Sendak...
Sendak was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, and decided to become an illustrator after viewing Wal...more
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“Oh, please don't go—we'll eat you up—we love you so!”
—
404 people liked it
“And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!”
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303 people liked it
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Jan 18, 2012 08:16am
Thanks, now I want to reread the book in German ...
Jan 18, 2012 09:35am