Customer Reviews
Great Children's Book 
2008-05-12
This book has been a 5 star publication since it's inception! I have never seen a child not love this book! It is definitely a winner!
A Dark, Scary Book for Little Kids 
2008-05-10
It's about monsters, for crying out loud! Why on earth would you want to plant the idea of fear and worry with your children just before bedtime? I remember being terrified of this book when I was a child. I will not read it with my kids. I know they will be introduced to it somewhere along the line, and I hope they are not frightened by it. I just do not understand everyone who says they love this book.
The illustrations make the book! 2008-05-07
According to the characteristics of picture storybooks, this is a high quality book. The text and illustrations equally convey with the storyline. The shape and size of the book is rectangular and does not have page numbers. It includes all of the literary elements. The book's strength is its illustrations. The book received a Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. The author does a nice job of telling the story through the illustrations. The illustrations get larger as Max's imagination grows and start to decrease in size as he returns home. The colors in the beginning of the book are duller than the end of the book. As Max's feelings and mood change, the pictures get brighter. The book's reading level is 3.4 and geared toward a lower grade interest level, however, can be enjoyed by older ages. One concern is that there are monsters in the story even though it is a children's book. Introducing this book to primary students may lead to questions and misconceptions. One instructional activity to handle this situation would be to talk about the monsters. Ask Were they scary? Did they change? Show the pictures of Max being carried by the monsters and the way they dance and play. Talk about feelings and emotions (the monsters and Max were not sure about each other at first, but then they grew to like each other and play together). The students can then draw monster faces depicting an emotion.
Wild Thing 2008-05-03
Second best children's book ever. My 15 month old son LOVES it, as did his older siblings when they were little. The song "wild thing" fits in well when the wild rumpus begins... highly recommended!
Heirloom Stuff! 2008-04-22
After having read a copy of this to my oldest grandson, and having the pages worn and dog eared, I had to buy one each for my other 2 grandsons. They are as mesmerized as the 1st was. Can't get enough of it. Fascinated by the little boy's antics. Constantly amused.
Dark, weird and vaguely frightening...... 2008-04-16
The 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year by Maurice Sendak. Brian O'Doherty of The New York Times said the Mr. Sendak's work "disguised in fantasy, springs from his earliest self, from the vagrant child that lurks in the heart of all of us."
great fun 2008-04-09
I bought this book for my 2 month old daughter and she loves it! Its one of the only books she'll sit through and make happy noises when I'm reading.
Let the wild rumpus start! 2008-02-19
So, let's get this straight: I'm 39, I'm an author, I have read Shakespeare, I have a blisteringly high IQ, and yet this book has consistently remained one of the three books I would take in regards to the silly question "If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to bring three books, which three would they be?" Why?
Because, as Jareth, from another great tale, once said "if you turn it this way and that.." Do you understand yet?
It's a children's book because someone claimed it is and children do so love it. It is a very adult book, full of wise counsel, full of lurking madness and mayhem, showing off, in simple wording, the dangers of the world outside our windows. It is endearing and enrapturing.
People will tell you that it's good for building character and it's probably true. They will tell you that there are lessons to be learned inside and of this I am certain.
Don't buy it for those reasons, dear ladies and gentlemen, because those reasons are the by-product of the truth. The truth is that this book is cunningly crafted, absolute, genius in form and function, in line and in text. Buy it, because you'll want to read it so many times that, if you should opt to check it out from the library instead, you are bound to make the librarian cross.
One of the best children books 2008-02-15
I first discover Sasek as I bough Little Bear for my daughter. She was watching the series on tv and she asked me to buy the books. Then I decided to buy other Sendak books and I ordered this. I was surprised as I am 37 years old and I never read it, I think because it was not published in Italy and there was not amazon nor internet. I has a "scary" book by Ungerer, but it wasn't similar at all.
The book it's not a traditional children book and I think my daughter that is 4 year and old liked it, but she did not understand the meaning very well as it is not so easy for a child.
The subject is emotional and there is not a big story and I think that the most important fact about Where the Wild Things Are is that it shows a brave child who has not fears and goes alone in a place full of (not so) scary monsters. That's why I think that the story is not so strong, but the meaning and the symbols are much more important. The illustrations are amazing, as always with Sasek.
five stars 2008-02-15
This is one of my favorite books from childhood. I recently bought a copy for my nephew for christmas, and he loved it! I think it may have something to do with him relating to the character Max so much.
It had been quite a while since i had seen or read it, and all the great memories came flooding back once i opened the first few pages. The art is simply beautiful and captures the imagination....everything from the bedroom to the island, to the way the creatures are handled....perfect.
Its my hope that someday he will pass it onto his kids when he gets old enough. But until then, I hope he enjoys it as much as I did when I was his age.
