Where The Wild Things Are

How does one review a book that says so little and so much at the same time? Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are is a book that expands before your eyes in a way only a great book can. First published in 1963, this picture book tells the tale of a young boy, Max, who is dressed in a wolf costume and is misbehaving at home. His mother reprimands him and sends him to his room without supper and an angry Max goes back only to find a great adventure in store.

As Max walks into his room, a wild forest and sea grow before his eyes. He sails to the land of the Wild Things, where he soon stares down angry beasts and becomes their king. Max spends the night in revelry with these fearsome creatures, but at the end of it all, he feels homesick and returns to a still-hot supper.

While the story may seem overly simple or child-like, there is a kind of genius in Sendak’s concise prose. Regardless of age, this book is sure to captivate readers, reeling them in from the very first page and keeping them hooked long after they’ve finished reading.



The book review was published in Navneet Newshouse (Vol. XV, Issue no.43 ) dated March 19-25, 2011