![]() ![]() ![]() He “smelled the good things to eat so he gave up being king of where the wild things are. It is evident from the text that he realizes that his adventure with the wild things is over and it is time for him to go back home to where someone loves him most of all. Max, however, is sitting on a stool in a tent. Both the pictures and the text suggest that Max has complete control over the wild things. After the wild rumpus, Max sends the creatures off to bed and the monsters are shown sleeping with peaceful smiles on their faces. The book’s climax on the next few pages is exemplified by the use of full-page illustrations, without text, of Max and the wild things celebrating their “wildness” together.Īn activity for younger children could be to create their own “wild thing” mask or paper bag puppets using paper, scissors, yarn, eyes, etc. Max now has complete control and declares “let the wild rumpus start! ” The wild things are obeying the commands of a child, just as Max had obeyed the commands of his mother when he was sent to bed without any supper. Their deference to Max is apparent in the illustrations-bowing, eyes gazing downward or closed, submissive posture. The text also emphasizes the creatures’ agreeable nature when Max stares into their yellow eyes without blinking and tells them to “BE STILL! They become frightened and make Max the king of all wild things. ![]() The wild things are all smiling and one of the wild things actually has “human” feet and another has female human hair. However, upon closer examination, other details are noticed that make the wild things seem much more agreeable. The creatures are large and have sharp horns, claws, and teeth. When Max arrives in the land of wild things, the features of the monsters at first glance might seem scary and overpowering. One suggestion I came across during my research was to take apart a paperback version of the book and arrange the illustrations storyboard style so that the growth and shrinking of the illustrations is much more obvious. The pictures advance down the page until they have taken over the entire two-page spread, forcing off all text, when the “wild rumpus” begins. The sizes of the illustrations grow until the picture occupies the full page and then even spreads onto the next page. ![]() As the forest grows, so do the illustrations.Īs Max sets off in his very own boat, the illustrations grow bigger yet. His room is then transformed into a magical forest. At this time, Max’s world is small and the illustrations occupy a small space on the page. He then yells back and is sent to his room without supper. In the opening scenes, Max’s mother gets angry and yells at him. After reading the story, one activity could be to make up other examples of foreshadowing that the author could have used. There is both pictorial and textual foreshadowing of the wild adventure ahead-the drawing of a “wild thing” on the wall that looks exactly like a monster we meet later in the book, the stool and tent that Max later sits in when he realizes he is lonely and wants to return home, and Max’s words, “I’ll eat you up! This would be a great discussion starter with older students relative to the literary device of foreshadowing. The book opens with Max, in his wolf suit, creating havoc in his home. Many fantasy books open with “Once upon a time…” Sendak, instead opens this book with the declarative statement, “The night Max wore his wolf suit…” In starting the story this way, he makes the reader believe what is going to happen. Maurice Sendak’s Caldecott Award winning book, Where the Wild Things Are, is a wonderful blend of detailed illustrations and text in which a young boy, Max, lets his angry emotions create a fantasy world. They offer a valuable literary experience by combining the visual and the text. ANALYSIS OF A PICTURE BOOK WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak Picture books can have a very important role in a classroom, from elementary school through middle and even high school. ![]()
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