Caldecott Award: Where the Wild Things Are

Title: Where the Wild Things Are 

Author and Illustrator: Maurice Sendak  

Genre: Fantasy 

Major Awards: Caldecott Medal (1964), Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, Indies Choice Book Award for Picture Book Hall of Fame (2009)
Age Group: 3-10 years old

The night Max put on his wolf suit, he began to cause mischief all over the house, he became as his mother called him “a wild thing”. After Max spoke back to his mother, she sent him to his room without eating his supper. Not soon thereafter, Max’s room transformed into a vast forest. Beyond the forest was a special boat with his name on it. Max sailed for what seemed like days, months, to a year until it finally stopped in the land of the wild things. The wild things were big and scary with terrible roars, terrible gnashes, terrible teeth, and terrible eyes, but Max wasn’t afraid at all. In fact, he tamed the Wild Things and became King of all the Wild Things. As his first proclamation as King, they began their wild rumpus, climbing through trees howling at the moon, dancing through the trees until max sent all of the Wild things to bed. Once the Wild Things were asleep max realized he was lonely and wanted to go back home, especially when he smelled food. Max decided to give up his crown and being king of the Wild Things. The Wild Things didn’t want him to leave, but Max’s mind was made up and he sailed for days, weeks, and years until he returned to his room where he found his dinner waiting for him.

Where the Wild Things Are is a classic that I believe everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. Therefore, that’s why this book should be in every classroom library from Preschool to 5^th grade. Beyond just reading the book for the pure enjoyment of reading, there are so many activities that can be done with the book. Before reading, students can take a picture walk and discuss what they see from the illustrations and make predictions about the story. Students can use the book as a writing prompt and write what they would do if they spent a day as King/Queen of the Wild Things. In art class students can create their own Wild Things mask. If not any of these activities, students can even go outside during recess and have their own Wild Things Rumpus singing, dancing, jumping and playing around the playground.