Where the Wild Things Are

The winner of the Caldecott Medal 1964, this story of Max’s adventures when he sails away to the land where the wild things are continues to delight new generations. Marvelous pictures and a superb story combine to make this a truly classic picture book.

When Max puts on hiswolf suit and makes mischief, his mother calls him ‘Wild Thing’ and sends him to bedwithout any supper. But Max is not scared. Instead, Max tames the wild things and is made their king. When things have gone far enough, Max sends the wild things off to bed without theirsupper and returns to the safety of his bedroom. Alone in his room, Max enters amagical world and sets sail across the sea to the placewhere the wild things are. The wild things roar theirterrible roars and gnash their terrible teeth and roll their terrible eyes and show their terrible claws … Accolades Winner of Caldecott Medal 1964. Author Sometimes dark, sometimes gleefully silly, but always inventive, intelligent, and colorful, Maurice Sendak’s imaginatively illustrated children’s books never forget their audience. Although his classic Where the Wild Things Are was criticized upon its initial publication for being too frightening, children responded with enthusiasm to both its wonderfully zany artwork as well as to its honesty. Forty years later, they still do.

Author Biography

Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began by illustrating other authors’ books for children, but the first book that he both wrote and illustrated was Kenny’s Window, published in 1956. In his lifetime, he illustrated over 80 books, and received many awards, including the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are. In 1970 he was the first American to win the Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator’s Medal. He passed away in May 2012.