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Where the Wild Things AreMaurice Sendak
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Sent to bed without supper, Max sails away to an island of great horned beasts who make him their king, until being king stops being enough.
A story about children and magical creatures, adventurous and thoughtful in tone. We would put it with children of 3–6, and at a reading age of about 6 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Mild peril
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Our take on this book
Max is sent to bed for making mischief, and his bedroom grows into a forest, an ocean and an island of enormous horned monsters who crown him king of all wild things. Maurice Sendak's picture book is famous for how much it trusts a small child: the rumpus takes over three wordless spreads of pure wildness, and then Max, king of everything, simply wants to be where someone loves him best. It is the rare book about a tantrum that takes the tantrum entirely seriously, honouring the fury and then letting it burn itself out. The monsters are toothy and clawed and gnashing, drawn to be a little frightening, but Max is never in real danger and the supper is still warm when he gets home. For a three- to six-year-old it is a story about going too far and being welcomed back anyway, which is one of the things a very young child most needs to hear.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Traction Man Is HereMini Grey
Rainbow Magic: Amber the Orange FairyDaisy Meadows
The Way Back HomeOliver Jeffers
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.