Hi everyone this week I am feeling a bit nostalgic. As I was sitting in my living room this week in beautiful California my eyes were drawn to the little section of picture books that still remain on our bookcase. I began to remember all of those stories that first captivated me as a reader like Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. And, so with a childlike love, I have done something this week that I haven’t done in a very long time. I read a picture book.
While sitting criss-cross applesauce on the floor of my living room, I read Where the Wild Things Are. As I read I was struck by two things, one that it is an incredibly simple story and second that, when thought about in a deeper sense it is profound in many ways. On the surface, it is simply a story about a boy named Max, who is sent to bed without supper. In order to pass the time in his room, he dreams up an island where the wild things live. Which he travels to rule over them for a while because he’s mad at his mom.
However, on a much deeper level, I believe it is a story about the power of imagination and how our imaginations help us deal with situations in life. Max creates an island of wild things because he has to deal with not having dinner And he’s mad at his mom.
The film Where the Wild Things Are might be one of the most adorable things I have ever seen. I had never seen this movie before deciding to do this review, so I have didn’t know what to expect at all. I pleased to tell you all however that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. The story is fleshed out more so it is approximately an hour and forty minutes instead of just fifteen. The additional amount of story that is created around the original fits right in and I feel in no way hinders it. The film also gives the ”Wild Things” names and personalities all their own and some of them are pretty funny. The one thing about this movie that my disinterest people is that Jim Henson’s Creature Shop provides the magic behind the Monsters themselves. Therefore if you’re not a fan of The Muppets I’d advise you to proceed with caution. Overall though it is a welcome company to the written story.
Where the Wild Things Are is a truly wonderful picture book to enjoy with your children. It is a book that will remain a classic and be remembered by all who read or watch choose to enjoy.