Where The Wild Things Are
and he sailed off through night and day
and in and out of weeks
and almost over a year
to where the wild things are
~Maurice Sendak
In only 338 words Sendak takes on a journey from our hero's room across the ocean to the Island of the Wild Things and back home again.
Max makes mischief. He says to his mother, "I'll eat you up!" She sends him to his room without supper. And Max's (and our) adventure begins. Max's room becomes a forest. The walls disappear and his bed becomes a boat. He sails to The Island of The Wild Things, where he tames the beasts by looking into their yellow eyes without blinking once and becomes their king. Max leads them in their wild rumpus, then sends them to bed without their supper.
Max becomes lonely and wants to be where someone loves him best of all. He sails off through night and day and in out of weeks and alomost over a year back home, where he finds his supper waiting for him. And it was still hot.
Max taught a generation of kids how to deal with the conflict and rage. The Wild Things really are the anxiety and pleasure and immense problems of being a small child. The Wild Things grow larger and larger as the story progresses, but Max learns how to be open about his anger and find a resolution.
These are lessons we could all learn, at any age.
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