Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak · first published 1963
54% recommend46% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A short, simple picture book that reads well aloud and holds the attention of both children and adults. It is a child-friendly story that serves as a model of how a book can reflect a young reader's own experience.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This is an inspired children's book about a boy's passage through tempestuous aspects of life. Max, a naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things, where he becomes their king.
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…“presenting” them with an outside work of art which REFLECTS BACK TO THEM a validation of their experience along different stages of development. One of the best examples of what I’m talking about is the book “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak. It is canon. Perhaps you had shitty parents who didn’t “make you” engage with literature. An interviewer once asked him “Don’t you think the book is too scary for kids?” His reply…
on “Toy Story 5 shows 'terror' of children's screen addiction, says Tom Hanks” ↗I have always liked The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss and Yertle The Turtle by Dr. Seuss.
on “Ask HN: What's your favorite children's books?” ↗My personal favorites are Where the Wild Things Are and The Giving Tree. Both stories are very simple, but they flow well and IMHO really grow when read aloud.
on “The Lost Pleasure of Reading Aloud” ↗…communicative purpose is to entertain the reader but I gather it’s too simplistic. Dostoyevsky’s Crime & Punishment seems to be to be an analysis on the soul. It entertains because it captivates. For example, “Where the wild things are” has captivated both my child and I since we first read it sitting on the floor of a bookstore. It’s the kind of book I had been dreaming of writing myself. It is an illustrated album explaining children’s…
on “Your Novel Should Be More Like Moby-Dick” ↗…understand and also has a unique construction that makes it like "no other children's book". That doesn't make either "The Gruffalo" or "The Hug" comparable to the depth of works like "Winnie the Pooh", "Where the Wild Things Are", or "The Story of Ferdinand".
on “Why Children's Books?” ↗…they’re encouraged in it and it takes the form of play. The more open-ended the better. If her parents read to her on a regular basis, she’ll probably love new books. At this age, think Dr. Seuss and Where the Wild Things Are. Expensive digital stuff adds very little compared to simple open-ended timeless toys at that age. Some of the best gifts are very inexpensive — crayons and coloring books. Bubble wand and soap. Alphabet…
on “Ask HN: Gift Ideas for 3 year old?” ↗The only book with a foil I'd not avoid is Where the Wild Things Are.
on “Why did so many mid-century designers make children's books? (2022)” ↗1. The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats) 2. The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss) 3. 1984 (George Orwell) 4. Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak) 5. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) 6. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) 7. Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) 8. How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie) 9. Harry Potter…
on “Most frequently checked-out books in the history of the New York Public Library” ↗Didn't ring a bell with me 'til Wikipedia. He's the illustrator of Where the wild things are ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Sendak
on “Maurice Sendak Picture Book Discovered” ↗Richard Scarry was a resident of my former hometown of Ridgefield, CT, as was fellow author-illustrator Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are). My school's librarian recommended his books with particular pride. Come to think of it, a lot of children's authors seem to have lived in that area, western CT or eastern upstate NY. Some, including…
on “Writing in Pictures: Richard Scarry and the art of children's literature” ↗ranked by check outs p.a.: rank, title, total check outs, date of publication, check outs p.a. 1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 231,022 1998 10501 2 The Snowy Day 485,583 1962 8372 3 Where the Wild Things Are 436,016 1963 7649 4 The Cat in the Hat 469,650 1957 7455 5 To Kill a Mockingbird 422,912 1962 7292 6 1984 441,770 1949 6222 7 Charlotte's Web 337,948 1952 4970 8 Fahrenheit 451 316,404 1953 4722…
on “Most frequently checked-out books in the history of the New York Public Library” ↗…masterpieces of storytelling. They shine insight into a facet of life. They have a strong throughline, a message without moralizing. The best ones ground an experience to make it tangible to parent and child. Where the Wild Things Are - a fever dream about rebellion and unrealized sexuality, hero's journey into the latent world and back. Green Eggs and Ham - picky eating works on its own, or can stand in for just about any other unpleasant…
on “Show HN: I “wrote” a kids book with ChatGPT and Midjourney” ↗It has a real “where the wild things are” feel…which is the art used to decorate my local library. A lot of people have chosen to take the Hobbit as seriously as its older brother—-including Peter Jackson—-and have missed out on the absurd,…
on “Tove Jansson's criticized illustrations of The Hobbit” ↗