Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak’s Beloved Book on the Silver Screen

Sep 16, 2009 Bailey Shoemaker Richards

First published in 1963, Maurice Sendak's well-loved book is finally appearing as a live-action movie in October.

Where the Wild Things Are has been a popular book since its original publication over 40 years ago. The story of mischievous Max and his adventures in the land of the Wild Things has not lost any of its charm for children or adults. Fans of the book are eagerly awaiting the October release of Spike Jonze’s interpretation of the story.

Maurice Sendak

Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak was born in 1928 in Brooklyn. He is best known for Where the Wild Things Are. He wrote and illustrated numerous other books in addition to illustrating the works of other writers, including the popular Little Bear series, which became a television series on Nickelodeon.

Sendak worked with Jonze for nearly a decade in other to create a film version of Where the Wild Things Are.

Where the Wild Things Are

The story of Where the Wild Things Are is the story of Max, a small and imaginative boy who gets himself into trouble by horsing around in a wolf suit, growling at his mom and chasing his dog; his mother sends him to his room, which is where the Wild Things flourish.

As Max continues to daydream, he comes face to face with the Wild Things, and becomes their king after staring them down without fear. He plays with the Wild Things for what seems like a long time, until he feels homesick enough to return to his room and his mother.

The Movie Version of Where the Wild Things Are

Jonze and Dave Eggers have worked with Sendak in order to make the transition of Where the Wild Things Are from book to screen as smooth as possible. Max’s story has become more elaborate and defined in the film version, and the journey within the land of the Wild Things is a little more perilous.

Max changes slightly in interpretation, from merely a mischievous boy to one who is misunderstood and unhappy with his mother; after a fight between the two of them, he seeks to find something he can control, leading him to where the Wild Things are –and they are the same emotional, energetic and wooly creatures from the book. Max finds that they need an authority figure and sets out to become their king.

A combination of live actors, puppets and computer generated animation are used in order to bring Where the Wild Things Are to the big screen in a way that viewers will never forget.

The copyright of the article Where the Wild Things Are in Children’s Books is owned by Bailey Shoemaker Richards. Permission to republish Where the Wild Things Are in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Imagination Leads Max to Where the Wild Things Are