Early readers · ages 4–7

Where the Wild Things Are

A boy is sent to bed with no supper. Then the walls disappear.

Where the Wild Things Are — written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Ages 3–7.

Max is sent to bed without supper and sails to where the Wild Things are. The rumpus itself takes three full spreads and not a single word — Sendak trusts the pictures with the loudest part of the book.

The catch — it's much shorter than most people remember, and the Wild Things frighten some children outright. Worth knowing before bedtime.

Nobody talks Max out of being angry. He just comes back, and the supper is still warm.

Get the full guide: The Picture Book Years →

Cover: Where the Wild Things Are · written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak · Red Fox