Wild Things

On the weekend my kids and I went to a wild rumpus in the park hosted by Cradle Fables.  We roared our terrible roars and gnashed our terrible teeth and rolled our terrible eyes and showed our terrible claws.

The wild rumpus was of course inspired by Maurice Sendak’s classic picture book Where The Wild Things Are.  The story which has enchanted generations of children is about to be released as a feature film, sparking renewed interest in the tale.  I remember having this story read to me as a child, I have studied it with students and now have the privilege of sharing it with my own children.  Here are my little wild things listening to the story at the rumpus.

While the book appears simple, containing in fact only ten sentences, it is actually a very deep story.  Here are my thoughts on how you can help your little ones to get the most out of this remarkable picture book:

• Read it slowly.  I usually find I need to read this story more slowly than some other books, partly to give my child time to process and partly because many sentences run over several pages.
• Read it emotively.  Toddlers need your emotion behind the words to help them understand the context.
• Read it dramatically.  There are lots of opportunities to interact with the book.  Roll your eyes, gnash your teeth, stare your toddler down, use your face to show what loneliness feels like.  Boys especially need this physical interaction with the text.
• Understand the subtext.  This is actually a book about anger.  Mum sends Max to his room for stirring up trouble, and while in time out he processes his frustrations through imaginative role play.  The resolution comes in his understanding and acceptance of his mother’s loving discipline.  Obviously that’s an adult explanation of the text and not one you would share with a child (!!) but understanding the subtext may help you to connect the book to your own child’s experiences.  Have they been sent to time out?  When they are angry does their face look like Max’s?  Do they know that someone loves them best of all, even when they mess up?
• Don’t worry too much.  Some parents are concerned about the scariness of the story, and worry that their child may not sleep well.  I have shared this book with many, many children and my experience has always been positive.  Even though the wild things are a little scary looking, Max is always in control and readers usually identify with Max.
• Leave your child questioning!  Most children will be quick to realise that Max has been imagining – or has he?  Check out the moon at the start and the end of the book…

Happy reading!!  ROOAARRRRRR!