Where the Wild Things Are - wikipedia Where the Wild Things Are This article is about the 1963 children 's book. For the film adaptation, see Where the Wild Things Are ( film ). Where the Wild Things Are First edition cover of Where the Wild Things Are Author Maurice Sendak Illustrator Maurice Sendak Cover artist Maurice Sendak Country United States Language English Genre Children 's picture book Publisher Harper & Row Publication date April 9, 1963 Media type Print ( wide - format hardcover ) Pages 40 ISBN 0 - 06 - 025492 - 0 ( 25th anniversary ed., 1988 ) OCLC 225496 LC Class PZ7. S47 Wh Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children 's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short in 1974 ( with an updated version in 1988 ) ; a 1980 opera ; and a live - action 2009 feature - film adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze. The book had sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2009, with 10 million of those being in the United States. Sendak won the annual Caldecott Medal from the children 's librarians in 1964, recognizing Wild Things as the previous year 's `` most distinguished American picture book for children ''. It was voted the number one picture book in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers, not for the first time. Contents 1 Plot 2 Development 3 Literary significance 4 Adaptations 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Plot This story of only 338 words focuses on a young boy named Max who, after dressing in his wolf costume, wreaks such havoc through his household that he is sent to bed without his supper. Max 's bedroom undergoes a mysterious transformation into a jungle environment, and he winds up sailing to an island inhabited by malicious beasts known as the `` Wild Things. '' After successfully intimidating the creatures, Max is hailed as the king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful romp with his subjects. However, he starts to feel lonely and decides to return home, to the Wild Things ' dismay. Upon returning to his bedroom, Max discovers a hot supper waiting for him. Development Sendak began his career as an illustrator, but by the mid-1950s he had decided to start both writing and illustrating his own books. In 1956, he published his first book for which he was the sole author, Kenny 's Window ( 1956 ). Soon after, he began work on another solo effort. The story was supposed to be that of a child who, after a tantrum, is punished in his room and decides to escape to the place that gives the book its title, the `` land of wild horses ''. Shortly before starting the illustrations, Sendak realized he did not know how to draw horses and, at the suggestion of his editor, changed the wild horses to the more ambiguous `` Wild Things '', a term inspired by the Yiddish expression `` vilde chaya '' ( `` wild animals '' ), used to indicate boisterous children. He replaced the horses with caricatures of his aunts and uncles, caricatures that he had originally drawn in his youth as an escape from their chaotic weekly visits, on Sunday afternoons, to his family 's Brooklyn home. Sendak, as a child, had observed his relatives as being `` all crazy -- crazy faces and wild eyes '', with blood - stained eyes and `` big and yellow '' teeth, who pinched his cheeks until they were red. These relatives, like Sendak 's parents, were poor Jewish immigrants from Poland, whose remaining family in Europe were killed during the Holocaust while Sendak was in his early teens. As a child, however, he saw them only as `` grotesques ''. When working on the 1983 opera adaptation of the book with Oliver Knussen, Sendak gave the monsters the names of his relatives : Tzippy, Moishe, Aaron, Emile, and Bernard. Literary significance According to Sendak, at first, the book was banned in libraries and received negative reviews. It took about two years for librarians and teachers to realize that children were flocking to the book, checking it out over and over again, and for critics to relax their views. Since then, it has received high critical acclaim. Francis Spufford suggests that the book is `` one of the very few picture books to make an entirely deliberate and beautiful use of the psychoanalytic story of anger ''. Mary Pols of Time magazine wrote that `` ( w ) hat makes Sendak 's book so compelling is its grounding effect : Max has a tantrum and in a flight of fancy visits his wild side, but he is pulled back by a belief in parental love to a supper ' still hot, ' balancing the seesaw of fear and comfort. '' New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis noted that `` there are different ways to read the wild things, through a Freudian or colonialist prism, and probably as many ways to ruin this delicate story of a solitary child liberated by his imagination. '' In Selma G. Lanes 's book The Art of Maurice Sendak, Sendak discusses Where the Wild Things Are along with his other books In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There as a sort of trilogy centered on children 's growth, survival, change, and fury. He indicated that the three books are `` all variations on the same theme : how children master various feelings -- danger, boredom, fear, frustration, jealousy -- and manage to come to grips with the realities of their lives. '' Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its `` Teachers ' Top 100 Books for Children ''. Five years later School Library Journal sponsored a survey of readers which identified Where the Wild Things Are as top picture book. Elizabeth Bird, the NYPL librarian who conducted the survey, observed that there was little doubt it would be voted number one and highlighted its designation by one reader as a watershed, `` ushering in the modern age of picture books ''. Another called it `` perfectly crafted, perfectly illustrated... simply the epitome of a picture book '' and noted that Sendak `` rises above the rest in part because he is subversive ''. President Barack Obama has read it aloud for children attending the White House Easter Egg Roll in multiple years. Despite the book 's popularity, Sendak refused to produce a sequel ; four months before his death in 2012, he told comedian Stephen Colbert that one would be `` the most boring idea imaginable ''. Adaptations An animated short based on the book, which had taken five years to complete, was released in 1973, directed by Gene Deitch and produced at Krátký film, Prague, for Weston Woods Studios. Two versions were released : the original 1973 version, with narration by Allen Swift and a musique concrète score composed by Deitch himself ; and an updated version in 1988 with new music and narration by Peter Schickele. In the 1980s, Sendak worked with British composer Oliver Knussen on a children 's opera based on the book. The opera received its first ( incomplete ) performance in Brussels in 1980 ; the first complete performance of the final version was given by the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in London in 1984. This was followed by its first U.S. performance in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1985 and the New York City premiere by New York City Opera in 1987. A concert performance was given at The Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2002. A concert production was produced by New York City Opera in spring 2011. In 1983, the Walt Disney Studio conducted a series of tests of computer - generated imagery created by Glen Keane and John Lasseter using as their subject Where the Wild Things Are. In 1999, Isadar released a solo piano musical composition titled `` Where the Wild Things Are '' which appeared on his album Active Imagination, inspired by the Sendak book. The composition was revisited and re-recorded in 2012 on Isadar 's album, Reconstructed, with Grammy winner and founder of Windham Hill Records, William Ackerman, producing. The 2005 Simpsons episode, `` The Girl Who Slept Too Little '', features a spoof of Where the Wild Things Are entitled `` The Land of the Wild Beasts ''. The live - action film version of the book is directed by Spike Jonze. It was released on October 16, 2009. The film stars Max Records as Max and features Catherine Keener as his mother, with Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Forest Whitaker providing the voices of the principal Wild Things. The soundtrack was written and produced by Karen O and Carter Burwell. The screenplay was adapted by Jonze and Dave Eggers. Sendak was one of the producers for the film. The screenplay was novelized by Eggers as The Wild Things, published in 2009. In 2012, indie rock quartet alt - J released the song `` Breezeblocks '', inspired in part by the book. Alt - J keyboardist Gus Unger - Hamilton said the story and the song share similar ideas about parting with a loved one. `` Breezeblocks '' reached certified ARIA Gold status in Australia. In 2016, Alessia Cara released her second single, `` Wild Things '', which charted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot 100. In an interview with ABC News Radio, Cara stated she took inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are, saying `` each ' Thing ' represents an emotion and ( the main character ) kinda escapes into this world... and that 's kinda what I wanted to do ''. See also Children 's literature portal Visual arts portal 1963 in literature List of children 's books made into feature films List of children 's classic books References Jump up ^ `` Where the wild things are ''. Library of Congress. Catalog Records. Retrieved June 17, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Turan, Kenneth ( October 16, 2009 ). `` ' Where the Wild Things Are ' ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938 - Present ''. Association for Library Service to Children. American Library Association. Retrieved June 19, 2013. `` The Randolph Caldecott Medal ''. Association for Library Service to Children. American Library Association. Retrieved May 27, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` SLJ 's Top 100 Picture Books '' ( PDF ). School Library Journal. 2012. Poster presentation of reader poll results. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on November 23, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Warrick, Pamela ( October 11, 1993 ). `` Facing the Frightful Things ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Shea, Christopher ( October 16, 2009 ). `` The Jewish lineage of `` Where the Wild Things Are '' ``. The Boston Globe. Brainiac. Retrieved January 28, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Wild Things : The Art of Maurice Sendak ''. Traditional Fine Arts Organization. April 26, 2005. Retrieved August 28, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Brockes, Emma ( October 2, 2011 ). `` Maurice Sendak : ' I Refuse To Lie to Children ' ''. The Guardian. Retrieved October 5, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Burns, Tom, ed. ( March 2008 ). `` Maurice Sendak ''. Children 's Literature Review. Detroit, MI : Gale. 131 : 70. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7876 - 9606 - 1. OCLC 792604122. Jump up ^ Sendak, Maurice ( October 16, 2009 ). Hart, Hugh, ed. `` Review : Where the Wild Things Are Is Woolly, But Not Wild Enough ( Sendak Says Wild Things Film as Feral as Book ) ''. Wired.com. Retrieved December 30, 2009. Jump up ^ Spufford, Francis ( 2002 ). The Child That Books Built : A Life of Reading ( 1st ed. ). New York City : Metropolitan Books. p. 60. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8050 - 7215 - 0. OCLC 50034806. Jump up ^ Pols, Mary ( October 14, 2009 ). `` Where the Wild Things Are : Sendak with Sensitivity ''. Time. Retrieved October 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Dargis, Manohla ( October 16, 2009 ). `` Some of His Best Friends Are Beasts ''. The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Lehmann - Haupt, Christopher ( June 1, 1981 ). `` Book Of The Times ''. The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2009. Jump up ^ Gottlieb, Richard M. ( 2008 ). `` Maurice Sendak 's Trilogy : Disappointment, Fury, and Their Transformation through Art ''. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child. 63 : 186 -- 217. ISBN 978 - 0 - 300 - 14099 - 6. PMID 19449794. Jump up ^ `` Teachers ' Top 100 Books for Children ''. National Education Association. 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2012. Jump up ^ Bird, Elizabeth ( July 2, 2012 ). `` Top 100 Picture Books # 1 : Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak ''. School Library Journal. Retrieved June 17, 2013. Jump up ^ Carlson, Erin ( January 25, 2012 ). `` Maurice Sendak Calls Newt Gingrich an ' Idiot ' in ' Colbert Report ' Interview ''. The Hollywood Reporter. The Live Feed. Retrieved February 21, 2012. Jump up ^ Johnston, Russell ( March 12, 2009 ). `` Nashville Scene -- ' Bach in Black ' ''. The Tennessean. p. 46. Jump up ^ Wakin, Daniel J. ( March 10, 2010 ). `` For New York City Opera Season, Bernstein, Strauss and New Works ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Amidi, Amid ( February 23, 2011 ). `` Early CG Experiments by John Lasseter and Glen Keane ''. Cartoon Brew. Retrieved June 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Active Imagination ( Solo Piano ) ''. AllMusic. December 28, 1998. Retrieved March 12, 2012. Jump up ^ Sperling, Nicole ( September 11, 2008 ). `` ' Where the Wild Things Are ' gets long - awaited release date ''. Entertainment Weekly. Inside Movies. Retrieved September 12, 2008. Jump up ^ Podplesky, Azaria ( December 18, 2012 ). `` alt - J Taps Maurice Sendak and a Kate Middleton Look - Alike For ' Breezeblocks ' Video ''. Seattle Weekly. Retrieved June 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2013 Singles ''. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Alessia Cara on ' Wild Things ' : ' It 's Just Really an Empowering Song ' ''. ABC News Radio. April 26, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Where the Wild Things Are. Maurice Sendak : `` Where the Wild Things Are '' by Now on PBS Where the Wild Things Are ( 1973 ) on IMDb Where the Wild Things Are ( 2009 ) on IMDb Where The Wild Things Are -- Early Disney CG Animation Test on YouTube Awards Preceded by The Snowy Day Caldecott Medal recipient 1964 Succeeded by May I Bring a Friend ? Maurice Sendak Written works Kenny 's Window ( 1956 ) Very Far Away ( 1957 ) The Sign On Rosie 's Door ( 1960 ) The Nutshell Library ( Chicken Soup with Rice ( A Book of Months ) Alligators All Around ( An Alphabet ) One Was Johnny ( A Counting Book ) Pierre ( A Cautionary Tale ) ( 1962 ) Where the Wild Things Are ( 1963 ) Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water : Two Nursery Rhymes ( 1965 ) Higglety Pigglety Pop !, Or : There Must be More to Life ( 1967 ) In the Night Kitchen ( 1970 ) Ten Little Rabbits : A Counting Book With Mino The Magician ( 1970 ) Some Swell Pup or Are You Sure You Want a Dog ? ( with Matthew Margolis ) ( 1976 ) Seven Little Monsters ( 1977 ) Fantasy Sketches ( 1981 ) Outside Over There ( 1981 ) Caldecott and Co : Notes on Books and Pictures ( 1990 ) The Big Book for Peace ( 1990 ) We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy : Two Nursery Rhymes with Pictures ( 1993 ) Maurice Sendak 's Christmas Mystery ( 1995 ) Notable illustrated works Atomics for the Millions ( by Dr. Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff ) ( 1947 ) Singing Family of the Cumberlands ( written by Jean Ritchie ) ( 1955 ) Mrs. Piggle - Wiggle 's Farm ( written by Betty MacDonald ) ( 1954 ) The Wheel on the School ( written by Meindert DeJong ) ( 1954 ) Little Bear ( written by Else Holmelund Minarik ) ( 1957 ) Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories ( written by Isaac Bashevis Singer ) ( 1966 ) See also Really Rosie ( musical ) Seven Little Monsters ( TV series ) Where the Wild Things Are ( film adaption ) ( 2009 ) Tell Them Anything You Want : A Portrait of Maurice Sendak Family Philip Sendak ( father ) Jack Sendak ( brother ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Where_the_Wild_Things_Are&oldid=864239483 '' Categories : 1963 children 's books American picture books Books adapted into films Books by Maurice Sendak Caldecott Medal - winning works Fiction about monsters Fictional humanoids Harper & Row books Literature featuring anthropomorphic characters Picture books by Maurice Sendak Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from September 2015 Pages to import images to Wikidata Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2009 All articles containing potentially dated statements All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2009 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Кыргызча Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Suomi Svenska Tiếng Việt 中文 11 more Edit links This page was last edited on 16 October 2018, at 00 : 34 ( UTC ). 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Question: when was where the wild things are banned
Answer: in libraries