Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. If you disagree, then it's been too long since you've attended a wild rumpus. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired.
Sendak's colour illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder. The wild thingswith their mismatched parts and giant eyesmanage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they're downright hilarious. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentencesone of his trademarkslend the perfect touch of stream-of-consciousness writing to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination. This Sendak classic is more fun than you've ever had in a wolf's suit, giggle-stiflingly funny at times and even manages to reaffirm the notion that there's no place like home. This edition comes complete with your very own Wild Thing soft toy, making this delightful book and toy pack the perfect gift for the Wild Thing in your life. (Age 3 and over.) Susan Harrison