Where the Wild Things AreStudy Guide

for Second Grade Class Visits to the Maurice Sendak Memorial Exhibition

Monroe County Public Library | February 12–March 26, 2016

“In this highly original work of art, Sendak has made a unique contribution to the field of picture books. He has created a timeless world of imagination which is deliciously grotesque, kindly, and humorous—never terrifying.”

From the ALA announcement that Sendak had won the 1964 Caldecott Medal for

Where the Wild Things Are

mcpl.info

About the ExhibitThe Art of Maurice Sendak is a memorial exhibition of 50 selected works by the late artist supplemented with accompanying comments by celebrities, authors and noted personalities. The exhibit was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sendak’s award-winning book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.

The exhibit includes works in a variety of media, highlighting different parts of Sendak’s career and the diverse art forms for which he is known. From drawings for children’s literature to creating scenery and costumes for opera – Sendak is a renowned American illustrator and author, acclaimed for his genius and insights.

Works included in the exhibition have been selected from private collectors, friends of the artist and numerous media sources – offering a survey of Sendak’s range as an artist and author – and his influence on generations of readers and artists. Photos, sketches, finished works in a variety of mediums and supplementary content reflect Sendak’s interests and evolution as an artist.

The Library offers activities for children visiting the Exhibit to provide opportunities for them to engage with and reflect on the artwork.

About Maurice Sendak Born: June 10, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York Died: May 8, 2012 in Danbury, Connecticut

Maurice Sendak was born in 1928, the youngest of three children. When he died in 2012, he was 83 years old.

As a child, Sendak was often sick, and would draw as a way to pass the time. As a boy, he also liked to read, watch movies, listen to music and use his imagination. He liked comic books featuring Mickey Mouse, and comedy films, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

When he was in high school, Sendak wrote his own comic strip for his high school newspaper. One of his first jobs was to create window displays for a toy store in New York City. After he met a book editor, Sendak started illustrating children’s books, like the Little Bear stories by Else Minarik. He drew the pictures for and illustrated more than 80 books by other writers before authoring one himself.

Some of his best known books include Chicken Soup with Rice, Where the Wild Things Are, and In the Night Kitchen. Sendak thinks of Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen as part of a loose trilogy with a third picturebook: Outside Over There. Each story portrays the main character on a voyage to a fantasy world. In the informational book, The Art of Maurice Sendak, he explained that the three books “are all variations of the same theme: how children master various feelings—anger, boredom, fear, frustration, jealousy—and manage to come to grips with the reality of their lives.”

Sendak used his creative talents in a number of other forms. He collaborated with singer and songwriter Carole King on the children’s musical Really Rosie, and designed sets and costumes for stage versions of his books and other productions as well. In the early 1980s, he created the sets for several operas, including Mozart’s Magical Flute, and for the Nutcracker ballet.

Sendak won numerous awards as both an artist and illustrator. In 1964, he received the Caldecott Award from the American Library Association for the illustrations he made for Where the Wild Things Are. He also received the 1983 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, given by the American Library Association in recognition of his entire body of work; and a 1996 National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America. In 2003, he received the first Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an international prize for children’s literature established by the Swedish government.

His books continue to be read by millions of children and adults and have been translated into dozens of languages and enjoyed all over the world.

Note: Many of the videos of interviews with Maurice Sendak, available on YouTube and other online sites, are geared to adults. Children can enjoy a video of Sendak, included on the DVD:

Where the Wild Things Are… and other Maurice Sendak stories (available at Monroe County Public Library)

The Library also has several Maurice Sendak biographies for children.

Reserve Library materials through our online catalog: http://mcpl.info/catalog

or call the Library to request a copy: (812) 349-3050

About Where the Wild Things Are“Where the Wild Things Are was not meant to please everyone—only children.”

—Maurice Sendak, Caldecott Medal acceptance speech, 1964

This award-winning story, published in 1963, describes how a child named Max deals with his emotions through the use of his imagination.

The illustrations and design of the book are integral to the story. Ask children to notice how the pictures change in size and shape as the story progresses. Once considered too scary for young children, the lyrical story and delightfully detailed illustrations have withstood the test of time. In fact, President Obama has declared Where the Wild Things Are “one of [his] favorite books” and reads it annually to children attending the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Watch a video of President Obama reading Where the Wild Things Are on YouTube:

http://mcpl.info/Z3i

Story Synopsis

A wolf suit is the perfect outfit for wild young Max to wear as he nails holes in the wall and torments his dog. No wonder his exasperated mother sends him to his room without any supper. But Max is not going to let his confinement stop him from acting out. Soon he imagines a forest and an ocean trip to the land of the Wild Things. Using his magic powers Max soon becomes their king, and he and his subjects have a riotous time romping around and making a ruckus. Before long, Max gets homesick and returns home to find his supper waiting for him . . . and it is still hot.

Adapted from: “Where the Wild Things Are” – Library Lessons, by Lynne Farrell Stover, 2009, http://mcpl.info/Z35

“Truthfulness in life – both fantasy life and factual life - is the basis for all great art.”

Maurice Sendak, Caldecott Medal acceptance speech, 1964

ACROSS 3. RUMPUS 5. SUPPER 6. WILD

DOWN 1. GNASH 2. FOREST 3. ROAR 4. MISCHIEF

MAX’S CROSSWORD SOLUTION

ActivitiesThe following activities provide opportunity for children to practice literacy skills described in the Indiana Department of Education’s Reading: Literature Standards for Second Grade Students (http://mcpl.info/Z3S).

Writing or Discussion Prompts

• Whoisthemaincharacterinthisstory?

• WhywasMaxsenttohisroom?

• Wedon’tseeMax’smotherinthestory.WhatdoyouthinkshesaidtoMaxbeforeshesenthimtohisroom?HowdidthatmakeMaxfeel?

• WriteaboutatimewhenyouhavefeltthesamewaythatMax did in the story.

• WhatdoyouthinkMaxsaidtohismotherwhenhecamebackfromthelandoftheWildThings?Writeadialoguebetween Max and his mother.

• HowdoesMaxgettothelandoftheWildThings?Imagineand describe another way that Max might have been able to get to the land of the Wild Things.

• WhydidMaxsendtheWildThingstobedwithoutanysupper?

• WhatdoyouthinktheWildThingssaidtoMaxwhentheyfirstsawhim?WriteastoryaboutmeetingMaxfromtheperspective of a Wild Thing.

• Ifyourdreamscouldtakeyoutoanotherplace,wherewouldyougo?Describetheplaceindetail.

IdiomsIn Where the Wild Things Are, Max sails “through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year” to where the wild things are. When he returns, he sails “back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day.”

We are not always exact when we talk about time. Sometimes, we use expressions called idioms. An idiom is a phrase that does not mean what it literally says.

Can you think of some idioms that we use to describe the passage of time? Here is one example: “In the blink of an eye.” Try listing some others. Does the idiom describe somethingthathappensfastorslow?

Example: In the blink of an eye = FAST

1._________________________________________

2._________________________________________

3._________________________________________

4._________________________________________

ACROSS3. uproar5. evening meal6. not tame

DOWN1. grind together 2. wooded area 3. growl 4. bad behavior

Max’s Crossword Puzzle

wildsupperforest

roargnash

mischiefrumpus

Word Box

Source: October 2009, Library Sparks—http://mcpl.info/Z35

R W M A V N H T R O Z A J O A

J O T O R N A Q C V T N W U F

Q A T B O T Y E P E L N T G T

M C R A B R A J U P O H H B V

J Q O F R N D Z T I O P E N B

W K S W G T U E T R W R G O U

C C K C L Z S A B O K Q D I H

G A S O Z U N U J E X D N T L

X F L X F I S Q L K S J A O K

E N Y D G W K L W L P E L M F

Y N C A E I G M J N I N S E O

P N M V N C F O R E S T I V H

D I J G V P O R U M P U S F I

X L N A Z U P T W N D Y B P I

I C I E U R A T T G Y V Y I D

G Y P W Q W S P X H Z I E Q Y

S M K R S G K I G N A D U C W

C W L I K Z B U Q V A R W P W

WORD SEARCH

AUTHOR

BEDROOM

CALDECOTT

EMOTION

FOREST

ILLUSTRATOR

IMAGINATION

ISLAND

KING

OCEAN

RUMPUS

WILD

The story of Where the Wild Things Are concludes with the end of the sentence: “ …and it was still hot.”

But there are no pictures on the last page of the story. Why did Sendaknotincludeanillustrationonthispage?

Draw a picture to go along with the last words in the story of Where the Wild Things Are.

...and it was still hot.