Once Upon a Time: Marvelous Maurice Sendak

"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!" I have such fond memories of long evenings spent with Maurice Sendak books as a child. More than his free imagination and silly, unpredictable adventures, I was thrilled by the absence of a sugar coating. Sweet and syrupy is a delicious treat, but even children crave a real meal when it comes to story time. Sendak's characters do what all children dream of: they misbehave boldly, floating away in bread airplanes In the Night Kitchen, or sailing away from the bedroom with no supper to a new land full of other wild things.

There is a wild thing in all of us, even children. And despite their cherubic appearance, they are more than angels, they are humans, complete with sweetness and wildness. And what safer place to feel like themselves, in every aspect, than in a good book? What a relief it was as a child to be seen through the eyes of Sendak as more than just perfect, more than just a copy of a picture of a child, but a real person with all sorts of feelings, some of them socially acceptable, some of them troublesome.

Feeling is healing, and that's what I remember loving about Maurice Sendak's books. As a small child, I remember the profound relief that I wasn't the only child in the world to feel defiant, independent, and wild. Max did, too. And that must have been why, night after night, I loved hearing his story. It was not consoling, controlling, conditional, or comforting. It was about children's real feelings. It made me feel alive and heard, like Max. And contrary to the controversy over it's seeming scariness, I remember feeling more relief than anything else. And instead of keeping wild feelings pent up, I felt heard. And feeling heard is never dangerous; it's why art has kept some semblance of sanity alive in our world. When a feeling is heard, it becomes safe and friendly. It's only when wild things (or emotions) are locked away that we have reason to fear them.

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Comments

[DaveInPA]

Yes, I remember reading Where the Wild Things Are with my cute little girl sitting on my lap. It seems like a LONG, LONG time ago and was always a favorite. Ms. Rosewood, I am glad you posted this, because this book is fantastic in all senses of the word. It transports the reader to the world of pure imagination. Sendak is one of those adults who somehow remembers how a child thinks and can put it down on paper. This entertains the child and puts the parent back into his/her own childhood, bringing them closer together.

[intrstd - Huffpost Blogger]

I have to agree. As politically incorrect it might seem, Dora the Explorer is sometimes just not enough. Sendak has nothing to do with learning, improving, exercising, or speaking another language, but everything to do with the fantastic inner life. Well written blog.

[Olivia Rosewood - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks!

[crtcl]

Though I read certain books and stories to my four-year old that I hope will inspire her and teach her to be a healthy, conscientious person, her favorite stories are those of the wild and the fantastic. Not only do they give her a sense of adventure, her creativity has grown as well as her trust in revealing this side of herself. I agree, sometimes kids (if only in their imagination) need to cut loose.

[Olivia Rosewood - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks, crtcl. Yes, I remember when I was a child, there was more freedom to run around outside unsupervised, a freedom that is now unthinkable as our awareness has heightened with regard to safety (and safety is important). But the price we pay is creativity and a sense of free adventure. At least we can still find a bit of wildness in imaginative books--

[KrisInNorthEast]

As a former preschool teacher, during the Halloween season I used to read Where the Wild Things Are to both my 3's and 4's students. Afterwards, we would do some kind of craft, like making scary or funny (the child's choice) masks out of paper plates and all kinds of materials to decorate the masks, such as feathers, googly eyes, yarn, etc. We would have a parade around the hallways wearing our 'Wild Thing' masks. It was a real hoot! I like Maurice Sendak as an author and illustrator, because he encourages kids to use their own imagination. Old-fashioned imagination and creativity are greats substitutes for TV watching! My children, who are teens now, LOVED the books of Maurice Sendak when they were young, too.