Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sendak, M. (n.d.). Where
the wild things are. New York, New York: Harper Collins .
PLOT SUMMARY
A young boy, Max appears to be an
angry, reckless child. He is always up to mischief while wearing his wolf suit.
He is sent to bed without any supper because he behaved badly. While in his
room a forest grows all around him. With a mischievous grin on his face Max
explores the forest and comes upon monstrous yet cuddly wild things and the
adventure begins.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sendak's
"Where the Wild Things Are," explores Max’s imagination plagued by
darkness and sadness. The book delves into Max’s psychological reactions of
being rejected and disciplined by his mother. He is left confused and angry. He
decides to go to a place where he alone is king, and has the right to make his
own decisions. The wild things are a representation of his unwillingness to
change his wild ways. Through Max’s imaginary journey he releases his anger
towards his mother and is ready to return home happy and at peace.
Sendak’s illustrations convey a dark and mysterious place
filled with larger than life monsters and adventures. His illustrations demonstrate
great detail in regards to the monsters and their huge features. Sendak’s use of muted grays, blues and green
are an expression of the sadness, rage and confusion portrayed throughout the
book.
REVIEW
EXCERPT(S)
1964 Caldecott
Medal Winner
Top
100 books (2012) SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
CONNECTIONS
I found an informative website that gives lots of ideas on
how to connect the book to a classroom setting.
These ideas can be used for any grade level and can be modified to fit
all students’ learning needs.
English
- Before
reading the book, look at the cover and write a story about what might
happen.
- Write
a story about the kinds of 'mischief' that Max makes.
- Look
at the use of connectives and punctuation within the story.
- The
author uses 'terrible' repeatedly to describe the wild things. Why did he
use the same word so many times? Can you think of synonyms for 'terrible'?
- Write
captions for each of the illustrations in the book.
- Listen
to this audio version of the story. Could you record your own reading?
- If
you were the king of the wild things, how would you feel? Can you write a
diary from the point of view of the 'King of the Wild Things'?
- Write
a sequel where Max returns to see the wild things. What might happen?
- Watch
this video with the author / illustrator, Maurice Sendak. If you could
interview him, what questions would you ask?
- Watch the film version of the story. How does it compare with
the book?
Math
- Find
the different time periods mentioned in the book. Can you convert between
different lengths of time?
Science
- Write
a fact sheet about one of the wild things. What is its habitat? How is it
adapted to live there? What does it eat? Does it have any special features
/ abilities??(see Resources below)
Computing
- Use
a painting program to create a picture of a Wild Thing.
- Make
a wild thing using the Switch Zoo site.
- Make
a wild thing using the Build Your
Wild Self site.
- Make
a stop-motion animation showing Max and some wild things having an adventure.
Watch this example for inspiration:
Design Technology
- Make
a model of the boat that Max uses to sail to where the wild things live.
Art
- Design
your own 'wild things' that live in different habitats.
- Look
at the illustration of the colored leaves on the inside cover. Could you
get different colors of leaves and arrange them to make a picture? Could
you cut out and paint leaf shapes and arrange these?
- Imagine
that a forest (or other type of landscape) 'grew' in your bedroom /
kitchen / classroom. Draw a picture showing what this might look like.
- Look
at how Maurice Sendak used shading within the illustrations. Try creating
different shades of one color. Can you use these shading techniques in
your own pictures?
- Can
you make a flip-book animation based on a scene in the book. Look at this
video showing a test animation by Disney which is based on the book:
Music
- Compose
a piece of music to accompany the 'wild rumpus'.
Geography
- Draw
a map showing Max's bedroom, the ocean that he sails over and the place where
the 'wild things' live.
Enjoy other books by Maurice Sendak
BOOBY HATCH BY BETSY LEWIN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewin, B. (1995). Booby
hatch. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin.
PLOT SUMMARY
Booby Hatch is written and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. The story is based on Lewin’s
observations of a blue footed baby bird living on the Galapagos Island. She chronicles the progress of Pepe from a hatchling
to a fully fledged bird that finds a mate and begins his own family. The story
begins with two parents patiently looking at a little white egg and anxiously waiting
the birth of their little bird. His parents feed and care for Pepe. While he is
still in his soft white feathers, his parents warn him of the dangers on the
island. Once he is able to fly on his own, he ventures out to the island where
he meets Tina and they began to dance. They too will begin patiently waiting
for their own little white egg to hatch.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
.
Betsy Lewin's book Booby
Hatch is
beautifully illustrated. The soft water colors in shades of blue, white and
brown with touches of red and black remind me of the wonderful summers I spent
on South Padre Island. The animal drawings are realistic and believable. The
colors evoke a soothing calmness and create a relaxing atmosphere for the
reader. Lewin’s approach to allowing the reader to view life through Pepe’s
eyes is an excellent tool to engage the reader. At the beginning of the story
the illustrator focuses on the little white egg to show the eagerness Pepe’s
parents are feeling for their own little hatchling. Once Pepe is born, we are
again drawn to Pepe’s feet. Throughout the book the reader is transfixed on the
environment that surrounds Pepe and the other inhabitants of the island.
REVIEW
EXCERPT(S)
"A
lovely book that succeeds in every way." (School Library Journal
Starred)
Each
pleasing, double-page spread features a well-composed sketch or a series of
sketches, all beautifully tinted with watercolor washes. A simple, appealing
nature study for young children. Carolyn
Phelan (Booklist)
CONNECTIONS
Incorporate
Booby Hatch into a Reading, Math or Science lesson by discussing the appearance of a variety of
eggs, conduct an egg-observation activity with eggs of different types and
sizes from the grocery store.
Re-create the bird-watching experience, by visiting one of the
many online bird webcams. Students can watch baby birds grow or see how birds
live in the wild.
Students could research the
Galapagos Island and share about the other animals, plants and climate on the
island.
Books illustrated by Betsy Lewin.
Betsy
Lewin is the Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and its sequels, Click, Clack, Surprise!; Click, Clack, Ho, Ho, Ho; Click, Clack, Peep; Click, Clack, Boo!; Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Duck for President; Dooby Dooby Moo; and Thump, Quack, Moo; in addition
to a number of other picture books, including So,
What’s It Like to Be a Cat? and Where Is Tippy Toes?
Books similar to Booby Hatch
Marcel McDuby the Blue-Footed Booby
by Sarah Case Mamika (Author), Nicolas Peruzzo (Illustrator)
Where Are the Galapagos Islands?
by Megan Stine (Author), John Hinderliter (Illustrator)
A Blue-Footed Booby Named Solly McBoo
by Dwayne Magee (Author), Adam Arditi (Illustrator)
LOCOMOTIVE BY BRIAN FLOCA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Floca, B. (2013). Locomotive.
S.l.: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.ISBN 978-1-4169-9415-2
PLOT SUMMARY
Locomotive by Brian
Floca, is filled with rich railroad history.
The pages, sights and sounds take
you back to an era of traveling and adventure. Men from all over the world have come to work
on this new road. A road made of steel,
iron and sweat. Many years of hard labor
have gone into the building of the railroad, now it is time for the traveling to
begin. All the sights, sounds and
scenery signal a new adventure for a family patiently waiting for the train on
the platform, but in all the excitement danger lurks on the railway. An
exciting adventure lies ahead on the pages of this book.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Brian Floca’s book is beautifully
and artistically illustrated. Intricate
details in the telegraphs, maps, clothes and the train itself take the reader
back to the summer of 1869. The illustrator’s
combination of print size, color and the sounds associated with it, each evoke
the reader to imagine the clang of the bells, the screeching of the tracks, the
smell of the smoke and the excitement associated with a train ride. Each detail
is carefully used to inform and draw the reader into a journey full of beautiful
landscapes, such as wide open spaces and the night ride illuminated by the moon’s
pale light. A diagram of the train and a summary of steam
power are carefully presented in detail. This book can appeal to a wide range of ages. Children of a younger age may appreciate the book
better if read to.
REVIEW
EXCERPT(S)
"It's impossible to turn a page without
learning something..." (Booklist 2013)
CONNECTIONS
Social Studies
- Read the book to introduce the Transcontinental Railroad
Language Arts
- Use the story to introduce or review onomotoepia. Demonstrate how authors use word choice (onomatopoeia) to develop a story and engage a reader.
- Compare and contrast a steam engine with a modern day car
Art/Math
- Construct a train using geometric shapes or objects (boxes, cartons, and cylinders)
Enjoy
other Brian Floca books:
Moonshot ISBN 9781416950462
Lightship ISBN 9781416924364
The race Car Alphabet ISBN 9780689850912
THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY BY JANETTE SEBRING LOWREY AND ILLUSTRATED BY GUSTAF TENGGREN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowrey, J. S., & Tenggren, G. (2016). The poky little puppy. New York, NY: Golden Books, an imprint of Random
House Childrens Books, a division of Random House, LLC.
ISBN 0307160262
PLOT SUMMARY
The Poky little puppy by Janette S. Lowrey, is a mischievous
tale of five little puppies that disobey their mother by digging a hole under the fence and taking a walk around the meadow. When they reach the top of the hill they notice
one of the puppies is missing. They search and search. Finally while looking
down the grassy hill they spot the poky puppy running around with his nose to the
ground. Tumbling down the hill they went. At the bottom of the hill
they discover what the poky puppy was searching for delicious dessert. Once home, mother was not happy that the
puppies broke the rules, so she sent them to bed without any dessert. Cleverly the
poky little puppy would return home while everyone slept and happily eats all the desserts outwitting the other puppies and his mother . Until one day, the other puppies figured out a plan to outsmart the poky little puppy and teach him
a lesson. A great story about breaking the rules and the consequences that
follows.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lowrey’s Poky little puppy weaves a tale of adventure,
mischief and consequences. Her writing is entertaining, rhythmical and whimsical.
I think this would be a great book to read aloud to children with its engaging descriptions
about directions such as up, down, over and across. I can imagine reading this book to
children while having them act out the scenes where the puppies walk through
the meadow, walk down the road, walk over the bridge and up the hill.
Tenggren’s use of bright vivid colors make the reader
appreciate the green meadow, bright yellow flowers, green lizard and the fuzzy
brown caterpillar. The wonderfully drawn looks of excitement on the puppies
faces when they smell the rice pudding entice the reader to feel enjoyment for this
newfound treat.
REVIEW
EXCERPT(S)
The Poky
Little Puppy by
Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, is the line’s
top-selling book of all time, and its beloved protagonist serves as the Little
Golden Books mascot. (Publisher’s
Weekly 2017)
CONNECTIONS
Language arts (kindergarten)
Define what "poky" means in the story.
Read the story aloud, have children act out the
directions( up, down, around and through
etc..) Discuss rules and consequences.
Older kids can research what type of puppy the poky puppy is. Write
about what their favorite pet is.
Math
Practice counting the puppies, animals and flowers.
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