A story I remember

One classic story that I’ve never forgotten is Where the Wild Things Are. I had so much energy as a kid which is why I related so closely to the story. But it wasn’t the story that I was so enticed with it was the pictures. All the images of the boy in the wolf suit, monsters, forest and sea were without a doubt my favorite part of the book. The one image that stuck with me the most is the image of the monster under the tree on the cover of the book. I think it’s the most famous photo associated with the book which probably explains why it brings up the most memories. I only would want to read Where the Wild Things Are because the kid in the story reminded me of me; I was a bratty little 3 or 4 year old. I liked to do what I wanted when I wanted and usually got sent to bed early. And like the kid in the story I eventually felt bad for acting up. The story was written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak in 1963. His concept for the book originally involved horses but he couldn’t draw them so he switched to monsters. He eventually named the monsters after his relatives because he found his inspiration in his relative’s caricatures. The book has been converted into an Opera, Animated Short, and full length film over the years. Finding out about the stories’ transformation into other mediums makes me think about how universal the story is. Young kids act up and through tantrums all the time; eventually they calm down. I think this one reason why the story became so popular. The story combines imagination with a common experience like missing home.

Where the Wild Things Are - Opera