Where the Wild Things Are

"Let the wild rumpus start!"

Where the Wild Things Are is a children's book by Maurice Sendak. It was well received and became an Instant Classic.

In the book, Max is an angry little boy in a wolf costume who can't control his emotions and is sent to his room. There he is (depending on your interpretation) transported to/imagines a world populated by semi-feral monsters and is crowned their king because of his wild emotions. At first happy, he eventually grows tired of acting like a wild animal and goes back home.

There are two adaptations: an animated short and a live-action film directed by Spike Jonze of Being John Malkovich fame with a soundtrack by Karen O.

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Tropes used in Where the Wild Things Are include:

• A Boy and His Tribe of Monsters
• Mix-and-Match Critters: All of the monsters.
• No Name Given: All of the monsters. Sendak had names that never appeared in the book for some of them -- Tippy, Aaron, Moishe, Bruno, Emile, Bernard -- but never gave a name to the goat in the books or art (he's just referred to as Goat Boy).
• Scenery Porn: The original's illustrations.