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.
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.