I was cleaning my room the other day when of course I got very side-tracked.  Picking clothes up, rearranging shelves, I found myself reading my old children’s books on my bookshelf.  Somehow I ended up reading Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

When I was younger, my mother would always read me this book.  I thought it was okay, I thought that Max was a punk and the monsters were ugly and that was about it.  However, upon re-reading it, I stepped away with a little more insight than before.

There’s a reason this book was on Obama’s children’s book reading list, there’s a lot more to it than a storyline about a punky child and hideous beasts.  There are life lessons to be learned.

In the start of the story, Max was sent up stairs without supper because he was being a ‘Wild Thing’.  From this, Max’s temper grew and grew (much like the forest in his bedroom) until he made it to the land of the ‘Wild Things’.  After some time, Max came home to find that his supper was still hot.  It may not seem like it all the time, but parents will always have your back even it doesn’t seem like it all the time.

Sometimes we don’t realize it, but there’s no place like home.  Max has a temper tantrum and wanders out to sea to a mythical land.  After having his fun, Max decided it was best he went home.  Nothing could compare to the comfort and love that he received when he was in the safety of his house. It’s a friendly reminder that we need to remember when we are traveling during the busy holiday seasons.

Where The Wild Things Are teaches kids that there’s no place like home, it’s okay to be mad, and to forgive. Within those ten sentences that Sendak masterfully pieced together, children learn that everyone has a wild side. So pick up one your favorite childhood picture books— you might learn something.