Where the Wild Things Are on the Big Screen

Where the Wild Things Are, perhaps the most popular of the Maurice Sendak picture books, is a giant in the vast world of children's literature. Maybe it is the melodic language, "and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are." Maybe it is the story itself - the action is immediate, within the first few pages, Max wears a wolf suit, creates mischief "of one kind and another", is sent to bed without his supper and a forest begins to grow in his room. (How cool is that?) For sure, the Caldecott Award winning wildly creative illustrations, play a part in making this book a favorite of both boys and girls.

Where the Wild Things Are has been courting children's imaginations since 1963. The first group of 4 year olds that repeatedly begged their parents to read it "one more time!" are turning 50 this year.

So when I saw the poster for the movie to be released this October, I felt a sinking feeling. I don't want to see some kid actor play the role of Max, and I don't want Hollywood special effects to ruin the way my imagination has perfected the Wild Rumpus. The story, a metaphor of a child's temper tantrum, is poetic and pure and should not be adapted, tweaked and ruined. I can "roar my terrible roar" all I want but kids will love the movie - and never know a piece of their pure imagination has been robbed.

Sweden's Greatest Gift to Us

I am currently reading Pippi Longstocking to my kids. What an adorable, humorous, and clever story. How did I miss this book growing up?! Oh wait, I remember now. Because all I knew of Pippi was the freaky low tech dubbed T.V. show. When Pippi Longstocking would finish a sentence her lips would still be moving. Even as a kid, this interfered with my ability to enjoy the storyline.

The original book, written by Astrid Lindgren, was published in 1945 and many more followed. Born of the bed time stories that Astrid Lindgren told her daughter Karin in Sweden, Pippi Longstocking has made her way into the hands of children in over 100 different countries.

Lindgren who died at age 94 in 2002, was a prolific author, editor, proofreader, and animal rights activist. Of her 100 books published, many feature a child main character who is independent, eccentric and some say anarchistic.

Immediately children know that Pippi is different and are in awe of her resourcefulness and confidence. Lindgren's writing expertly conveys kid logic which is universally practiced by children.

Pippi lives alone because her mother died when she was quite young, and her father is lost at sea. On the first page the reader learns, Pippi "had no mother or father; which was quite nice, because it meant that no one could tell her to go to bed just when she was having the most fun. And no one could make her take cod liver oil when she would rather eat candy."

And we thought Sweden's greatest gift to us was meatballs.