The web is now buzzing with the news that the Spike Jonze film of Where The Wild Things Are has been pulled by Warner Brothers to be now reworked for a release date in October 2009. The film, a mix of Jim Henson puppetry and computer animation, has been judged by test audiences as too confusing (for adults), and too scary (for children). How can they make a film of that book cute and cuddly?
One of the best picture books ever published, it has always been controversial. In 1963, on its publication it was considered scary and weird, and it now seems the movie is being judged the same. It is interesting the Sendak himself has been quoted in The Age as saying that he is “in love” with the current Jonze version, “If Spike and Dave do not do this movie now, I would just as soon not see any version of it ever get made.”
Isn’t it funny that a book that could so concern parents at the time of its publication was, and still is, actually adored by children. I wonder if the same will happen with the film version? It’s probably true that Jonze was not even making the film for children but rather for a generation of 30-somethings that still think Max is the coolest kid on earth.
Speaking of cool, check out the Where The Wild Things Are wall mural on Ohdeedoh.
There are gorgeous Wild Things toys and puppets available, they are made by US toy company Crocodile Creek, who make excellent quality products. I haven’t seen them anywhere in Australia for a while but it looks like Amazon still has them in supply.
Although Where the Wild Things Are is probably his best known work, Sendak has many published works. My favorite is In The Night Kitchen (1970), another controversial picture book that was actually banned for a time because of nudity! The little boy Mickey is nude as he drifts from his bedroom into his dream land of the night kitchen where he begins his amazing journey. It has been widely reported that some librarians even used correction fluid to cover Mikey up in the book!
More recently there is Bears – does that little boy remind you of anyone?
And Brundibar, a beautiful picture book based on the 1938 opera performed by children in a Nazi concentration camp. A confronting subject but a very special book for both children and adults. Brundibar was the winner of a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award.
I’ve always loved Where the Wild this Are and used it regularly in my classroom (primay and secondary) to encourage children’s own creative writing ideas. Now it’s a regular favourite with my 20 month old son. However, hadn’t realised that Sendak had written others. Look forward to checking them out!