Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak takes about 3 minutes to read aloud (336 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 3-6.
Measured read-aloud timeabout 3 minutes
- Words
- 336
- Sentences a page
- 1
- Re-read tolerance
- 5/5still fine on the fortieth reading
- Vocabulary
- 3/5a few new words
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The useful verdict
Why Where the Wild Things Are works
It takes a child's rage seriously, gives it an island to run around on for three wordless spreads, and then brings him home to supper that is still hot - which is the only ending an angry four-year-old actually wants. The wild rumpus pages are where you put the book down and let them roar.
Before you buy it
The monsters frighten a good number of under-fours, and Max being sent to bed without supper reads as harsh to modern parents.
Themes: anger, imagination, monsters, coming home.
Same shape, new story
Books like Where the Wild Things Are
Matched by length, refrain, sentence density, and listener—not just subject.
When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry...about 1.5 minutes · 4/5 re-read
The Gruffaloabout 6 minutes · 5/5 re-read
Llama Llama Mad at Mamaabout 3.5 minutes · 4/5 re-read
Grumpy Monkeyabout 4.5 minutes · 4/5 re-read
Owl Babiesabout 3 minutes · 5/5 re-read
Go Away, Big Green Monster!about 1 minute · 5/5 re-read
Creepy Carrots!about 4 minutes · 4/5 re-read
Journeyunder a minute · 5/5 re-read
Oliviaabout 3 minutes · 5/5 re-read
Straight answers
Questions parents ask about Where the Wild Things Are
- How long does it take to read Where the Wild Things Are aloud?
- About 3 minutes at an unhurried pace, from a word count of 336. Reading it fast shaves perhaps a third off; stopping for questions on every page can double it.
- What age is Where the Wild Things Are actually for?
- Ages 3-6 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 3 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
- Does Where the Wild Things Are survive being read on repeat?
- Yes - this is one of the few that is still fine on the fortieth reading, which is why it scores 5 out of 5 with us.
- Will my child memorise Where the Wild Things Are?
- It can. It scores 5 out of 5 with us for holding up to repeat reading, and children tend to learn by heart the books they ask for most, even without a strong refrain.
- Can a beginning reader read Where the Wild Things Are on their own?
- Not yet. At vocabulary level 3 out of 5 and 1 sentence a page, it is a read-aloud book rather than a first solo read. Read it to them now, and hand it over in a year or two.
- What themes does Where the Wild Things Are cover?
- We tag it with anger, imagination, monsters and coming home. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.