海角大神

When Maurice Sendak鈥檚听groundbreaking 鈥�Where the Wild Things Are,鈥� was published in 1963,听some critics and parents grumbled about what they听called its dark and nightmarish undertones.

But librarians rallied to what they saw as the picture听book鈥檚 emotional honesty and psychological realism. It was awarded the Caldecott Medal for children鈥檚 literature in 1964 and 鈥� say today鈥檚 librarians, authors, and experts 鈥� forever changed听the course of children鈥檚 books.

"With Maurice Sendak's 1963 classic tale of vengeful rebellion, Max and the Wild Things ushered in a new era in children's literature,鈥� says Kathleen Horning, director听of the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of听Wisconsin School of听Education in Madison.

鈥淔or the first time, authors and illustrators began to show young children the world as it really is, rather than how some adults in charge thought it ought to be,鈥� she adds.

In subsequent years, the sort of听subversiveness and humor that marked what has become a classic began to spill out in everything from picture books to young-adult听series.

鈥�Harriet the Spy,鈥澨齛 cheeky update on the Nancy Drew tomes, came out soon after, points out听Ms. Horning.听Many works with a much more realistic听depiction of the childhood experience followed, she says, such as John Steptoe鈥檚 1969 鈥淪tevie,鈥� featuring a young boy鈥檚 experience听as his family takes in an older foster child.

鈥淚n an earlier era, a book like this would听probably have focused on the joys of having an older brother,鈥� she says, 鈥渞ather than exploring the more difficult psychological issues relating to听feeling displaced by a newcomer as the book did.鈥�

Sendak听was at the heart of a major shift in focus for听stories aimed at children, says Teresa Michals, professor of English at George Mason University.听

鈥淐hildren鈥檚 literature is always trying to teach something,鈥� she points out, adding听that 鈥淲here the Wild things Are鈥澨齣s a 鈥渕onument to听that shift.鈥�

The book marked a move toward psychological self-reference, she says.

鈥淩ather than focusing on an explicitly didactic moment, the story is a more听realistic depiction of the way a tantrum might actually play out in a home,鈥� she says, adding that even the mother in the tale is not perfect, 鈥渂ut is shown losing her temper as well.鈥�

This is in distinct contrast with the goals of听earlier periods, such as the 18th or 19th century.

鈥淎听goal in those books might have been听teaching children to be kind to animals for instance,鈥� she says. 鈥淎 worthy goal to be sure,鈥� she adds,听but one that reflects what adults think children should learn rather than illuminates their actual experience.

Mr. Sendak is still charging up young authors today.

He understood听that the 鈥渂est way to help his readers overcome their own insecurities was to show other children battling theirs,鈥澨齭ays Meg Cabot, author of 鈥�The Princess Diaries,鈥� via email.

Sendak showed that 鈥渃hildren's books could both entertain and educate, but subtly so. No one closes 鈥榃here the Wild Things Are鈥� and realizes they've learned a lesson,鈥� she says, adding听that they feel only 鈥渁 sense of great satisfaction.鈥�

听

She says she wanted to write books like that, ones听that not only entertained, but also helped kids overcome their fears and insecurities.

The lessons of 鈥淲ild Things鈥澨齨ot only stayed with her from childhood, but opened the door to her own professional success, Ms. Cabot says.

After heading to New York upon graduating college and failing to sell her听picture books, she says,听鈥淚 did what Maurice Sendak taught us all to do 鈥� I turned my darkest fears into fiction, and soothed myself.鈥� And, like Sendak, launched a highly successful career that now includes a best-selling book and movie franchise. 听