The Greatest Children's Story Ever?

Where the Wild Things Are – is there anything which even comes close?
It was a book which thrilled me as a preschooler, and then I was delighted when my sister gave it to our children a few years ago. We love it as a family, I’ve read it numerous times to each of my children, and we all claim to be a different monster from the pictures. My 2 ½ yr old Asher and I take turns to recite lines.

Apart from the exquisitely suggestive text and the astonishingly absorbing pictures, the book is a masterpiece in exploring the psychology of sin. Oh yes it is! Max doesn’t want to be a good boy, there’s more fun in being a terrorising four year old, a monster of his own willing. When faced with the punishment of missing supper and having to go to his room a dream sequence takes over, with Max suddenly transported far away to a place of monsters, and they play together, under the rule of their new king, Max. But the little rebel finds that this isn’t the heaven on earth he expected, and feels a yearning for real paradise, home with the people who really love him. He escapes the clutches of the monsters who turn against him, imploring him to stay with the wonderfully ambiguous ‘we’ll eat you up, we love you so’. He sails back to his bedroom and finds it as he left it – but with his supper left there for him, ‘and it was still hot’.

And what do I see as I enjoy this story? A gentle but very powerful reminder that sin always promises adventure, but brings only short-term fun and loneliness, almost always before a whole lot of misery. God in His kindness often leads us through these journeys only to show us where there’s real adventure – following the true King Jesus, and enjoying His rule with those who love us the best.