With Papa off to sea and Mama despondent, Ida must go outside over there to rescue her baby sister from goblins who steal her to be a goblin's bride.
| ||||||||||||||||||
With Papa off to sea and Mama despondent, Ida must go outside over there to rescue her baby sister from goblins who steal her to be a goblin's bride.
Maurice Sendak received the Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are. He has also received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the National Medal of Arts, and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unusual, but Enthralling Sendak Picture Book,
By
This review is from: Outside Over There (Caldecott Collection) (Paperback)
Sendak's work almost always takes a reader by surprise. His themes are not comfortable ones, particularly for parents. He deals with the internal desires of children, the kinds of things that can be interpreted as unacceptable and frightening. For instance, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, which has become a classic in children's literature is about a boy who acts out--who becomes a "wild thing" himself. His transformation back into a boy is a gradual and wonderful part of the picture book, but in no way tries to deny that the "wild thing" aspect exists.Likewise, OUTSIDE, OVER THERE is a tale of siblings, jealousy and responsibility. The heroine is Ida, a young girl who's father is away and so Ida is left to watch her baby sister, a task she's not too fond of. Ida is much more caught up in her own world. Yet when her sister is kidnapped by goblins, Ida must go off on a magic adventure to rescue her. She's not wholly devoted to the quest at first--and nearly passes her sister right by when she becomes absorbed in the magic of the quest. In the end, she rescues her baby sister, destroys the goblins and returns home--this time firmly responsible for her sister and determined to be so until her father returns home. It is not a comfortable tale, but it is one that highlights feelings that young children may have and discusses them in a format they can identify with. The language and pictures are beautiful and stunningly poetic, in typical Sendak style. But the story and the way its told can be frightening for some children; themes of kidnapping by goblins, the ice-baby left behind, and Ida's making the goblins dance themselves away, all conjure images that hit on some primal fears and discomforts. The author is not trying to make us comfortable, but that's what makes him such a good author. I suspect people will either love or dislike this book, I'm one who loves it but can equally understand why others might not. So, if you can, take a look at it prior to buying and certainly before you read it to younger children. On a side note, I believe this story is the basis for the movie Labyrinth. This wonderful movie is a strong tribute to Sendak in so many little ways, but the overall premise of the movie is very similar--a girl's jealous of her new half-brother and wishes the goblins would come and take him away. They do, and she must deal with the goblin king and the challenge he sets before her in order to get her baby brother back. Fabulous movie--if you love the book, I bet you'll love the movie, or vice versa! Happy reading! ^_^
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical and deeply appealing,
By A Customer
This review is from: Outside Over There (Caldecott Collection) (Hardcover)
I can understand why some might hesitate to read this book to young children -- my mother refuses to read it to my girls, who are just-turned-two and almost-five. But my girls, both of them, ADORE this book. It seems to speak to them on some deep level. Sendak knows that we can't shield children from scary things; the best we can do is lie and pretend they don't exist, which undermines their trust in us, since they can sense the lie, and then they *are* scared. Sendak feels we should instead help them learn to deal with big scary things -- the scariest being our own fears, our anger, our mistakes. My girls are enthralled by Ida's resourcefulness, her bravery, and the consequences of her initial carelessness. They instinctively understand the baby sister's vulnerability, the power of the father's love. They love it when Ida outsmarts the baby-goblins. I urge people not to prejudge this book, but to let your child decide whether he likes it or not. It is very powerful, and very beautiful.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding bedtime book for my 3 year old & I!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Outside Over There (Caldecott Collection) (Hardcover)
My daughter and I read this book 4 to 5 times a day. She is captivated by the baby goblins and feels very strongly about Ida, and how she searches for her sister. She has pretty much memorized the book and I hear her walking through the house singing softly about Ida & how much her PaPa loves her. I highly recommend this book to any parent for their child.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|