Where the Wild Things Are

by Maurice Sendak

You probably already know this essential Sendak title, but (like Goodnight Moon on the toddlers’ 20 classics) a must-have list would not be complete without it. When Max gets angry, he is sent to his room without supper. As his anger grows, so do the illustrations, as exotic trees begin to overtake the boy’s room and  transform it into the land of the Wild Things. After Max conquers his fear of the giant creatures, and leads them in a “wild rumpus,” he returns home to find that his supper is waiting for him, “and it was still hot.” The reassuring message: Anger is a normal, healthy emotion, and your parents will still love you even when you get mad at them.