Author Maurice Sendak used just over 400 words to tell his seminal children's adventure tale "Where the Wild Things Are". It recounts the story of Max, a naughty boy in a wolf suit sent to his bed without supper one night. Max dreams that he sails to the land of the Wild Things: huge monsters who crown him their king. The book retains an element of controversy because it appears to validate aggressive emotions like anger, though that same quality, allowing children to feel and express strong emotions, remains one of the reasons why it has become a classic.
"Jumanji" was written by Chris Van Allsburg and published in 1981; latter-day audiences may associate it with the 1995 movie adaptation starring Robin Williams. It tells the story of a brother and sister who find a magical board game with a jungle theme. As they play it, the various elements of the game come to life, including monkeys, rhinoceroses and a python. The book is notable for its use of black and white drawings, and it won the Caldecott Medal in 1982.
Dr. Seuss remains one of the premiere names in picture books, and "Horton Hatches the Egg" holds all the elements of an epic adventure story. Seuss' good-hearted elephant Horton agrees to sit on an egg so that its owner---a self-involved bird named Maysie---can take a short break. The break lasts for months, but Horton continues to sit on the egg, even when a band of hunters captures him and takes him to America to sell to a circus.
The Curious George books number seven---at least, seven written by the original authors, Margaret and H.A. Rey. Subsequent books have been released by other licensed authors. The original book recounts the adventures of a mischievous but good-hearted monkey, who is discovered in the jungle by the Man with the Yellow Hat. The Man traps George and takes him home to the city, where he adopts him and acts as a surrogate father. George ends up causing all sorts of trouble in the city, though he never means any harm. The monkey is intended to stand in for young children exploring the world, and the trouble they sometimes get into.