Kids Take A Romp Through Max's Wild Kingdom

The children's room at the main library turned into Max's wild kingdom Wednesday night, as kids climbed through an obstacle course of forts and "water" straight from the pages of the beloved book, "Where The Wild Things Are."

Max's kingdom, which included shipping boxes saved from book and computer deliveries during the past week, a tent, table clothes, sheets and plenty of imagination, was the work of Children's Librarian Jan Drake and her husband Dave Drake.

The two, along with some assistance from their 28-year-old son, who remembers the book from boyhood, spent two hours preparing the area for the "family evening out," sponsored by the library and recreation departments.

"It was a lot of fun, and what child doesn't love to climb through a fort and an obstacle course," she said, as a line of kids formed beside her to do just that.

The night included not just a romp through the obstacle course, but also a craft-making session to create crowns like Max wore in the book, a reading of the book by Children's Services Supervisor Mary Dalton, refreshments and then a showing of the 2009 film "Where the Wild Things Are" based on the book written in 1963 by Maurice Sendak.

The film was to be shown in Simons Park outside, but the rain forced the festivities inside.

"No problem," Drake said. "The park will be there next year when we do this again."