The story begins when Max dresses up as a wolf and wreaks havoc in his own home. He is severely scolded by his mother and is sent back to his bedroom without supper. Max is dejected and upset and that is when he watches his bedroom undergo an astonishing transformation. He watches as his bedroom turns into a jungle and an ocean appears out of nowhere. Max sails into that ocean and reaches an island inhabited by nasty beasts simply called, The Wild Things. His adventures there make up the core of the story.