Kindergarten students from Highland Elementary School kept up a long-standing tradition this week, becoming real-life storytellers as they acted out the classic children’s book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

The book tells the story of young Max, a child who dresses up as a wolf and wreaks havoc around his house. After being sent to his room for being naughty, he begins to imagine that he is in a jungle with the “Wild Things.” Soon, he is crowned King of the Wild Things.

As the story goes, Max and his new subjects partake in a wild rumpus, which includes a lot of roaring, clawing, stomping, and teeth gnashing.

The theme of the book, and one of the main components of the Wild Rumpus event, is the utilization of imagination. To bring the rumpus to life, the Kindergarten students, wearing colorful handmade masks, joined together in forming a giant circle outside of the school. A student from each Kindergarten class played Max, while their classmates boisterously took on the roles of the Wild Things.

In addition to the monstrous performance, students also showcased some of the color songs they have learned since starting school in September. Kindergarteners and guests agreed—it was a wildly good time!