Parents need to know that this story raised a minor furor when it was published 30 years ago because it showed a little boy's penis (hardly graphic, just a loop of a line) -- which served only to draw attention to this marvelous picture book. Sendak's artwork is boldly expressive and adds to the story's momentum. The unpredictability of the language will challenge older kids.
When I was a child this was on my list of most favorite titles.
I can see how some people such as those who have never traveled out of the US would see this as containing inapropriate material.
So Mikey is naked in this book...Big Deal!!! It is the way we were created.
This book is clean and aprpriate for children of all ages.
This is one of my all time favorite children's books - I love the words, the illustrations, everything about it! My girls (5/8/10) have all enjoyed it since they were teeny! You can't go wrong with Sendak!