Do we like them?

Do we like Max?

A character from Where the Wild Things Are (1963)

Our score: 7 out of 10. A loud, furious little kid with a big heart. He misbehaves and then works out how to make things right, so yes, we'd back him, and we'd keep the snacks hidden.

Max is a young boy who loves make-believe and who, in the book, spends his evening in a wolf costume making mischief. His mother sends him to bed without supper after he goes too far. The story is a classic picture book by Maurice Sendak, first published in 1963, and the 2009 film by Spike Jonze expands it with Max Records in the role.

In his room, Max's imagination takes over and he sails to an island of enormous, fanged and furry creatures. They are looking for a leader, and Max steps up. He is brave, loud and playful, and he is also as impulsive and moody as the creatures he rules.

We give him a 7 because his flaws are the ordinary ones of a child with big feelings. He is rude and sometimes selfish, but he is curious, loyal and honest about what he wants. The story is about him learning to handle his anger and understand other people's feelings, and that's what makes him easy to like.