The Adventures of Taxi Dog (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Sal Barracca (Author), Mark Buehner (Illustrator) "I grew up in the city, All dirty and gritty, Looking for food after dark..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"My name is Maxi, / I ride in a taxi / Around New York City all day." This rhythmic beginning sets the tone for the beguiling tale of a former stray dog. Jim, a taxi driver, finds Maxi in a park, takes him home and feeds him and, from then on, takes his new friend with him to work every day. Maxi loves the sights, the sounds and even the occasional emergencies--but most of all he loves Jim, who saved him from the streets. Jim is surprised when he begins receiving big tips, but readers--and this canny canine--know the reason why. The Barraccas' narrative so perfectly echoes Maxi's jaunty attitude that children might suppose that being a New York taxi dog is the best job in the world. Buehner's black, yellow and white borders that surround the text cleverly suggest Checker cabs, and his use of dark, intense colors suggest a New York that is both familiar and funny. For dog fanciers, taxi riders and lovers of fine picture books, this is a sheer delight. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

K - Grade 2 --A stray dog's outlook takes a quick turn for the better when Jim, a New York City taxi driver, offers him a name, friendship, and a place in the front seat. Maxi describes with infectious doggy delight the satisfactions of life on wheels: the unusual fares, the pleasure of both helping and entertaining people in a hurry, and of wearily dropping the cab off at the garage after a long day. Buehner uses an oil-over-acrylic technique that gives each scene a subtle, lively play of light and color. The figures have a rounded solidity reminiscent of Van Allsburg's work, and are seen from a dog's/bird's-eye view, or some other unusual angle, against busy, idealized (the cabs are all in perfect condition) cityscapes. Background detail and byplay (including a small cat that seems to follow the cab around) will keep young readers glued to the illustrations. Alas, the engaging story idea (based on a real encounter) and brilliant pictures are chained to a singsong text in verse that combines pedestrian language with tediously long sentences, some of which exist only to make a rhyme . "Jim said, 'Your name's Maxi, / You'll ride in my taxi, /We'll ride all over the town. / We'll go riding uptown and down."' Flawed but appealing. --John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 7, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803706715
• ISBN-13: 978-0803706712
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,983 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Name is Maxi..., December 15, 1999

By	Hensley "clph" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

We received this book as a gift when my second child was born. Two children and 1,000 readings later, it is still a favorite. The illustrations are superb, and the rhyming lyric prose is always a joy to read. This is a book I love reading over and over again to my children.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Storyhour Favorite!, February 4, 2000

By	Holly Lewis "Free-Range Librarian" (Medina, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a children's librarian, I always picked this book up first during storyhour. Here is a hint! I use a dog puppet to tell the story for me! Then each child can meet and greet the puppet after the reading is over. Very interactive. Try to talk to kids about being kind to animals after you read this one - it will make them really listen to your message.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the best ever!, May 10, 2002

By	"markmays" (Brandon, MS United States) - See all my reviews

This may well be the best children's book ever published. I am not kidding. It is warm, funny, rhythmic, gorgeously illustrated and full of family sentiment. It will make your heart glow and will help your child learn to love books, poetry, and the musical sound of prose. May we all be as thankful as Maxie to have a home and may we all be as caring as Jim, the unsung hero of Taxi Dog, who takes him in. Do yourself and your 18 month old to 6 year old a favor and buy this book today!