Max Counts His Chickens (Max & Ruby) [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Max & Ruby

Max and Ruby, everyone’s favorite bunnies, are back in a unique largeformat counting book sure to tickle the funny bone of very young readers. When the Easter Bunny decides to hide the contents of their Easter baskets, Max and Ruby set out on a hunt for the missing marshmallow chicks which are here, there, and everywhere. It seems that Ruby is finding all the chicks, but count on Max to have the last laugh! Max and Ruby currently appear in their own television series on Nickelodeon.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—Max has always liked to do things his own way, and his search for marshmallow chicks is no exception. The Easter Bunny has hidden 10 pink chicks for the indomitable bunny and his sister to find, and the ways they go about their search illustrate their very different personalities. Ruby does a methodical, traditional search and finds the candy every place she looks. Max searches through the bath beads and the toothpaste tube, and finds none. The drawings of the search are boxed in the middle of a solid pastel-colored page. However, elements of some pictures (such as Max's unsuccessful search through the coffee can) spill out over the page. To assist with children's counting skills, there are large numbers on each page, as well as a visual count of the marshmallow chicks Ruby has discovered. As usual for Max, even though he has not discovered any of the confections (and Ruby has taken all of the chicks they were intended to share), things turn out just fine for him in the end. The fun of counting, along with the humor in the little rabbit's search strategies, will entertain listeners whether they find this book at Easter or in the counting section.—Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Adorable Max is back! The Easter Bunny has hidden 10 hot-pink marshmallow chicks for Max and Ruby to find. Ruby discovers the first one under her pillow. She finds one in her dollhouse, another in the soap dish, and so on. Max, on the other hand, isn't quite so lucky; he doesn't find anything in the toothpaste tube, or in the coffee can, the Wispie Crisps cereal, or the orange-juice carton. That's because Ruby has found them all. When Grandma sees Max's disappointment, she makes a phone call to the Easter Bunny, and to Max's complete delight, 10 yellow marshmallow chicks slip through the mail slot: "All mine!" Along with the delightful story comes a 1-to-10 counting lesson. Ruby's finds are recorded in large, colorful figures accompanied by a corresponding number of chick icons to give visual reinforcement. Kids can count the chicks again in Ruby's basket. The large format and clean page design allow ample space for a perfect pairing of concept and story, and adding to the fun are clever details that spill out across the Easter-egg-colored picture borders. After more than 20 books about these lively characters, Wells proves she's still adept at channeling preschool highs and lows. Charming to the max. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670062227
• ISBN-13: 978-0670062225
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,358,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun book, August 3, 2009

By 

Paul Gehrman (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Max Counts His Chickens (Max and Ruby) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a fun book with bright, colorful illustrations. It also introduces some basic counting and has a good sense of humor. I was a little wary of this book because I think the Max and Ruby TV cartoon is awful, but the "book" version of these characters works just fine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun counting book, January 27, 2008

By 

Susan Verhalen "protective Mom" (Bakersfield, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Max Counts His Chickens (Max & Ruby) (Hardcover)

My kids love Max and Ruby. Max and Ruby books are great quality, and I like them as much as my kids. Rosemary Wells knows how to make books appealing to kids of all ages. I can recommend any of her books without hesitation. They are family friendly, kid-safe, and just a lot of fun. They are classics! My kids also like to count, and this book is especially fun for Easter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Max and Ruby book, December 26, 2007

By 

Donna D. Haxton "brio lover" (Dallas Center, IA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Max Counts His Chickens (Max & Ruby) (Hardcover)

My three year old granddaughter has loved Max and Ruby books since I bought her Tea for Two when she was six months old. She grabbed this Christmas morning and said, as she hugged the book, "My Max!". It was a huge hit.