Max's Chocolate Chicken (Max and Ruby) [Paperback]

Rosemary Wells (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: February 1, 2000 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years | Series: Max and Ruby | Lexile Measure: 300L (What's this?)

All Max wants to do is eat the chocolate chicken that someone left in the birdbath one fine spring morning. But "wait, Max," his sister Ruby says, "First we go on an egg hunt." Max does his best to play along, but when Ruby finds all the eggs-and he finds only ants and acorns-he shows her what can happen when you put all your eggs in one basket!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How we love Max--the mischievous toddler rabbit who is often battling wits and wills with his bossy-boots older sister Ruby. Now it's time for the siblings' Easter egg hunt! Just as the festivities are about to begin, a secretive Easter Bunny places a huge chocolate chicken in the birdbath. "I love you," Max innocently declares to the edible chicken he covets. "Wait Max," warns Ruby. "First we must go on an egg hunt. If you find the most eggs then you get the chocolate chicken." But Max, who is still young enough to be distracted by mud puddles and marching ants, can't possibly focus on finding a single egg. When it becomes obvious that Ruby has collected the most (if not all) of the Easter eggs, Max takes drastic measures--as the youngest sibling often will--and steals the chicken. Rosemary Wells's expressive, giggle-funny illustrations (along with the board-book format) make this a perfect Easter story for toddlers as well as preschoolers, who will delight in Max's blatant misbehavior and relish the inevitable happy ending. (Baby to preschool) --Gail Hudson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Irresistible Max is backthis time starring in a springtime book full of Easter surprises. When Max finds a chocolate chicken in the birdbath, big sister Ruby decides to organize an Easter egg hunt. Whoever finds the most eggs will get to eat Max's chocolate chicken, she says. Max tries to play Ruby's game, but like most toddlers, is easily distracted. When Ruby finds him making ant-and-acorn pancakes, she says, "Pull youself together . . . otherwise you'll never get the chocolate chicken." But Max knows better. While Ruby smugly counts all the eggs in her basket, Max steals his chocolate chicken, and, hiding beneath a tree, eats it all by himself. Ruby is aghast, until she discovers the chocolate duck the thoughtful Easter bunny has left for her. Like Wells's other Max books, the text is understated and perceptive; the funny illustrations are as beguiling as the natty Easter bunny himself. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140566724
• ISBN-13: 978-0140566727
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.2 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Easter

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."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mitchell LOVED reading this Rosemary Wells book! December 17, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I am a 2nd grader at Anna Merritt Elementary School. My name is Mitchell. I have been reading books by Rosemary Wells. My favorite book is MAX'S CHOCOLATE CHICKEN. My favorite part was when Max took the chocolate chicken and hid. He hid so his sister wouldn't find him.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Easter book... May 14, 2002

By christie jarrard

Format:Hardcover

I absolutely love this book. I am in school to be a teacher and found this book while doing a project and read it ten times. I laugh out loud each time I read it, it just gets better and better.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book! April 2, 2005

By jillzee00

Format:Board book

This book was so cute! It reminded me so much of me and my one sister. I used to always find her candy and sneak a piece or two (she took forever to eat hers!). My sisters and I all love each other and we're extremely close. Kids will be kids and have their little antics--that's what gives us times to look back on. It is also what makes us so close to each other. This book is one we read every single day during the Easter Season!