Max's Dragon Shirt (Max and Ruby) [Paperback]

Rosemary Wells (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Max and Ruby

Max needs a new pair of pants, and Ruby is given exactly enough money to buy them for him. But what Max really wants is a dragon shirt. They get separated in the store, and the antics begin.... Readers will laugh as Max unwittingly outwits his bossy, older sister once again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's hard to imagine anyone--child or adult--getting his or her fill of the indefatigable Max, who always manages to get his way no matter what. Here, the bad-news bunny and sister Ruby go to a department store to replace Max's beloved, stained overalls, which are held up by a safety pin. They have five dollars for a new pair of pants, but Max would rather spend the money on a more exotic item. "Dragon shirt," he keeps insisting in his delightfully pithy, ever-determined manner. While Ruby is trying on dresses, Max slips out of the changing room and wanders into Boys' Sportswear, where he finds a rack of shirts emblazoned with a dragon's face. By the time Ruby catches up with her impish brother, he has dribbled ice cream all over the dragon shirt--which happens to cost exactly five dollars. Max wins again, as does Wells ( The Little Lame Prince ; Shy Charles ) . Her droll sibling interplay is perfectly on target, and her inimitable bunny is as irresistible as ever. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- The engaging toddler rabbit is back, clad in tattered, paint-smeared, but dearly loved old blue pants. Draconian older sister Ruby drags him to the store for new ones, but Max, insistent as ever, only has eyes for a green shirt featuring a fire-breathing dragon. When Ruby spies first one dress and then another that she loves, the two become separated, and the search that follows is a true comedy of errors. Winsome but willful Max gets his heart's desire, and once again Ruby is deflated, giving young readers and listeners the vicarious satisfaction of besting an older sibling. The text reads well aloud, but is easy enough for beginning readers, who will soon notice that while Ruby gives her orders, Max's vocabulary is limited to one telling line repeated throughout: "Dragon shirt." Wells uses more background, more detail here than in previous "Max" stories, artfully capturing the hustle-bustle of a busy department store. Another gleeful romp with a pair of unforgettable hares.
- Trev Jones, School Library Journal
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140567275
• ISBN-13: 978-0140567274
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Wells, Rosemary
  • #50 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Rabbits > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Max Prevails Again!, May 27, 2000

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Max's Dragon Shirt (Hardcover)

Another winner in Rosemary Wells' slyly hilarious "Max" series, this time Max and his older sister Ruby have just $5 to replace his "disgusting" pants. Max has his eyes set on a "dragon shirt," but Ruby has to get those pants.

Their ensuing misadventures in a department store take the bunny pair from "Large Appliances" to "Boy's Sportswear" (a caution: Max is momentarily lost in the store, this may or may not be frightening to your little one). With big colorful illustrations by Wells and a happy ending (well, for Max!), this is a fun story of siblings on the loose. 22 pages, with watercolor/pen and ink pictures on each page.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner with Max and Ruby!, April 30, 2002

By 

Judith E. Pavluvcik (Dreaming of the beach in Hawaii, but living in the reality of the desert in Arizona!!) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Max's Dragon Shirt (Max and Ruby) (Hardcover)

I have adored the "Max" series by Rosemary Wells for quite sometime, as my three children absolutely loved all the Max books when they were younger. Ms. Wells manages to capture really great nuances on the faces of both Max and his sister Ruby, as well as presenting the most humorous situations for Max and Ruby.

Max wants nothing but a dragon shirt and Ruby is insisting on buying him a much-needed pair of pants, per the instructions of their mother. Max does not give up on his beloved dragon shirt and reminds Ruby every chance he gets. Ruby gets sidetracked in the store trying on dresses and Max manages to wander in the store after dozing off and not finding Ruby in the dressing room. Max finds his coveted dragon shirt, puts it on and is "found" by two policemen in the store. Well, now the dragon shirt is covered with yummy ice cream and Ruby has no choice but to purchase the shirt for Max!

The illustrations and use of color will delight any youngster, as will the antics of Ruby and Max! I love their facial expressions and even after all of these years, I still love reading these books! This was one series of book that neither I, nor my children, ever tired of reading. I find the Max and Ruby books just really classic books! My children would read them over and over again and would find them first with every library visit!

Absolutely pure delight!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for kids who have to listen to older siblings!, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Max's Dragon Shirt (Max and Ruby) (Hardcover)

Max finally gets the best of Ruby. Our 2 yr. old reads "Max's Dragon Shirt" every single night. It is such a delight to see his face light-up each time that Max gets the shirt he wants even after an entire day of being drug around by his sister in the store. It is a true victory for all toddlers who are always under the direction of an older, sometimes bossy sibling! Hurray for Max!