Max's Ride (Max and Ruby) [Board book]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 1 and up | Series: Max and Ruby

On his thrilling carriage ride, Max goes down a hill, over a bump, up in the air, and back into his carriage that stops in a huge pile of leaves! Rosemary Wells's original four Max Board Books, published in 1979 by Dial and followed by an additional four in 1985, were the first high-quality board books in the U.S. and became immediate classics. Total sales of the eight books were over 1.2 million! But more important, they have been loved by millions of children. For the next generation Rosemary Wells has now completely re-illustrated all eight delightful Max books in her bold, new full-color style. These wonderful stories with real characters are funnier than ever. They are terrific first books, especially with the increased focus on the importance of reading to babies and toddlers, a cause that Mrs. Wells has been wholeheartedly promoting for several years with her The Most Important 20 Minutes of Your Day reading program and now the Prescription for Reading Initiative.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSAMax is back, or at least retooled for the 21st century. Max's Ride and Max's Toys first appeared in 1979, while Max's Bath and Max's Bedtime both have a 1985 copyright. The texts for the most part read the same. The typeface has been changed from sans serif to serif. In Max's Ride, the concept words are now designed to reflect their meaning. So "down" now moves down the page and "under" dips under the line of text. Max's errant baby carriage hits a bump rather than a clothes basket. As for the illustrations, those bouncing baby bunny buns seem to have slipped south. Max is more of a dumpy pyramid shape with enormous feet and a softer contour line. The books are a bit larger and the color palette a tad lighter. Some of the facial expressions seem to give a different emotional emphasis. Purists may feel even Wells can't do better than the originals and shouldn't try. Still, more Max is better than less and Wells's special brand of deadpan humor is always welcome.AJudith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Board book: 12 pages
• Publisher: Dial; Brdbk edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803722729
• ISBN-13: 978-0803722729
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,477,281 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 Max's Ride, April 17, 2000

By 

Jill Chendorain (Pottstown, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Max's Ride (Very First Books) (Board book)

Rosemary Wells' "Max" books are wonderful and we especially love them for our first grandson, born February 16, 2000 because his name is MAX! Our Max's mom has four of the Max series and we have just ordered four more. The board books are easy for a young baby to see and for the mother to handle while also handling the baby! The colors are bright and Max is an endearing character. Great books to start a baby on the road to reading!

3.0 out of 5 stars Max's Ride, February 14, 2010

By 

Dr Doran (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Max's Ride (Max Board Books.) (Board book)

The original editions of the Max series were absolutely wonderful. The later editions have changed and they are not as whimsical and "perfect" in that Max so well represents the young toddler. Please bring back the illustrations of the first editions!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful tale, but awkward to read aloud., November 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Max's Ride (Max and Ruby) (Board book)

Join Max and Ruby on a ride through UP, DOWN, and in BETWEEN. Max, the playful little bunny and his big sister Ruby are at it again in this charming little board book titled "MAX's Ride." Older sister Ruby stands on top of a hill holding the handle of a baby carriage (or shall I say "bunny" carriage) while little brother Max is seated inside primed for the ride of his life. "GO! said Max. DOWN went Max. STOP said Ruby." Max flies OVER a bump, OUT of the carriage, and UP into the air. Ruby runs UNDER a clothesline in an attempt to catch him. Max sails BETWEEN two trees, slides back INTO the carriage, and crashes into a pile of newly fallen leaves, "STOP said Max." This is a delightful little tale about two mischievous bunnies, that teaches verbs and prepositions.

The text is very short, it is only ten pages long, and Ruby's expression when she prepares to let go of the carriage is priceless. "MAX's Ride," is a board book that measures 7" x 7" x ¼". The illustrations are bright, colorful and expressive, however, the wording is a little awkward to read aloud, but not as difficult as some of the author's other books. Birth and up.