The hero of Max Makes a Million goes off on a wild search for the meaning of life that takes him to India, where he visits the Temple of Doubletalk, meets a chatty guru named Vivek Shabaza-zaza-za, and has other adventures.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"Holy Madras!" Max the dog, offbeat poet and hirsute hero of such adventures as Max in Hollywood, Baby is back, the locus of perhaps Kalman's most ambitious themes to date. This time Max is a slightly flustered, first-time father-to-be, destined to meet metaphysics head-on in the irreverent form of Vivek Shabaza-zaza-za, self-described suave swami. Before Max can "spell Mississippi," he is swept off to India on a surreal trip worthy of Siddhartha, in search of an answer to that eternally pesky question, "What (after all) is the meaning (anyway) of life?" Vivid paintings affectionately (and quirkily) capture exotic delights: golden temples, a two-headed demi-god (in a tetchy mood about his breakfast), rickety rickshaws; in a subtle shift in tone, a double-page spread of women dancing outdoors shimmers with an almost sublime beauty. It's a dreamlike odyssey, but mind-bending is evidently Kalman's metier. The unexplainable?a rock that turns into a panther that turns into, among other things, a pair of plaid pants?never feels pointless; this is a magic carpet ride, by definition unpredictable. The witty, free-association writing style is enhanced to maximum effect by the varied, cleverly employed typography. A perfect union of place and palette, of dharma, (dog)ma and unsurpassed cosmological kookiness. All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up?Max the dog is on the move again! This time, impending fatherhood catapults him out of his chair in search of "the stinky herring snacks" his darling pregnant wife Crepes craves. Hairy Harry's Fish Shop is his intended destination?but not, alas, his destiny. When a woman on the subway hands him a piece of paper?a personal invitation to the Magic Lantern Restaurant?Max, opener of doors, attends. And so, Max meets Vivek ("your genial genie, your garrulous guru, your suave swami"). With him, Max soars toward India on a small carpet and from his new transcendent vantage point looks down with awe at the array of life in the streets below. And readers see it too, in warm rich earth tones and generous strokes of bright color, a double-page painting inviting readers into "I-Spy," as Kalman's text rolls out a litany of descriptions to match the images. Each subsequent page offers a new turn down Max's path to enlightenment?through bits of wordplay and allusion, geography and history, philosophy and poetry, fun and games; through vivid paintings small as postage stamps, framed pictures formal and arresting, images expansive and fanciful. This guided tour is inventive and personal, but, best of all, beyond Max's madcap meanderings there emerges a sense of humor that comes from a knowledge and appreciation of Indian culture. Is this a book for children or an adult picture book? Of course art finds its own audience and those who appreciate Kalman's talents may bring a range of responses to a reading?sophistication, insight, life experience, or a child's simple openness to the surprising way words and images and ideas create mysterious and amusing worlds upon a page. True, this is a book beyond children, in a sense, but it is also one that speaks to all who "enter in." As Max might say, "Whatabook!"?Susan Powers, Rock Creek Forest Elementary School, Chevy Chase,
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
Maira Kalman is an illustrator, author, and designer. She has created many covers for The New Yorker, including the famous map of Newyorkistan (created with Rick Meyerowitz). Ms. Kalman's twelve children's books include Max Makes a Million, Stay Up Late, Swami on Rye, and What Pete Ate. She also has designed fabric for Isaac Mizrahi, accessories for Kate Spade, sets for the Mark Morris Dance Company, and, with her late husband Tibor Kalman under the M&Co. label, clocks, umbrellas, and other accessories for the Museum of Modern Art. Ms. Kalman's work is shown at the Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious, clever "self-help" for your inner child = Max!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Swami on Rye: Max in India (Hardcover)
Max Stravinsky (poet, dreamer, dog) is back in full color in a charming romp through India's exotic locales and treasures. As he anxiously pursues the "meaning of life," Max encounters Kalman's usual eccentrically lovable characters and valid lessons. This book can be read BY youngsters or read TO them, but it is the inner child in the adult who benefits the most. Throw away those dime-store psychological self-help tomes...and let Kalman's magic combination of drawings and delicious vocabulary make you a Swami for life!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A "children's book" that's not really for kids...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Swami on Rye: Max in India (Hardcover)
Max in India has fantastic illustration art and offbeat textwith lots of play-on-words. Most kids (especially as young as the "4-8" range)will not be able to relate to this tale of a man/dog pondering the meaning of life while expecting his first offspring. It's more like a fun gift book for adults or maybe older kids/teens with an interest in India, art or philosophy. My six-year-old liked the pictures but didn't get anything out of the story.
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Funny, So Clever!,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Swami on Rye: Max in India (Hardcover)
I bought this for my friend's daughter and then decided to buy it for myself as well. It's one of those books that can be read and appreciated on multiple levels. Maira Kalman's drawings are stupendous!
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