Review by Booklist Review
PreS-K. Alphabet books are hardly scarce, but you will still want to reserve a spot for this one, which stars Max and Ruby, perhaps the most famous bunny siblings since Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail. Unlike many titles that use an abecedarian structure without much real educational intent, this book squarely targets children ready to learn their ABCs. Young readers will be drawn in by the cohesive, farcical story, built from episodes featuring successive letters of the alphabet--beginning with Max's Ants escaped their Ant farm, and proceeding as capable Ruby oversees their retrieval. Learning will be bolstered by the book's excellent design, which features one letter per page in large, alphabet-block type alongside crisp images set against jellybean-bright backdrops. Constrained by the alphabet premise, the text occasionally feels forced (Put on your Happy-face pants, Max . . . . The ants are History ), but Wells' plump, expressive duo radiate so much elan that occasional incongruities are easily forgiven. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rosemary Wells's lovable bunny leads readers through the alphabet in Max's ABC, with a little help from Ruby, when Max spills a "Cup of Cranberry" down his pants ("Give me those pants, Max.... Go! Go! Go away, ants!" says she). Bright background colors show off silhouette images of the bunny siblings and the bold capital letter featured on each page. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Another charmer from the author of Goodnight Max and Max Cleans Up (both Viking, 2000). "Max's Ants escaped from their Ant farm. They went looking for bunny's birthday cake." Thus begins this clever alphabet book. The narrative continues as the ants bite the cake and are drenched in cranberry juice, which they subsequently drink and find delicious. "EEEeeeeek!" says his big sister. Young children can empathize with Max, whose bites itch-and with Ruby, who tries all sorts of things to relieve her brother's discomfort. She even tries to vacuum up the ants. Nothing works, but the ants finally tire and fall fast asleep. The book's large size and bold, bright illustrations lend it to use with a group or for one-on-one sharing.-Jacki Kellum, Linwood Free Public Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Escaping from their Ant farm, Max's Ants head for the Birthday cake in his hand, Biting as they go: so begins another wonderfully childlike and comical Max-and-Ruby scenario, with a couple of departures. There's the fun of how the alphabet-driven sequence is fashioned into a satisfying story (""Put on your Happy-face pants, Max...The ants are History!"" ""'Sit Still, Max,' said Ruby. 'We are Smarter than those ants'""). Also, Ruby is more sympathetic than usual here, though Max still manages to claim a final triumph: after she sets up a Trail of Toast crumbs and catches the ants in the Vacuum cleaner, Max hears them enjoying cake and toast (""Yum""), shakes them out, and lets them go home to sleep (""ZZZZZ!""). Plump, determined, and as beguilingly expressive as ever, Max and Ruby are set on large, square blocks of vibrant Easter egg colors, the bolded capital letters nicely incorporated into the design and sometimes even the action; the almost-life-size ants are realistically (and amusingly) ubiquitous. Two ant-infested, mixed-up alphabets on the endpapers offer extra opportunities for letter identification and ordering. A handsome, clever charmer. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In a lighthearted romp through the alphabet, Wells's endearing rabbit siblings Max and Ruby are back. The "A" entry begins a playful and cohesive story in which Max's "Ants" accidentally escape from their farm in search of his birthday cake. Wells continues through the alphabet, highlighting each letter in the text as the siblings use imaginative schemes to attempt to corral the critters. Each letter is featured independently and is prominently displayed in the colorful full-page illustrations. Featured letters are also bold and capitalized in the brief, hysterically funny text snippets: "Max poured his Cup of Cranberry juice onto the ants in his pants." Wells includes some fun, but not over-the-top alliteration and tongue-tickling sounds to make this text appropriate for reading aloud. Some of the text is a bit strained to fit the alphabet concept, but it's overshadowed by Max and Ruby's antics and Wells's expressive illustrations that perfectly capture their realistic sibling relationship. (Picture book. 2-4) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
