Max the Brave: (Cat Books For Kids, Courage Books For Kids, Bedtime Stories) (Max, 1)

From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 2—Max is cute and sweet-looking. So cute and sweet, as a matter of fact, that people sometimes dress him up with pink bows. But Max does not like pink bows. He is a fearless, black kitten. A very brave black kitten, and one who chases mice, he'll have you know. He just needs to find out what a mouse actually looks like. So, Max is on the hunt. Is there a mouse in that can? No, but a fly is. Fly says he saw Mouse scurry by just moments ago. Next Max tries the fish bowl. "Excuse me, are you Mouse?" asks Max. No, says Fish, but he just saw Mouse dash outside. Max checks with the birds in the trees, the neighborhood pink elephant, and Rabbit. They all insist that Mouse just went that-a-way. Max finally does find a creature who looks suspiciously like a mouse, but he claims to be a MONSTER and points him in the direction of said mouse, who is sleeping nearby. Of course, the big, green, homely thing IS a monster and is much bigger than Max. One gulp is all it takes, and Max is in the dark pit of Monster's stomach. Fortunately, the monster sneezes and Max flies out. Maybe "chasing mice is not all it's cracked up to be," he says. He doesn't have to be Max the Brave all the time, except when chasing small monsters with big ears and long tails that just happen to look suspiciously like mice. Full of playful humor, this book's cartoonlike illustrations are created digitally with some crayon. The individual pages are bright yellow, orange, green, and salmon. A nice layout, enhanced by the humorous text, character expressions, and a not-scary monster to boot. VERDICT Highly recommended.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA "Another snazzy book that will appeal to design-savvy parents is Max the Brave ...Max is an expressive huge-eyed black ball of kinetic kittenness who pops against each page’s bright, differently colored background. Kids will be tickled that they can distinguish a mouse and a monster while Max doesn’t, and ― spoiler alert ― the monster is more funny than scary." ― The New York Times Sunday Book Review "Max's guileless personality and single-minded pursuit of his goal make him the perfect stand-in for toddlers, and older children will appreciate Vere's playful wit and wish for Max's return." ― Shelf Awareness for Readers-STARRED Review "Minimalist illustrations and expressive fonts are set against colorful pages to sharpen the reader’s focus on Max and the other animals… Max should find himself chasing Mouse into storytimes again and again." ― Booklist "An instant readaloud hit... Max the Brave has it all: a bold, bumbling superhero; laugh-out-loud preschool humor; eye-catching illustrations; and a fun twist at the end. Kids will ask immediately to hear this one again." ― BookPage "Both the punchy text and illustrations command attention, and plenty of readers will get a kick out of feeling superior to Max" ― Publishers Weekly " A cat-and-mouse game to be laughed at and reread." ― Kirkus Reviews "Full of playful humor...enhanced by the humorous text, character expressions, and a not-scary monster to boot. VERDICT Highly recommended." ― School Library Journal "This great read feels like a classic cartoon where we, as the audience, may know the outcome, but delight in the journey.Bright artwork, fabulous facial expressions on every cute creature Max encounters, along with short sentences placed pleasingly on every page work together making Max the Brave a picture book worthy of multiple reads and huge smiles." ― Good Reads With Ronna " I work with young children and I appreciate a good read aloud. Though good read alouds may be harder to come by, Max the Brave works well in this category too." ― Kid Lit Frenzy "Every kid needs a dose of bravery now and then, and " Max the Brave " by Ed Vere is the gift to wrap and give it. It’s the story of a fearless kitten in a not-so-fearless search for a mouse. I loved the illustrations! " ― Bookworm Sez " Max the Brave is a great storytime book!" ― Reading Is Better With Cupcakes "Funny, simple to read, and colorful, it is a book that will have many kids running around in their own capes soon." ― Boricuan Bookworms "Not only did both of my kids fall in love with this book and this character, but so did I. " ― Mamapotamus "Not only did my cat love the book, but so did I! Tell all your friends about this book; shout it from the roof tops. It is the perfect combination of story, illustration, and humor! " ― She Reads Books "An amusing story with sight gags similar to John Klassen’s "hat" books, this one is sure to have lots of appeal with readers of all ages." ― Miss Print "Ed Vere's book seems minimalist compared to the other works, but just as fun...children will enjoy Max's confusion." ― Dubuque Herald "Max the kitten is so cute and I think this is a story your kids will love too. This is sure to be a classic children’s story. " ― Creative House "With echoes of ARE YOU MY MOTHER in pacing and adorable use of mistaken identity, and a nod to THE GRUFFALO in the twist (two of my favorite classics, BTW) the story isn't about HOW to be brave, but rather what happens when a brave but naif character explores his world. " ― Noodling with Words "Overall, highly recommended. This should DEFINITELY be on your Christmas shopping list for the preschool crowd." ― Confessions of a Book Habitue "This is one of the best picture books I have seen in a while...an awesome book on so many levels don't miss out. " ― Mindjacked "The mix-up is bound to inspire giggles from young readers, and the twist at the end is funny as well. This is a book that is definitely going on my favorites shelf" ― Geo Librarian "This book was good because it was silly. My favorite part was when [ED: spoiler alert!] the mouse played a trick on Max. The pictures of Max were cute and I want to read about him again tomorrow and the day after that." ― Watermelons Grow "This story is funny and creative. I am sure all kids would like this story, and I will tell my friends to read it too. " ― Kids’ Book Buzz "I feel that this will definitely appeal to young kids and maybe even kids first learning to read by themselves. Overall I would recommend it to anyone with kids under 9." ― No Books, No Life "Every kid needs a dose of bravery now and then, and " Max the Brave ," by Ed Vere, is the gift to wrap and give it. It’s the story of a fearless kitten in a not-so-fearless search for a mouse. I loved the illustrations! " ― Crow River Media "This is the first book we have read from author Ed Vere and after this, it certainly won’t be our last! This is such a fun book. My boys (ages 4 & 8) laughed the entire time I read it" ― As They Grow Up "If you're looking for a cute and entertaining story to share with a little one, I highly recommend this. My little monster has re-read this book 4 times in one day, so if Max The Brave can grab his attention and KEEP it, he's definitely a winner!" ― Fangirl Confessions "Youngsters will fall in love with Max, the wide-eyed, jet-black kitten with an insatiable curiosity, and the mouse who outsmarts him… The furry fellow's guileless personality and singleminded pursuit of his goal make him the perfect stand-in for toddlers, and older children will appreciate Vere's playful wit and wish for Max's return." ― Shelf Awareness "A charming book about one kitten's quest to be a brave mouse-chaser. Very sweet story with wonderful illustrations!" ― Life By Candlelight " In this charming read-aloud, Max is not drawn with a lot of detail but comes across as cute and quirky with his oversized head, big eyes, and small ears. Muted tones are used throughout, but the illustrations have a vibrant feel with pops of primary colors. The pages’ simplicity helps enhance the overall enjoyment of the story. " ― School Library Connection "Readers will delight in Max’s mistakes and love his quirky and playful adorableness. The bright colors, silly humor and not-so-scary monster will make this a favorite read. " ― Fort Worth Star-Telegram " Max the Brave is sure to become a family favorite ? I highly recommend it!" ― My Soul Called Life " Max the Brave , by Ed Vere, is artistically and creatively assembled. It is simple for children to read...Even as an adult and parent, I love this book. It took my son on an adventure he would never have experienced." ― BA Bookworm 808 " Max the Brave was absolutely adorable. The story and illustrations were simple and appealing, with vibrant colors that were very eye-catching and pictures that just popped on the page." ― The Starry-Eyed Revue "It's reminiscent of "Are You My Mother?" and that was one of my favorites as a child. I liked being able to to follow Max on his quest along with my children. Who, I might add, fell in love with the story." ― The Lovely Books Ed Vere studied fine art at Camberwell College of Art in London. In addition to illustrating children’s books, Ed is also a painter and is represented by galleries in London and Los Angeles. After a year and a half living in Barcelona, Ed now lives and works in London. Read more