October 1, 1990
In this bohemian celebration, Max the dog, the poet, the dreamer, is back. His struggle for acceptance since Hey Willy, See the Pyramids has not been easy--Max has had to post his poems on a wall at the corner of Pastrami and Salami Streets for his fellow New Yorkers to see. Even as he pines for Paris, Max admits that New York City is fine by him: `` . . . a jumping, jazzy city, a shimmering, stimmering triple-decker sandwich kind of city.'' In this unique blend of reality and fantasy, intermingled words and images seem influenced by such strange sources as Mamie Eisenhower's wardrobe, the Jazz Age and the Theatre of the Absurd. Banter that rings with sophistication is well matched by the esoteric illustrative approach readers have come to expect from Kalman. Although there is much to glean from an unhurried single reading, this fanciful creation yields its greatest treasures through repeated visits. All ages.
January 1, 2018
In her freewheeling and idiosyncratic style, Kalman tells the saga of Max, a poet dog who longs for fame and Paris. The conventional message, that one's dreams can come true, has been illustrated and related in a very unconventional format and style. Although the audience for the book is limited, those who enjoyed the other Kalman creations will laugh along with this one.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)