MAX’S ABC

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<\b>” 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 <\b>of Cranberry <\b>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)