Max Attacks

“This cute and funny read-aloud will enchant the audience of a pet-themed storytime or delight any young animal lover at home or before bed.”

Max the cat likes to attack. His favorite object of desire is a fishbowl where “midst the bubbles swish the fishes.”

But then, he sees the dog watching a gecko at the window screen, and his focus shifts. Too much temptation for Max. He must attack. “Full of gusto, full of steam, he charges up the window screen.”

The dog gets tangled in the curtain. The gecko is gone. The score? Clearly, advantage Max.

Max returns to the fishbowl, but, once again, there is too much distraction. A cat-nip bird. A basket of socks. So many objects of desire for Max to chase. Each time Max attacks and scores.

Then a shoe lace appears. Another distraction, another object to play with for feisty Max. He may not always be successful in his pounce-attacks, but—at least in his mind—he always scores.

Young cat owners will recognize their house cat’s impulsive playfulness and ability to entertain themselves endlessly with any moving object.

Appelt works effectively with alliteration and rhyme. “Max’s paws are made for pounces. Max’s legs are built for trounces.”

After each of Max’s attacks he returns to the fishbowl, where “deep inside their indoor ocean, fishes swim in fishy motion.”

Lively illustrations in a vivid color-scheme express Max’s erratic movement. Ample white spaces allow readers to focus on the main character’s shenanigans. Sparse, with broad brushstrokes, Dullaghan’s images, often zoomed into detail, joyfully underline the dynamic and humor of the story.

At the end Max attacks his food bowl and then, his belly full, takes a well-deserved nap, while an opposite spread depicts the “fishes orange, pink and red, snoozy in their waterbed.”

This cute and funny read-aloud will enchant the audience of a pet-themed storytime or delight any young animal lover at home or before bed.