Max's Breakfast (Max and Ruby)

My 2yr old loves these books. The board books are great because they are short enough you don't mind reading several.

My grandchildren and I love Max & Ruby stories. Ms. Wells is very clever in the way she illustrates the characters so that the reader can actually see Max thinking about how to not have to eat the egg. If your children haven't met Max yet, then this is definitely a book for an infant or young toddler, but children who have met Max love to go back and "read" the early boardbacks on their own. It's like visiting a familiar friend.

Rosemary Wells is, without a doubt, the best writer for small children who ever lived, and the Max books are her masterpieces. This one is a perfect example of why she's so good. The story is so simple and so true to life a 1-year-old can easily follow it: Max's bossy big sister Ruby wants him to eat an egg. But Max doesn't want the egg, he wants strawberries. (And what toddler isn't going to identify with a picky eater?) Max keeps hiding the egg until an exasperated Ruby takes a bite herself, to show him how delicious it is, then another bite, and another. The final page shows Max with a triumphant look on his face saying "All gone." Children love Max. Adults laugh out loud when they read the Max books. He's just a charmer and a scamp and you can't help but love him. There are several nice, pleasant books for toddler's available, but very few really entertaining ones. Max's Breakfast (and all of the Max books, for that matter) is one of the best.

I loved the original of this title when I first found it years ago, and it's still a great book for kids and adults - an irresistibly charming tale whose unexpected, humorous denoument is well expressed in the spareness of childish dialogue. An ordinary situation in any child's life - the dislike of a certain food - becomes a funny experience adults can share with their toddlers and appreciate on several levels. Not a word or a line is wasted. As a final note, I should say that I really preferred the original artwork from 1979, but the differences are subtle enough not to matter except to a Rosemary Wells fan like myself!

This is a wonderful board book for babies. Pictures are colorful, words are easy to pronounce and it deals with things your baby sees every day. It is also great for little one's learning to read. Short and interesting it just the right length and just the right story.