Review by Booklist Review
Clear, childlike, crayon pictures capture a small boy's heroic fantasies in this picture book. Daddy is worried that Max will hurt himself when he is on the jungle gym or the rock pile, playing Superman and King Kong, or vrooming on a bike like Evel Knievel. Then Max tells Daddy that he has given up other heroic role models in order to become his own superhero: Mighty Max. On the beach, Max saves the day with small acts, such as throwing a ball back into play and rebuilding a sand castle wrecked by a wave. The pictures show small Max in the thrilling adventures, and preschoolers will recognize their own imaginative play, as well as the adult protection that allows Max to fly but never fall.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Maxwell is a lively little boy with an active imagination. Readers first meet him atop the monkey bars, balancing precariously. His father shouts out, "You're not SUPERMAN. So climb down and sit. You cannot be a bird without hurting yourself." The refrain follows: "Max sat. But not for long." Dad has to remind his son that Max is not King Kong or Evel Knievel. Finally, the child exclaims that he is Mighty Max. The adventure moves to the beach where the superhero rebuilds a wave-washed sand castle and continues to save the day. The collage and crayon illustrations are colorful and exuberant-an enthusiastic Max could have created them himself. This is a fine story to share with the many superheroes who frequent the library.-Linda M. Kenton, Pickleweed Public Library, San Rafael, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Mighty Max, as he calls himself, is an ordinary young boy who likes to wear a red cape. But Max doesn't think he's ordinary, much to his dad's chagrin. And though Max's father does his best to rein in his spunky, silly, daredevil of a son, Max continues to find ways to be the superhero he believes he was meant to be. He climbs rock piles, rides his bike without hands or feet pretending to be Evel Knievel and selflessly saves threatened sand castles at the beach. Whenever Max's dad tells him to sit down, which is often, Max does"but not for long," as Ziefert's text repeats over and over, ending with this sing-songy reprise. Kreloff's simple childlike drawings appropriately leap off the page. Thick black lines with shots of big color and collage elements seamlessly communicate Max's wild innocence and ebullience. Though Mighty Max may not actually save the day, and certainly deserves a more heroic ending, he'll put smiles on readers' faces. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
