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Summary
Summary
A fabulous bedtime show that's perfect for a bedtime reading adventure!Join Max and his dazzling show! But in the end, even great magicians need to go to sleep.Max the Magnificent is a daring magician. He can make cookies disappear, make animals appear, and even tame savage beasts! Cheer as he makes a cookie disappear (very slowly)! Gasp as he asks for ten (yes, ten) bedtime stories! Will he be able to accomplish the most difficult trick and put off bedtime?
Author Notes
Sarah Warburton has also illustrated THE PRINCESS AND THE PEAS and the Happy Ever After series. She lives in Bristol, England.
Mark Sperring's passion for and knowledge of books inspired him to become a children's book author. Among his other works are MAX AND THE WON'T GO TO BED SHOW, WANDA'S FIRST DAY, MERMAID DREAMS, and THE FAIRYTALE CAKE. He lives in Bristol, England.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Adults who fondly recall Gilda Radner's "Judy Miller Show" sketch on Saturday Night Live may see a glimmer of that same frenetic showmanship in Max, who is presenting his "world-famous and death-defying PUTTING OFF BEDTIME FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE SHOW!" Can Max make time stand still by eating a cookie as slowly as possible, taming "the most savage of beasts" (the family's rather laconic dog, Brian), and daring to ask for 10 bedtime stories? Nope. But it's great fun to watch him try, because his stalling tactics never seem motivated by spoiled brat stubbornness; when Max finally throws in the towel, it's with the satisfaction of knowing he's given it his all. Sperring (Dino-Baby) ably channels a charismatic ringmaster, and it will take either pathological shyness or laryngitis for those reading aloud to resist doing the same. Warburton (The Princess and the Presents) gives her hero all kinds of scenery-chewing poses while punctuating her spreads with theatrical typography, vaudevillian graphic devices, and dramatic lighting techniques that look like they're borrowed from a family-friendly production of Cabaret. Ages 3-5. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Max the Magnificent delays bedtime by turning each piece of his nighttime routine into a magic trick or circus-like spectacle. The exaggerated, amped-up language; busy, brightly colored illustrations; and the many sizes and styles of font give the book a frenetic pace. There's plenty of cleverness that will appeal to kids and adults, but it's hard to read as a linear story. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
New York Review of Books Review
It's bad enough for tiny humans. For the proud young animals of the savanna, the concept of nap time is downright insulting. "Naps are for little babies," according to a strapping crocodile; the giraffe declares herself "too tall," the monkey "too busy." De Moüy, who fills her bold, black-outlined gouache illustrations with great character, cleverly turns the tables on her readers, introducing a little girl - a former reluctant napper herself? - who outwits the beasts with the old "just close one eye" trick. A BED FOR KITTY Written and illustrated by Yasmine Surovec. 31 pp. Roaring Brook. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 2 to 5) With comic-style art in an offbeat palette heavy on shades of olive and peach, Surovec plays for laughs the mysterious phenomenon of chüdren who will sleep anywhere but in their own beds. Little Chloe gives her pet a new cat bed for a present, but Kitty prefers to snooze in Dad's old slippers, the sock drawer, even the sink. The solution will ring true to many a parent currently nursing a sore neck: It turns out Kitty's fine with the bed as long as Chloe's squeezed into it, too. GOODNIGHT ALREADY! By Jory John. Illustrated by Benji Davies. 32 pp. Harper/ HarperCollins. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) An exhausted bear on the way to bed - "I could sleep for weeks. Months, even!" - must fend off the incursions of his chatty, bored, coffee-drinking duck friend in this witty take on trouble in the sleep department. Davies's spot-on illustrations are both whimsical and tender, adding a feeling of intimacy to John's humor: Bear's got baggy eyes, rumpled fur and a purple mini-kimono; Duck is the essence of neediness disguised as jauntiness as he gesticulates wildly with fingerlike wings. MAX AND THE WON'T GO TO BED SHOW By Mark Sperring. Illustrated by Sarah Warburton. 32 pp. Scholastic. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) With his floppy black hair, adorable crescent-moon pajamas and wide-open eyes, Max, "the world's youngest magician," is perfectly cast in the charm-your-way-out-of-bedtime show. Warburton's exuberant illustrations are a good match for Sperring's lively, David Shannonesque narration of Max's feats of sleep procrastination, such as "the great disappearing boy trick" and a daring request for "10 - yes, 10" bedtime stories. (Mom goes with two, we learn.) WHILE YOU WERE NAPPING By Jenny Off ill. Illustrated by Barry Blitt. 32 pp. Schwartz & Wade. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) The combination of Offill and Blitt - two brilliantly astringent, deadpan sensibilities - makes "While You Were Napping" a rare, mischievous treat that may make grown-ups laugh hardest. Faking sympathy, our narrator tells her younger brother, who's been forced into a nap, about the "giant party" he's missed. Every page brings a cruel new revelation: All the other kids drove bulldozers, hauled dirtballs, set off fireworks, hung out with pirates and zoomed to the moon with astronauts. ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Young Max is a magician and quite a showman. This particular night, he is performing "his world-famous and death-defying PUTTING OFF BEDTIME FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE SHOW!" First, he makes his cup of milk and single cookie disappear extremely slowly, followed by taming a savage beast (the sedentary family dog), before being led up the stairs of doom. Next up is the "great disappearing boy trick," and other stall tactics such as dramatic and protracted teeth brushing, donning of pajamas, choosing his stuffed sleeping companions, and asking for 10 stories ("His mom says she'll read two.") As the lights dim, and the performer drifts off, readers are left to just imagine what tricks he is dreaming up for the new day. Told with all the verve and hyperbole of a Big Top ringleader, the high-octane story is sure to delight young listeners and even make weary parents crack a smile or two. Warburton's exuberant and colorful cartoon illustrations match the magician's energetic performance to a tee and include clever and fun typography and circuslike detail. Through it all, Max is an irresistible charmer. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, do try this act at home.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
"Please put your hands together forMAX THE MAGNIFICENT!" Vaudevillian hyperbole abounds as young magician Max attempts to achieve the impossiblehe plans to avoid going to sleep! Star-spangled, whimsical and circus-bright illustrations show the young conjurer as he performs a multitude of tricks, from making milk slowly disappear (eating his bedtime snack) and taming a savage beast (trying to get his dog to sit and stay) to pulling a rabbit from under his bed (gathering his stuffed animals up for the night). But wait, there's more! "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we strongly advise you NEVER to try this at home / Max asks for tenyes, TEN!bedtime stories. / (His mom says she'll read two.)" As much fun to read as it is to listen to, this going-to-sleep book hits on all of the necessary bedtime rituals (including tooth brushing) and will provide enjoyment and satisfaction for all concerned; the spot-on ballyhoo is bound to provoke snorts and giggles, while the nicely controlled pace eventually slows to allow all young listeners to gradually hunker down for a good night's rest. A fun-filled revamp of the bedtime genre and a humorous choice for the not-quite-sleepy set. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
