This book seems quite unlike other children's books in that the illustrations are much more simple and brightly-coloured, as opposed to the intricate illustrations I am used to seeing. However, in the case of Max and Bird, I think this really works! The simplicity allows the focus on the story, a charming tale of Max that initially wants to eat bird, until he learns what friendship is. A lovely tale about friendship which sends a great messages to kids. I'll be looking out for more Max tales!

Simply adorable from start to finish. I am partial to this book series because I have a grandson named Max. I purchased the first Max title for him as a gift at his shower, and it's his big brother's favorite book to read to him.
I plan on adding this one to his collection, and I'm eager for more!

Do friends eat friends? That is the basic story here. Well, that and friends help friends learn to do things, such as flying.

And in the end, friends don't eat friends. They would rather watch them fly, now that they have finally learned to do so.

Max and Bird is a cute story of friendship for the picture book set.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I automatically have to love a book that says “libraries know everything”. But even without that line, you can not help but fall in love with Max. He knows he should chase and eat birds. And Bird knows he should be chased and eaten. But they strike a deal. No eating, until Max teaches Bird to fly. An interesting prospect for a cat. A fun and heartfelt book about friendship.

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--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way.--
This book is downright adorable! I loved the illustrations and the story is very reminiscent of Narwhal and Jellyfish, which I am a huge fan of. I highly recommend this to anyone with a love of fun and funny stories!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

This is my first Max book, I have heard of him before, but never had the chance to read a book about him. So I was fairly excited when I was approved for this book.

In this book Max makes a deal with a tiny little bird. Not only that Max also learns a valuable lesson.

I really liked Max, he was cute, and I could understand that he may want to chase (and eat) that bird. That is what cats do. So I was quite curious about what would happen after the deal. Would he still chase, and eventually eat, the bird? Or would they become good friends. Of course I won't spoil the ending, haha, no. You will just have to read, but believe me, it was adorable.

I did think it was hilarious that the bird came to the cat about flying lessons. It was fun to see them figure out flying, and trying it out both (even though the cat had to know he can never fly like that). It was great that they never gave up, that they were really determined to just keep on going. To just keep on trying.

The art is pretty basic, it did fit with the story, but I am not really impressed with it. Not really my favourite art style.

But all in all, I would recommend this one. It is a funny picture book, and I had fun reading it.

What a cute book about friendship, love of learning, libraries, and persistence. I will definitely book talk this book and series. I will be adding this book to my storytime repertoire for sure.

Darling story about a kitten and a bird! Nice simply told tale with bold illustrations. Young children and early readers will enjoy this little story.

Max meets Bird and, deciding that he would like to be friends with Bird, tells Bird what exactly he believes a friendship between a kitten and bird should resemble. To Max, kittens chase birds and then, once birds have been caught, are eaten.

Bird explains to Max the kitten that is not how friends are made. And the two strike up a deal, if Max teaches Bird to fly the chasing can begin. After spending a lot of time together trying to help Bird fly the friendship between the two cannot be ended by Bird becoming a snack!

Max would prefer to watch Bird fly.

This is a brightly colored and fun book! I didn't read "Max the Brave" but I might now that I have met this sweet kitten.

This charming book is about Max, a kitten - and kittens chase birds and oftentimes have them as a tasty snack. Then there's Bird, and Bird is, ...well, a bird, who gets chased by kittens, and definitely does not want to become a snack. Thus the story begins.

Bird has to explain to his feline friend about friendship. He shares with Kitten that friends have fun together and should help each other. He boldly asks if Kitten will teach him to fly. Kitten has no clue as to how to grant that request so they both go off to the library to do research and find out. They are convinced that libraries know everything, so of course that's exactly where they should go, right? (I loved that line in the book best of all once having been a librarian myself! Yea!!!)

They sequester themselves for weeks in a cozy, comfy chair surrounded by a mountain of books that they eagerly devour. They read and read, packing info into their tiny brains then try to implement that knowledge into action. They flap, and flap and flap and flap their arms until a flapping frenzy occurs but flight doesn't. Bird does not experience liftoff. Finally they ditch the books and go seek out Pigeon for advice. Pigeon has had wings-on experience so he should be able to give accurate instructions as to how it's done properly. He gladly contributes to their plight and helps out. Then one day a miracle happens!!! SUCCESS!!! Bird's goal is achieved but now will he become a lovely, tasty, juicy snack for Kitten? Is that what true friends really do? Can Kitten be trusted?

This heartwarming book is light-hearted and warm-hearted too. The illustrations are extremely colourful, simple and kid-friendly. The book's message is one of compassion, friendship and lending a helping hand to someone in need. I highly recommend this book. This is book number three in the "Max" series.

An absolutely charming tale and one that I plan to revisit time and time again.

I will go into my review a little biased because I am the proud owner of a black cat that I love a lot, and am a huge fan of black cats. With that said, this book was absolutely adorable, and very reminiscent of the Pigeon series and Narwhal and Jellyfish series combined. As a result, this adorable book tells about learning how to fly and being friends all at once. An adorable story with cute characters, and a black cat that likes a bird. It's amazing, and I highly recommend it!

I LOVE Max and this was a fantastic story. So cute how Max wants to chase and eat bird, but bird is clever and asks for Max to help him learn how to fly.

What a sweet and sensitive read that is bound to appeal to my younger library patrons!
The plot centers around Max a kitten, and his companion, Bird. Bird is having difficulty learning how to fly and Max is attempting to help him in his endeavor. When Bird learns to fly, Max plans on eating him, the obvious result of achieving his task.
However, once, Max does help Bird achieve his goal, he realizes that he can not bring himself to eat his friend. That's right where the lesson of friendship, appreciation, and love comes to the forefront.
The simplicity of the lesson of friendship is so beautifully woven into the fabric of the story, making it a win for all.

My classroom loved the original Max story and is always looking for the next. This story of friendship and discovery is very special. When you look at someone through a different lender then you are comfortable with you might just discover something new and exciting. I love Max and Bird!

I love Max and Bird! The illustration is so adorable and I love the little heart shaped loop de loop at the end!

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars
NetGalley Rating: 5 stars

Max is a kitten who wants to make friends with Bird... but he doesn't exactly seem to understand what friendship means at first. But as the two research how to fly, Max seems to start to realize what friendship is truly about.

The lesson about making friends, specifically helping them out and providing encouragement, is solid, but not in the way that you'll get tired of reading it. Even without the message taken into account, it's still a fun story with cute character.

The illustrations are very bold and eye-catching in a pop-artsy style that I loved, and I'll have to check out the rest of the Max series to see what else wide-eyes Max is up to.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with free copy to review!

Max and Bird will be available September 2017 from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.
Author & Illustrator: Ed Vere
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