Max and Bird

August 21, 2017
Max, the black kitten introduced in Max the Brave, makes a new friend in Bird, but can birds and kittens be friends? “It’s a rule of nature. Birds get chased by kittens,” Max tells Bird, who has no interest in being chased or becoming a snack. “But friends don’t eat each other up!” protests Bird. Instead, they resolve to learn how to fly, resulting in a trip to the library and lots of ineffectual flapping on the part of both animals (Bird eventually gets the hang of it). Vere’s pared-down cartooning keeps the focus on this developing friendship (the two friends, both inky black with huge white eyes, appear against brightly colored, mostly empty backgrounds), and his droll narration (“They flapped in the morning. Not a bean. They flapped in the afternoon. Not a sausage”) provides lots of laughs along the way. Ages 3–6.

Narrator L.J. Ganser draws listeners right in as Max's forceful voice declares that he is a kitten; therefore, he would like to eat Bird. Bird utters in a high-pitched voice that he cannot be eaten since he has never flown before. Max and Bird decide that they'll work together to learn how to fly. Ganser's tone changes from dramatic to energetic as the two take on attempts at flight by flapping tirelessly and eventually seeking help from a cackling pigeon. Listeners will be engaged by this heartwarming story of a predator and his prey forming an unexpected friendship and conquering a challenge set before them. M.D. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine