Maxi the Little Taxi
Maxi the Little Taxi will be available on March 29, 2016. Here are some reviews.
KIRKUS REVIEW December 2015
Maxi the taxi can’t wait to start driving through the streets of a big city. Earnest to the core, shiny yellow Maxi, with bright eyes for windows and a smile stretched out wide across his front, is thrilled to start his first day of work. His tiny tires bounce across the pavement as he ZOOOMs and ZIPs all over town. Unfortunately, he also splashes in every puddle that he sees. Ice cream drips make him sticky, and pigeon droppings make him icky. Then a snobby “taxi gal” pulls up next to him to whisper words of unsolicited advice: “You’d better wash up Mr. Gooey-Goo, / or no one will want to ride with you!” Maxi realizes she is right. But how does he get clean in this big, dirty city? Luckily a young tot has just the answer—a car wash! Maxi is emotionally equivalent to a young tot himself; children will recognize themselves as he gets dirty, exhibits wide-eyed wonder, quivers into tears when things don’t go right, and worries about the car wash. Cole infuses Maxi with plenty of personality...
A bouncy read-aloud with an adorable taxi full of dash and spirit. (Picture book. 3-5)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL--JANUARY 2016
It's the first day on the job for this shiny new taxi, and he's ready to roll. "Max ZIPPED here He ZIPPED there. He ZIPPED everywhere--From the park, to the river. And back to the square. He ZOOMED up. He ZOOMED down. He ZOOMED all around town. Splashing in every big puddle he found." His passengers drip ice cream and mustard on his seat, and a pigeon leaves its mark as well--soon poor Maxi is filthy, both inside and out. Then a spotless girl taxi sidles up and says, "You'd better wash up, Mr. Gooey-Goo. Or no one will want to ride with you!" Sure enough, everyone ignores him, leaving him in tears until a boy and his mother hop in At the young rider's insistence, they go to a car wash, which proves somewhat traumatic for the little guy. As he peers into the "mouth" of the big pink car wash, he's afraid he'll be eaten "like a yellow gumdrop!". Soon, the car heads back to his friend, Mr. Buddy, at the garage and tell him about his day. After a final polish, he closes his eyes and falls asleep.The anthropomorphized cab is quite adorable, with two black eyes peering out the front window and a big smile on his front end. Cole's bright palette and lively, appealing illustrations are the perfect complement to the rhyming text, which is filled with onomatopoeia and amusing details sure to delight young readers...Pair this title with Debra and Sal Berracca's Adventures of Taxi Dog (Dial 1990) for units on city life or transportation. A great bedtime story.--Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools
BOOKLIST Advanced Review, Issue: February 1, 2016
...Written in rhymed couplets, the text propels the narrative at a steady pace, while Cole's paintings illustrate the story with wit and verve. From panoramic views of city streets to expressive depictions of individual people, the scenes are energized, animated, and often amusing. Displayed with its jaunty cover visible, this appealing picture book won't sit on library shelves for long. --Carolyn Phelan
DAD OF DIVAS REVIEWS January 16, 2016
I have a 7 year old daughter that loves to read. Usually we read things together, but lately she has been wanting to review books on her own. Below are her thoughts on this book!
I like the pictures in this book. I noticed that the taxi has eyes and I liked how they made the people look realistic. It's a good book, with fun characters and I would love to see Maxi in a book again in the future!
Selene Castovilla February 27, 2017 (Amazon Review)
This is a book that's fun for adults as well as for children! The writing is so lyrical and entertaining, I look forward to reading it when my niece comes over--and she gets such a kick out of Maxi's adventures. The art is also wonderful, and it has a retro look which I love. Anyone who reads Maxi will be swept into this lovable character's story. Maxi will win your heart--and he will also help with bath time. Win, win!