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When Max and Bird arrived on our doorstep, the illustrations were immediately familiar, but I couldn’t quite place them. They were familiar because Ed Vere is the author of one of our favourite books, the story of a jazz playing gorilla called Mr Big. Mr Big was chosen by the Book Trust as the official booktime book for 2009 and distributed to 750,000 British schoolchildren.
I had high hopes for Max and Bird and it didn’t disappoint. Max and Bird is charming from start to finish. Ed Vere is wonderfully skilled at portraying emotion through his characters’ eyes and even before reading the text, you can’t help but fall in love with Max and Bird. The opening
This is Max.
Max is a kitten.
Kittens chase birds.
This is Bird.
Bird is a bird.
Birds get chased by kittens.
is a perfect introduction to the humour and tenderness present in every page.
Max and Bird is a book about friendship. Max wants to be friends with bird but also would quite like to eat him. That isn’t what friendship is about, so when bird needs help learning to fly, the two discover a way to celebrate their friendship in a way that is much more fun.
The tension in the relationship and playful humour was a hit with my youngest daughter, an ‘Elephant and Piggie’ fan. The girls particularly loved the British phrase “Not a sausage” and the manic, show off pigeon who tries to show Bird how to fly.
It isn’t often I receive a book to review that I instantly fall in love with. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, an absolute must for all teachers, librarians and parents. I have no doubt it will become a classic, favourite in our household. Now I’ve been introduced to Max, I can’t wait to read the other Max titles, Max the Brave and Max at Night.
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