A Publishers Weekly 2023 Summer Read, with starred reviews from Kirkus and PW!
★ “A previously unpublished, fully illustrated dummy from the celebrated Provensens merits a posthumous transformation… Delicate watercolor-and-ink illustrations contrast with Max’s bravado as he teases Maple Hill Farm’s other cats and dogs but not its goats, horse, or geese. An intrepid hunter, Max lines his home (a cozy nook built into the side of the barn) with squirrel tails. The Provensens adroitly illustrate many of Max’s feline characteristics, from sharp teeth and claws to his expressive, ‘important’ tail. The charming narrative adopts a confiding tone, perhaps delivered by the child depicted in many spreads. After tiring of the day’s barnyard rounds, Max leaves for the fields… Below a rising full moon, ‘his real life begins.’ The publisher engaged lettering specialists to preserve the Provensens’ lovely handwritten forms as text type. Karen Provensen Mitchell, the couple’s daughter, provides a lovely note, with reminiscences, family photos, and an early illustration of the real Max. Hopefully, this appealing package will propel new generations to discover the Provensens, whose visual chronicles so adeptly revealed their reverence for the land and animals they stewarded. Utterly delightful.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
★ “Fans of the late Caldecott-winning couple’s work will be delighted to encounter this never-before-published gem of a story about a rambunctious tabby cat named Max… Though Max’s youth involves no littermates, vignettes of the kitten tussling with a bag of sugar, a spool of red ribbon, and crockery accompany text that indicates ‘he was/ as much/ trouble// as/ ten/ kittens./ And he was always hungry.’ Distinctive, curlicue hand-lettering on cream-colored pages enhances the story’s sketchbook feel as the creators follow Max’s maturation into a ‘terrible tease’ of other animals, a ‘mighty hunter’ (‘Max has his own room and bed.// It is full of squirrel tails’), and a being with ‘an important tail’ that reveals his mood. After examining Max’s relationships with the farm’s other animals and its … human inhabitants, the story ends with a glimpse of Max taking off solo into a lonely, moonlit night where ‘his real life begins’—an acknowledgment that even closely observed creatures have their own secrets. A letter to readers from the Provensens’ daughter concludes.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Embraces the complexity of cats: They can be hunters and friends, messy and clean, dangerous and kind. Illustrated linework, with watercolors painted in warm tones, makes the book feel like a loving and honest story rather than a scary or cute one… This is a good fit for rural libraries, too, where young readers might be familiar with the truth about farm cats, showcasing for them how their everyday world can be beautiful—even if it’s kind of messy, like Max. A book for any collection where the Provensens are popular, or where ‘taken-from-real-life’ snapshots do well.” —School Library Journal
★ “What a surprise to find a new book by the amazing author/illustrator pair, Alice and Martin Provensen… It is a wonderful picture book in the true Provensen style with quirky illustrations and a warm and even-keeled narrative… It is truly beautiful. I loved it… Nursery schools, daycares, kindergartens and junior libraries should all own this book. “ —Pam Watts, Head of Children’s Services (Robbins Library, Arlington, MA), for Youth Services Book Review, STARRED REVIEW
“Watercolors and ink lines stretch across the parchment-like pages in this story about a mischievous cat and his secret life. Max was a troublesome kitten; as an adult, he still tries to snack on baby chicks and teases the other cats in the barnyard. When he grows tired of taunting the inhabitants of the farm, he wanders down the lane and out into the night with only the moonlight to guide him.” —Foreword Reviews
