  | Maxi the little taxi Author: Upton, Elizabeth | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
On his first day of work, Maxi the little taxi zooms around town splashing in puddles and getting very dirty. Soon, no one wants to ride in him--until a little boy convinces Maxi to go to the car wash.
| Illustrator: | Cole, Henry |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 3.10 Points: .5 Quiz: 182178 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: K-2 Reading Level: 3.40 Points: 1.0 Quiz: 68682 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (01/01/16)
School Library Journal (01/01/16)
Booklist (02/01/16)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 01/01/2016 PreS-K—It's the first day on the job for this shiny new taxi, and he's ready to roll. "Maxi 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 seats, 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 exhausted car heads back to his friend, Mr. Buddy, at the garage and tells 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. VERDICT Pair this title with Debra and Sal Barracca'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 - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 02/01/2016 Early in the morning, Maxi (a little yellow taxicab) is eager to start his first day on the job. A driverless taxi, he zips around town picking up passengers, whose ice cream drips on the seat, while muddy puddles splash his sides, and pigeons target him from above. By late afternoon, the little cab looks pretty dingy. His last riders, a boy and his mother, notice the grime and send Maxi though the car wash. Initially terrified, he soon loves the brushes, scrubbers, suds, and spray. Maxi ends his day clean and content. For young children, the six-page car-wash sequence will be the high point of this upbeat picture book. 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. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.
