Max and Ruby at the Warthogs' Wedding

August 15, 2014
When Max accidentally loses the Warthogs' wedding ring, a treasure hunt ensues, with Ruby leading the way. It's the day of the wedding, and Ruby (as usual) is instructing Max. As she twirls in her flower girl dress, Max runs from his lavender sailor suit. After all, he'd much rather be feeding gummies to his pet, a chickenlike Gob Smacker. Finally ready, Max is entrusted with the wedding band, but the Gob Smacker he stashed in his pocket sends the ring flying, right into the hotel laundry chute! And so the chase is on. Up and down the elevator, through the laundry, kitchen and halls the bunnies run, consulting their Bunnyphone map at each stop. Finally, ring in hand, Ruby arrives at the wedding on time. But Max? Oh, my. Wells' signature illustrations will charm readers as they pore over the lovely patterns that enrich the Hotel Ritz. The lift-the-flap Bunnyphone, used throughout the story, offers a map of the hotel and indicates the characters' whereabouts. Unfortunately, while readers may enjoy turning the flaps, the phone itself is difficult to read. Readers must turn their heads and reorient themselves to understand the map, and there are multiple floors and floor plans to navigate.The winning illustrations and lighthearted storytelling that made Max and Ruby such a hit are on display; unfortunately, the gimmick distracts from them. (Picture book. 3-5)

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July 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Flower girl Ruby, thrilled with her twirling green dress, enthusiastically prepares for the Warthogs' wedding, but mischievous ring bearer Max, less enthusiastic about his lavender and green sailor suit, would rather "feed gummy gobs to his Gob Smacker." When the all-important ring is swallowed by Max's toy and then propelled down the hotel's laundry chute, mayhem ensues. In this oversize book, readers can lift the flaps on Grandma's Bunnyphone (cleverly adorned with a sparkly carrot and iBunny logo) and consult maps that highlight the bunnies' madcap romp through the Ritz. After a search that involves following a plate of eggs Benedict and crashing a football convention, the siblings save the wedding in the nick of time. The book wryly ends with Max's impish charm (and Gob Smacker) winning over new friends. Max and Ruby's many fans will enjoy their latest adventure.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Preschool-G Max and Ruby return, this time taking part in the Warthogs' wedding at the Ritz. Max is to be ring bearer, a task he would gladly skip to play with his gumdrop-gobbling Gob Smacker. Inside Max's pocket, the toy swallows the ringonly to spit it into the hotel laundry chute upon arrival, precipitating a wild rescue chase. The pair gets assistance from Grandma's iBunnya lift-the-flap cellphone adorned with a munched carrot logo that provides the duo with helpful hotel maps. Eventually Ruby arrives with the ring, but Max disappears next door, where his toy becomes a big hit with the football conventioneers there. The siblings' antics are as hilarious as always, and the hotel staff and their activities will intrigue young listeners. The iBunny's maps, designed in the style of the board game Clue, are also clever. Employing an oversize format similar to Max and Ruby's Treasure Hunt (2012), this interactive title should be a hit with the pair's many fans. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Pair one perennial best-seller with a gadget that kids play with obsessively, and that ought to equal another smashing success.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
Max isn't excited to be a ring bearer, so he stashes his Gob Smacker in his pocket to play with. When the toy ejects the wedding ring, Max, Ruby, and Louise consult Grandma's cellphone map to track it down. Wells's beloved characters are their usual entertaining selves, and readers will enjoy navigating through the timely adventure via maps under "iBunny" lift-the-flaps.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)