Max's Dragon Shirt - Rosemary Wells
Adults may relate to perils of shopping with kids.
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- Author:Rosemary Wells
- # of pages: 22
- Publisher:Penguin Putnam Inc.
- Original Publication Date: 01/01/1991
- Genre: Fiction - Picture Book
- Paperback: $5.99
- Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: Ages 4-8
- Read Aloud: 4+
- Read Alone: 5+
Parents need to know
Families can talk about Max and Ruby's behavior. Was Ruby a responsible big sister on the shopping trip?
Message
Social Behavior:
Both Max and Ruby behave badly, and there are no apparent consequences.
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Violence
Sex
Language
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Amy Brotman
Is it any good?
Max, a boy bunny with a limited vocabulary, is perfectly satisfied with his dirty overalls, which are held up by a large safety pin fastened to a single strap. But his sister, Ruby, insists it's time for a new pair. Max, however, finds a shirt he likes, and persistently cries, "Dragon shirt!" throughout the story, only to be denied by Ruby.
It seems obvious that there is a lesson to be learned from the characters' mischievous behavior, but the moral gets lost in all the commotion. Ruby leaves Max alone in the dressing room. Max, believing Ruby has deserted him, follows behind another character until he discovers it is not his sister.
Ruby is admonished by a salesperson for wearing the store's dress while looking for her brother. Max tries on a dragon shirt, which becomes covered in ice cream, and therefore they are forced to buy it. Max does get what he wants, but not in the manner in which a parent would like.
Wells creates adorable cartoon-type illustrations and includes greater background detail than most illustrators who adopt this style. She effectively portrays the emotions in the characters' faces, and the illustrations are clear enough to help beginning readers as they use clues from the pictures to decipher the text.
For more of Max and Ruby's adventures, try Bunny Cakes. Another story featuring a bunny, but with a clearer moral, is The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings.
Parents and kids say



