The Adventures of Max and Pinky: The Mystery
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Bald-headed Max and his porcine pal, Pinky, are back in another funny escapade. Determined to give the barn a new look, they paint the building and, unwittingly, their clothing, brick red, while various animals offer snide remarks ("You missed a spot"). The next morning, the friends are shocked to discover that the barn is pink, and spend the day repainting. They try to remain awake that night to catch the perpetrator, but end up snoozing, and the next day, the barn has black stripes. When a search fails to turn up anything, the pair concocts an elaborate (and hilarious) alarm scheme involving a duck, string, a bowling ball, and more. That night, the warning system awakens Max, but Pinky is nowhere to be seen. Max's trip to the barn reveals his friend's whereabouts as well as the identity of the clandestine culprit. The pen-and-ink cartoons digitally painted in saturated colors are filled with visual jokes and pair well with the brief text. Readers will enjoy watching this duo solve their mystery, and those familiar withBest Buds(Knopf, 2007) will understand the inspiration for the barn's final design (marshmallows). A fun read.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CTCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.