"The sarcastic wit, absurd non-sequiturs and eclectic diversions, not to mention the naïve drawing and painting style of this and later books, particularly appealed...Maira helped found a new genre of picture books that employed kinetic type composition as an expressive means of marrying word and image...Maira's major protagonist, a dog named Max, became an instant classic, winning children's hearts and book awards." –
Eye Magazine
"Kalman's verbal inventiveness, her mastery of a simple yet poetic language that children can love, her inexhaustibly original illustrations, rich with women with unlikely hairdos, men with beards that reach the floor, and upside down houses, keep a child enchanted through countless readings." –Mitch Abidor,
Jewish Currents "In this unique blend of reality and fantasy, intermingled words and images seem influenced by such strange sources as Mamie Eisenhower's wardrobe, the Jazz Age and the Theatre of the Absurd. Banter that rings with sophistication is well matched by the esoteric illustrative approach readers have come to expect from Kalman. Although there is much to glean from an unhurried single reading, this fanciful creation yields its greatest treasures through repeated visits." –
Publishers Weekly
"This whimsical extravaganza–clever and urbane–celebrates New York's wildly varied cosmopolitans while recounting how the hero, who is a dog and a poet, finally gets a publisher and will be able to realize his dream of going to Paris. Accompanied by witty illustrations that make sly references to other artists." –
Kirkus Reviews
"Every now and then, a character in literature exerts a kind of magnetic field on the reader. The force of his or her personality, speaking in a fully individualized voice, grabs us like a carnival barker and just won't let go. Holden Caulfield had that effect on a generation; Augie March came close; there have been a few others as well, but their voices aren't necessarily limited to 'grown up books.' Especially now that Max, dreamer, dog, poet, has had his say." –
Booklist "Maira Kalman's marvelously inventive gifts really shine in the picture-book format. I've long felt that her artwork, with its playful use of color and perspective, provides kids with a fantastic organic introduction to the manifold varieties of art." –Lisa Pliscou, author of
Dude
