Author: Maureen Stolar Kanefield (website unavailable)
Publisher: Magic Tale Press (website unavailable)
Rating: WORTHY!
Illustrated finely by Carlos Aón
DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review.
I couldn't not read this having been highly amused by the title. It turned out to be a very easy book to like: colorful and engaging, depicting a character who hopefully will inspire kids as he was evidently designed to do. The thing which charmed me most is the emphasis on science and investigation, and on making the most of what you have. I loved it for that.
Maxwell the mouse is fascinated by anything and everything, and the delight of the page where we learn this is that Carlos Aón nails the pictures perfectly: astronomy, nature, technology and books. It's not often you see this kind of focus in a book aimed at young children.
The thing which ends up fascinating Maxwell the most, however, is his own tail - about which he now has his own tale! It begins to grow improbably long, and he sees it at first as a problem, until he realizes he can work magic with it - but not the kind of magic which might immediately come to mind.
Maxwell takes what he at first sees as lemons, and turns it into lemon curd, which he then proceeds to cook into his own piece of the pie of life. I highly recommend this story.
