Max & Charlie

Gr 4–8—A long, beautifully illustrated chase scene through a dreamscape of New York City. Charlie is a wildly imaginative young boy who falls asleep in a park with his beagle pup, Max. In the dream, Max takes off and Charlie pursues him through some very unusual interpretations of a few of Manhattan's most famous landmarks. The artwork is spectacular, but the dialogue is odd: everywhere Charlie goes, strange people accost him with weird, long rambling lectures, mostly about making decisions and taking actions that can change the world, when all the poor kid wants to do is find his dog. As a result, it's not clear who this book is for. Thankfully, the visuals tell most of the story. Vibrantly colored, expressive, and often surreal, the illustrations will keep readers turning pages because each and every spread is a new delight.