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Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic

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Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic

eBook(NOOK Kids)

$7.99

eBook(NOOK Kids)
$7.99

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Overview

Best friends Max and Marla are back in this charming spring tale of friendship and forgiveness

Max and Marla know how to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. So when the first sunny day of spring comes along, they've got the perfect plan--a picnic! They pack up their favorite dishes and their comfiest blanket and then they're off to the lake. Once they settle in, Max realizes the picnic needs one more thing to be just right: a bouquet for Marla. But while he's gone, Marla falls asleep, leaving their picnic prey to some thieving squirrels. Max returns to find their spread ruined and says it's all Marla's fault. But best friends can't stay mad for long . . . Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic is another adorable ode to friendship from fan favorite Alexandra Boiger.

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About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698196469
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/27/2018
Series:	Max and Marla Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Boiger grew up in Munich, Germany, as the youngest of seven children. She studied graphic design at the Fachhochschule Augsburg before working in feature animation at Warner Brothers and DreamWorks. After working in animation, Alexandra decided to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a children's book illustrator, gathering a following as the illustrator of the popular Tallulah series. Max and Marla was her debut as both author and illustrator. Alexandra now lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter.

From the B&N Reads Blog

Page 1 of

Editorial Reviews

03/12/2018
In the second gentle outing featuring Max (a child with a mass of red hair) and Marla (a white owl), the two spend the day picnicking in the mountainous meadowland near their home. As Max picks wildflowers for Marla (and Marla takes a nap on their blanket), readers will observe squirrels descending on the picnic to feast on the cake, fruit, and bread. Max sees the squirrels, and the day seems ruined: “Marla and Max don’t feel like staying any longer. They don’t even want to look at each other.” At home, the bad feelings linger, until Max—dressed in footed pajamas—makes a conciliatory gesture and the two enjoy an indoor picnic. Boiger’s watercolor scenes are filled with small, endearing details that suggest a world in miniature. With subtle emotion, she expresses the negative feelings that can stew between friends following a disappointment. The absence of any adults—or anyone else, for that matter—gives these two characters a sweetly appealing independence. Ages 3–5. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Max and Marla Are Having a Picnic:

“Simple perfection . . . A gentle lesson on dealing with adversity and celebrating friendship. Perfect for a spring- or a picnic-themed story time.”—School Library Journal

“Simple and emotionally resonant.”—Kirkus Reviews

"Boiger’s watercolor scenes are filled with small, endearing details . . . With subtle emotion, she expresses the negative feelings that can stew between friends following a disappointment."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Max and Marla:

"A fun-filled story that delivers the true nature of the Olympian spirit."—Kirkus Reviews

“Boiger (the Tallulah series) nods to the Winter Olympics in this tale of sled-riding friends.”—Publishers Weekly

“Many little lessons are imparted in Boiger’s debut, but its mantra remains, ‘True Olympians never give up.’”—Booklist

“A humorous addition to winter tales and a good story about persistence in pursuing goals.”—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

01/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—This sequel to Max and Marla celebrates spring as the boy and his owl friend diligently prepare for a picnic by the lake. The menu includes cheese and a baguette and Grandma's gugelhupf. Marla's assistance is spotty as she keeps getting into tight spaces, but once she dons her red bonnet for their bike ride, readers anticipate "the best picnic EVER." After setting up, Max leaves Marla to secretly gather a bouquet for her; but as she naps, a scurry of squirrels steals a good part of the feast. Max is annoyed and he and Marla refuse to even look at each other, but after cooling off at home, Max begins to miss their evening rituals, so he gathers some yard flowers for his friend and they raid the refrigerator together for a snug indoor picnic. There are many cozy scenes, like the pair tossing up the picnic blanket, and tiny but plump Marla balancing on Max's feet. Each cartoon block is simple perfection, such as Boiger's foreshadowing of the squirrel invasion. VERDICT A gentle lesson on dealing with adversity and celebrating friendship. Perfect for a spring- or a picnic-themed storytme.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

School Library Journal

2017-12-11
A much-anticipated, carefully planned outing turns into what seems to be a disaster for two close friends.Max is depicted as a brown-haired, sweet-faced white child, big enough to ride a two-wheel bike, while Marla looks like a small gray-and-white barn owl. Boiger's partly Photoshopped ink-and-watercolor art depicts interior moments and landscapes in gentle hues of green, blue, and gray. The pair plans a first-of-spring outing with a picnic: potato salad, cheese and baguette, "and Grandma's special cake: a gugelhupf"—mixed and baked by Max with some extra breaking of eggs. Max pedals the bike, and Marla, sporting a wide-brimmed hat, perches in the basket—everything's off to a good start. When Max goes to gather flowers and Marla falls asleep, however, a scurry of squirrels help themselves to the picnic. Though Max is upset, perhaps even angry, readers are given room to interpret and understand how each character feels: "Marla and Max don't feel like staying any longer. They don't even want to look at each other." Even very young children will recognize the way that expectations can rush out in front of an experience and contribute to disappointment. A nighttime picnic on the bedroom floor is cozy and friendly—and a saving moment for the friendship. Simple and emotionally resonant. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Review

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