Maxi the Little Taxi

January 4, 2016
A taxi makes a literal splash on his first day on the job in this rhyming road trip, Upton’s first picture book. After Maxi heads out from Mr. Buddy’s garage, “He zoomed up./ He zoomed down./ He zoomed all around town—/ Splashing in every/ big puddle he found!” By the time Maxi has picked up some messy, snack-eating fares and had a close encounter with a pigeon, his grimy appearance starts hindering his business. “Soon all the people/ Who needed a taxi/ Took one quick look—/ And walked right past Maxi,” writes Upton in one of the book’s unlikeliest sequences (anthropomorphic taxis are one thing, but busy urbanites ignoring available cabs is another). Upton’s rhymes are often cloyingly chirpy, and it isn’t much of a plot (a visit to the car wash improves Maxi’s day), but her liberal use of exclamatory phrases and onomatopoeic words should make for fun readalouds. Cole (Unspoken) helps give Maxi a zippy personality, turning his windshield into a large pair of eyes and his mouth into a grille, while bustling city backdrops further boost the story’s kinetic energy. Ages 3–5.

January 1, 2016
Maxi the taxi can't wait to start driving through the streets of a big city. Earnest to the core, shiny yellow Maxi, with bright eyes for windows and a smile stretched out wide across his front, is thrilled to start his first day of work. His tiny tires bounce across the pavement as he ZOOOMs and ZIPs all over town. Unfortunately, he also splashes in every puddle that he sees. Ice cream drips make him sticky, and pigeon droppings make him icky. Then a snobby "taxi gal" pulls up next to him to whisper words of unsolicited advice: "You'd better wash up Mr. Gooey-Goo, / or no one will want to ride with you!" Maxi realizes she is right. But how does he get clean in this big, dirty city? Luckily a young tot has just the answer--a car wash! Maxi is emotionally equivalent to a young tot himself; children will recognize themselves as he gets dirty, exhibits wide-eyed wonder, quivers into tears when things don't go right, and worries about the car wash. Cole infuses Maxi with plenty of personality but falls short on diversity. The background crowd is a mix of ethnicities, but nobody who actively interacts with Maxi is unequivocally a character of color. A bouncy read-aloud with an adorable taxi full of dash and spirit. (Picture book. 3-5)

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January 1, 2016

PreS-K-It's the first day on the job for this shiny new taxi, and he's ready to roll. "Maxi ZIPPED here. He ZIPPED there. He ZIPPED everywhere-From the park, to the river. And back to the square. He ZOOMED up. He ZOOMED down. HE ZOOMED all around town. Splashing in every big puddle he found!" His passengers drip ice cream and mustard on his seats, and a pigeon leaves its mark as well-soon poor Maxi is filthy, both inside and out. Then a spotless girl taxi sidles up and says, "You'd better wash up, Mr. Gooey-Goo. Or no one will want to ride with you!" Sure enough, everyone ignores him, leaving him in tears until a boy and his mother hop in. At the young rider's insistence, they go to a car wash, which proves somewhat traumatic for the little guy. As he peers into the "mouth" of the big pink car wash, he's afraid he'll be eaten "like a yellow gumdrop!" Soon, the exhausted car heads back to his friend, Mr. Buddy, at the garage and tells him about his day. After a final polish, he closes his eyes and falls asleep. The anthropomorphized cab is quite adorable, with two black eyes peering out the front window and a big smile on his front end. Cole's bright palette and lively, appealing illustrations are the perfect complement to the rhyming text, which is filled with onomatopoeia and amusing details sure to delight young readers. VERDICT Pair this title with Debra and Sal Barracca's Adventures of Taxi Dog (Dial, 1990) for units on city life or transportation. A great bedtime story.-Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
Preschool-K Early in the morning, Maxi (a little yellow taxicab) is eager to start his first day on the job. A driverless taxi, he zips around town picking up passengers, whose ice cream drips on the seat, while muddy puddles splash his sides, and pigeons target him from above. By late afternoon, the little cab looks pretty dingy. His last riders, a boy and his mother, notice the grime and send Maxi though the car wash. Initially terrified, he soon loves the brushes, scrubbers, suds, and spray. Maxi ends his day clean and content. For young children, the six-page car-wash sequence will be the high point of this upbeat picture book. Written in rhymed couplets, the text propels the narrative at a steady pace, while Cole's paintings illustrate the story with wit and verve. From panoramic views of city streets to expressive depictions of individual people, the scenes are energized, animated, and often amusing. Displayed with its jaunty cover visible, this appealing picture book won't sit on library shelves for long.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Taxi Max is keen to find work, but his muddy appearance is costing him fares; one passenger-instigated car wash later, his problem is solved. For such a slight story to work, the rhymes need to be sound; too bad Upton sometimes fails to consider a scheme's rhythm. Rotund, big-eyed, bright-yellow Max has the look of a consumer product's animated mascot.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)