Max’s Box by Brian Wray and Shiloh Penfield - OPTIONAL

Max’s Box by Brian Wray, illustrated by Shiloh Penfield. PICTURE BOOK. Schiffer Publishing, 2019. $17. 9780764358043

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

One day Max’s parents give him a little box for him to keep all of his things in.  Not just his ball and his truck, but his feelings, too.  With each addition the box gets larger – until Max can’t even move.  Then one day in the park Max sees a ladybug on his box and draws a string to pretend it is a balloon.  Then others ask if they can draw balloons, and the box gets lighter until Max has to untie it and let it go. And his father whispers to him to let those feelings go.

I feel like there is the idea of a great book in here, but this is not that great book.  The parents gave Max the box and told him to keep stuff in it – without telling him that he can also take things out of the box and let them go.  It feels like the parents were the problem in the first place. I think kids will still like reading about holding onto and letting go of feelings, but it is just an okay treatment of the topic.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS