Genre
Humorous stories
Picture books for children
Tone
Funny
Writing Style
Witty
Illustration
Cartoony
Detailed
Subject
Advice
Boys
Grocery shopping
Mothers and sons
Personal conduct
Shopping
Supermarkets

"I know a lot about the grocery store. Mom makes me go All! The! Time!" This particular trip is spurred by a need for toilet paper (which, of course, is the only item they forget). Max and his mom have a good routine, and Max is an excellent guide through the store. This would be a fun read for storytime!

See also: Avocado Asks, What Am I? ( )

The first of a new picture-book series about the adventures of Max, boy expert in everything, this entertaining slice-of-life tale follows Max as he and his mother head to the grocery story. With helpful tips on everything from arguing for cookies (not always successfully) to offering some hints to one's parents about getting a pet (just add some cat litter to the cart!), the breezy tale concludes that practice makes perfect, in being a good grocery shopper...

I found Max Explains Everything: Grocery Store Expert surprisingly engaging, and would imagine that young readers/listeners will likewise enjoy the back and forth between Max and his mom, as they make their way through the store. Dialogue-driven picture-books often are quite successful at story-time, and make for good read-alouds. The artwork by Deborah Hocking is colorful and fun, and accentuates the humor. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books exploring the everyday (or every week) activities in which kids often participate. ( )

Max is an expert on visiting the grocery store, because his mom makes him go all the time! Max, a mischievous little boy with rosy cheeks and curly dark hair, has lots of tips for having fun at the store if you can’t talk your parents out of going. First, find the perfect cart. Then, even if your mom has planned the route, there’s lots to do; juggling with fruit, going fishing, tasting samples, and choosing the best (i.e. sugary) cereal. Max has lots of tips for sneaking in cookies, dog food (“it’s just one step closer to getting one.”) cake, kitty food, or maybe just a candy bar.

The colors are bright and cheerful and Max, even while he’s driving everyone insane, is adorable. The store looks like an upscale grocery store with lots of choices of fresh food and fish, towering aisles of cereal, and most customers carrying shopping bags, rather than carts. Milo’s mother has endless patience with his shenanigans, even when he keeps whining for treats and sneaking things into the cart.

Verdict: This is funny and the art attractive, but it’s probably not going to appeal to parents who are trying to teach their children not to beg, whine, or sneak things into the cart in the store or who have to juggle multiple children and a tight budget when shopping. Best-suited for older kids who can be suitably superior about not partaking in Max’s bad behavior and parents with a strong sense of humor. The first in a series, I’m interested in seeing what adventure Max has next.

ISBN: 9781101996447; Published 2018 by G. P. Putnam/Penguin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library