Fish and birds and lizards and socks…is there anything Max won’t attack? Watch your ankles and find out in this clever, rhyming picture book about a very naughty kitty cat. Max is a cat. He attacks. From socks to strings to many a fish, attacking, for Max, is most de-lish. But how many of these things can he actually catch ? Well, let’s just say it’s no even match. PreS-Gr 1–Max is a cat who attacks. His primary target is the fishbowl, but he will attack most anything. Max is drawn toward the fish, tantalizing and very smug in their glass bowl, but a glimpse of something green and scaly on the screen door suddenly compels him elsewhere. On and on it goes. A typical day for any house cat takes a competitive and adventurous turn from Max's perspective as he pounces, attacks, and keeps a silly running tally such as, "Socks, None. Max, Ninety-One." The narrative is written in swinging, rhyming, catty prose with accompanying bright and often zoomed-in illustrations. Some parts of the text are color coordinated ("Max" appears in blue throughout) but this isn't exactly consistent, although it does coordinate nicely with the illustrations. The large images and silly text make this an excellent choice for a pet-themed storytime. VERDICT Slightly distracted but completely enthusiastic, Max is sure to be a hit among young storytime listeners. A first purchase.—Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI A paean to the pleasures of having a cat companion, this catalog of Max's actions should win plenty of accolades: Max, a million; readers a million-plus. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review Appelt writes with catlike flexibility and bounce -- Publishers Weekly "Max is sure to be a hit." -- School Library Journal *"A perfect read-aloud." -- Booklist, starred review "No doubt about it: Readers will be mad about Max." Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National Book Award finalist, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp , Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee), Keeper , and many picture books including Counting Crows and Max Attacks . She has two grown children and lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband. Visit her at KathiAppelt.com. Penelope Dullaghan is an award-winning artist with an attack-happy cat of her own. The main difference is that Rainy, her cat, is dark gray instead of blue. Penelope and Rainy share many favorite hobbies, including watching activity at the bird feeder, collecting interesting bugs, and outstretched snoozing in sunbeams. Max Attacks is Penelope’s debut picture book. Visit her at PenelopeDullaghan.com.