SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

July 18, 2011 by Betsy Bird

Children’s Literary Toys: Max by Maira Kalman

July 18, 2011 by Betsy Bird   2 comments

A package arrived in the mail for the small Bird the other day.  Though she has no hand-eye coordination and questionable social skills, Baby Bird occasionally gets a toy worth noting.  I’ve done one post before on the array of children’s literary toys that are out there that I have seen.  Here is another for now I find that there’s a new toy on the market and it’s only available through the Jewish Museum Shops.

Those of you familiar with the artist Maira Kalman have probably stumbled upon her Max books at some point.  Max is ostensibly a dog.  He exists in a variety of picture books, including Max Makes a Million, Ooh-la-la (Max in Love), Max in Hollywood, Baby, and more.  Had you asked me how to make an actual Max doll I’d have been hard pressed to say.  I mean, here’s an average image of Max:

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Making a doll from that would take some doing.  It’s not like you’re making a Mo Willems Pigeon with its straight black lines.  And yet, and yet, it could be done.  In conjunction with the current Kalman exhibit Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) I present to you this limited edition Max doll:

I have to admit, I’m utterly charmed by him.  His inner pockets reveal two pieces of writing.  One is a shopping list that lists the following:

Herring!
Brown socks
Jelly doughnuts
Itching powder
Cheese juice
Suspenders
Rubberbands
More jelly doughnuts
Map of Iceland

The opposite pocket contains a note with this to say:

Blitz
Blatz
Blootch
Bloob
Boop
Bloop

I showed Max to Monica Edinger the other day and she wondered, rightly, about the state of his underwear.  All good dressed toys make sure not to skimp on the knickers.  So we pulled down his elastic waisted pants and voila!  Red underwear with white polkadots.  Add in the removable shoes, the pocket handkerchief (also removable), his hat, scarf, and shirt and you have a remarkable toy.  Everything he wears can be taken off, yet none of it falls off of him of its own accord.  This is one well made little guy!

Fans of the Max books may be able to clarify a mystery for me too.  Why on earth does he have the mysterious initials “MS” sewn into the back of his coat?

And for those of you looking to buy one for someone in your own life, you can find them for sale here and a host of other Maira Kalman objects d’art (including her famous New Yorkistan New Yorker cover as a shower curtain) here.   Thanks to Lisa and her illustrious crew (both those of the marital and offspringish persuasion) for the lovely gift.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Maira KalmanToys

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

June 2022

Have You Seen the Darkness? A Richard Fairgray, Black Sand Beach Interview

by Betsy Bird

June 2022

Publisher Preview: Ellen Myrick (Part Three!)

by Betsy Bird

June 2022

Newbery/Caldecott 2023: Summer Prediction Edition

by Betsy Bird

June 2022

School's Out for Summer So We're Talking About Lunch Lady Day!

by Betsy Bird

May 2022

The Sun Does Shine: How Does an Adult Title Get Adapted for Young People? A Talk with Olugbemisola Ruday-Perkovich and Anthony Ray Hinton

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Gallery: The Art of the Picture Book Barcode 2022

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Press Release: Picture Book Summit Line-Up Confirmed

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Casagrandes | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

Continuing the Mock Newbery Process: Time for July Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Writing of Ghosts when the World is Grieving, a guest post by author Helene Dunbar

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

15 Titles to Help Students and Families With College Prep

First-Time Summer Fun | Milestones

Meet Suzanne Bloom: Creator of Classic Books That Celebrate Childhood

SPONSORED

Introducing "Learn About": Read. Look. Discover.

SPONSORED

Author Jim Murphy Has Died; Kaepernick, Scholastic Publishing Graphic Memoir; and More | News Bites

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. marjorie says

    July 18, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    MS — Max’s last name is Stravinsky!

  2. Laini Taylor says

    July 18, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Ah, I love me some Max! Seriously: Max Makes A Million was single-handedly responsible for me falling back in love with kids books as an adult. A sort of adult. That is, a college student. Thus began my love of picture books, which spilled over to middle grade and YA. A certain wizard book was pivotal too. I just bought 13 Words by Maira Kalman and Lemony Snicket YESTERDAY. Love her. Love love love. Max Makes A Million is such a fabulous read-aloud!

    🙂

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2022


    COPYRIGHT © 2022