Max and Moonbean

Max, a white anthropomorphized pooch with brown ears and a brown spot over one eye, has always felt like a show-and-tell washout—until now. After a voice suggests that he “dare to see what you can do,” he steps up and relates in rhyming lines his presentation’s unearthly backstory. Digital spreads by Scotton (the Splat the Cat series) display the dimensionality of feature animation as Max recounts the previous night’s close encounter with Moonbean, an entity from the moon whose head resembles an inverted balloon. When Moonbean crash-lands in Max’s closet, the two hit it off, Moonbean communicating with bubble images and Max farting with delight. Celebrating “shy” Max as “a pup of courage,/ clever and kind/ Of impeccable style/ And squeaky behind,” Moonbean further bolsters Max’s confidence, giving him a starring role in an extraterrestrial show-and-tell. The story comes full circle when the two travel back to Earth for Max’s class appearance, where the dog wows his classmates with a galactic-themed bubble show courtesy of his new pal. The power of supportive friendship is summed up in this light, reach-for-the-stars read: “Sometimes it takes a friend to show us/ how amazing we really are.” Ages 4–8. (May)

Correction: The text of this review has been updated to reflect the book's title.