Children’s books sometimes feature characters that are exclusive to printed media, and they sometimes feature characters that are known for their television presence as much as, or even more than, their presence in books. One set of characters that is popular on kid’s television but hasn’t made a huge splash in books are Max and Ruby. In this book, Max and Ruby’s Snowy Day, the brother and sister pair decide to go sledding and must take the proper precautions before they grab their sleds and head for the hills.

Basic Facts About This Book:

Max and Ruby’s Snowy Day is a ten- page children’s board book that follows the two rabbit siblings as they prepare to go sledding. Max, the younger sibling, wants to go sledding and he is pictured sitting on his sled, inside the family house, in the book’s opening pages. Ruby, Max’s older sister, quickly points out that they need to go outside if they want to go sledding and she agrees to the activity.

Racing upstairs, Ruby gets her and Max’s snowsuits. She helps Max put his snowsuit on and then she proceeds to put on her own. Mittens, boots, and scarves come next, and the brother and sister duo is now ready to have some fun in the cold outdoors. Once properly prepared, Max and Ruby hop on their sled and zoom down a nearby hill.

Final Thoughts:

Max and Ruby’s Snowy Day is a very simple book that feature’s Max and Ruby- two rabbits that happen to be brother and older sister. This bunny duo is popular on children’s television and I knew about them from my two little girls. They have other cartoons that they like more, but Max and Ruby is a cartoon program that they ask to see on a few occasions each week. Rosemary Wells created the characters and they have become a hit with many children in the five and under age range.

In Max and Ruby’s Snowy Day, children get to observe as their favorite pair of rabbits prepare for a day of sledding. Ruby is the responsible one, as usual, and she is quick to inform her little brother Max that he cannot go sledding in the house. He has to go outside and he has to make sure he is properly dressed for the weather.

Max and Ruby finally go sledding, but only after they dress in their snowsuits and put on their mittens, scarves, and boots. This part of the book is useful to children because it points out the importance of being properly prepared. Many bad outcomes can follow from poor preparation for cold weather, and Ruby makes sure that she and Max are dressed for the occasion.

Other than the lesson on being properly prepared, however, there is little else to like about Max and Ruby’s Snowy Day. The main problem I have with this book is that it basically has no plot. Or, it might be better to say that it has a plot but it is so simplistic and non- creative, it is borderline insulting. It can be summed up as follows: Max wants to go sledding. Sister Ruby agrees but insists they dress properly first. They both put on their winter coats and accessories, and they go sledding. That’s it! There are a grand total of only 89 words in the entire book and there are no hidden messages, subplots, imagery, or anything else. The book is so basic, you will likely shake your head in disbelief and wonder why you are not the one getting paid big bucks to write books like this.

As for the illustrations, they are good enough to pass for a children’s book, and they look just like a scene taken from a Max and Ruby cartoon. Plenty of colors exist on each page and it helps keep little children’s attention somewhat focused. But there is nothing terribly creative here. Just like the blandness of the story, the illustrations are very plain with nothing interesting in the backgrounds. The scenes all take place inside the house, except for the last two pages which show Max and Ruby sledding on a hill. In every instance, the illustrations are plain and unexciting.

Overall, Max and Ruby’s Snowy Day is a very simple book that will thrill only the feeblest minds or the most highly addicted Max and Ruby fans. My girls like the Max and Ruby cartoon, but even they find this book boring; tossing it aside in less than one minute in favor of something more visually stimulating. This book doesn’t quite live up to the expectations of the television show, and its non- creative nature will leave many parents and children wondering what the author was thinking when the book was written.