MAX THE CHAMPION

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Max is mad about sport. As he gets up, has breakfast and heads off to school, he is dreaming of competing in world class sporting events. In his real day, he and his class win the school football match and, in his imagination, he and his friends are winning the World Cup. This is a lively and fun approach to sport, and a very inclusive picture book showing disabled children and children without disabilities enjoying different sports together in a natural way. The sports include football, rugby, athletics, cricket, diving, discus throwing and cycling.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-Max eats, sleeps, and even dreams sports and the winners circle, from the morning's first alarm until the night falls. As he races downstairs, inhales a first spoonful of cereal, and speeds off to school for the day's activities, Max thinks of only one thing-SPORTS. His imagination takes him to different competitions-he races, he dives, he never misses a sledding turn. During a tournament with another school, Max throws a ball and joins his classmates onstage to receive trophies. He then zooms out the door to excel in his other competitive venue-his imagination. Highlighted words and change of font emphasize the pen and watercolor, cartoon images of Max's dreams, including a gender and ethnically diverse group of sports contenders and his animal companions. It is only in studying the drawings that one realizes that Max wears a hearing aid, a young athlete uses a wheelchair, and a batter has a leg brace. Highly detailed, this book promotes both the power of the imagination and determination. An addendum notes the book's association with the national UK charity Booktrust and nasen, which embraces "all special and educational needs and disabilities." A general purchase for all libraries.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

In this UK import, loopy, energetic drawings depicts Max, in the real world, eating his breakfast of Cheery Hoops, riding his bike to school, and going to class with his friends. But in his imagination, he is scoring perfect tens at a diving meet, piloting a toboggan in a downhill race, and throwing the javelin. In his mind, Max skies, runs, and plays soccer with his classmates and passersby, many of whom use assistive devices such as a brace, a wheelchair, or sit skis. The diverse images of people with disabilities also include one neighbor who uses sign language, while another navigates with the help of a service dog. Max himself wears a hearing aid and uses an inhaler. The lively, brief text is matched with detail-packed illustrations, and children will enjoy spotting Max's stuffed turtle and rabbit cheering him on from the sidelines or hiding in the trophy cup. A lighthearted celebration of diversity in sports and the role imagination plays in enjoying them.--Willey, Paula Copyright 2014 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

A sports-obsessed boy makes his way through his day in winning style. No matter the endeavor, Max imagines himself in a competition. As he races downstairs to breakfast, in his head he is running a road race. As he zooms through writing lessons in school, he imagines throwing a giant, pencil-shaped javelin. Asquith's active, spindly lines and licks of watercolor include at least one person (usually a kid) in both Max's real life and his dream world with some seemingly limiting physical condition. This lets readers appreciate that if you have a guide dog, that shouldn't stop you from tobogganing, or a wheelchair from taking to the ski slope, or a leg brace from a turn at bat, or an occluder from bike racing. Acceptance is both the issue and the nonissue here; Max sees no barriers to his friends' participation in his imaginary gamesor his own (Max evidently has asthma). The actual plot is rather flimsy, with Max's school winning an entire tournament in just one pagebut that's not the point.This is not a subtle book, but its heart is absolutely in the right place. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.