Julia Maureen Kelly

My Friend Max Julia Maureen Kelly

Why is everything so different now?



Why did we stop going to school?



Why do we all stay home?

The Covid crisis is a very confusing, disconcerting time for children. The goal of this book is to comfort and encourage children by showing a child character, facing situations such as the reader may also experience.

It is a book written for children and from a child's point of view. For example, perhaps your child has heard the terms, Covid and Chorona. But do they know what these names mean? An answer is given here, not in scientific detail but simply defined by the child. Admittedly, this book explores Covid 19 from middle class America. Many people now face heartbreak. Adults must make serious, difficult decisions. But this is a book for children. Therefore, topics such as illness and death, poverty, vaccines, or politics are not presented. The book has a happy ending.

This book explores these Covid 19 times through the eyes of a young boy, Mike, who has his trusty imaginary friend, Max, the monster, by his side. Childhood is a time of vivid imagination. It is fairly common for a child to have an imaginary buddy for awhile. Sometimes the imaginary friend provides comfort in difficult or lonely circumstances. Mike with Max describes a series of events as Mom and Dad guide the family through the crisis and back to a more normal life.

This is a picture book. The illustrations use humor to lend understanding to the text. These pictures also promote the emotional aspect of the tale. The illustrations of the Covid days are primarily in black and white. Here the only additional color is the monster and Mike's blonde hair. Only in the "real worlds" of the monster and Mike are the pictures in full color.



A second grade reader could probably read this book. But it is a good book to read together. Hopefully, this will promote discussion. Even though it is a light hearted presentation, this is still a serious topic. So, I do not recommend this book for a bedtime story.





Ready to meet Mike and Max?



Then read this book to follow their adventures.