Above: spread from Max’s Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells

Rosemary Wells‘ Max’s Chocolate Chicken is the best book for this season! It involves an egg hunt, a chocolate chicken in a birdbath and a beautiful forest in bloom for a backdrop. I find it to be a true celebration of Spring (without overtly mentioning particular holidays). This is Max and Ruby at their best. With all the humor and personality you expect from those funny shaped bunnies.

Ruby dutifully hunts for eggs and Max, a bit more distracted, finds other items (mud puddles, ants, acorns etc.) When Max looks at the chocolate chicken and exclaims “I love you,” I know just how he feels!

Here’s a treat: the first half of the book animated. But you’re just going to have to read the whole thing to know just who gets that chocolate chicken!

For more on Rosemary Wells and the Max and Ruby stories, click here!