The Adventures of Taxi Dog

Maxi the Taxi Dog

by Debra Barracca, Sal Barracca, Mark Buehner (Illustrator)

A loveable, homeless mutt recounts his adventures riding in his new owner's taxi

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Dogs, 2nd Grade, Humor, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the illustrations and the rhythms

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

We enjoyed this book for our first read. The illustrations were so detailed and the story line brought up questions with my 5 yr old about whether or not there really could be a dog that rode in a taxi and we had long discussions about how it was entirely plausible. I, myself, along with my preschoolers, enjoyed the limerick-style rhyming of the words throughout and made it unique for us. A good addition to our children's library.

[Fabiola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to read with an individual who uses an AAC device! I found this book on an AAC website where they had symbols under each word. My AAC client/patient loved it and was happy to finally having read a book with AAC symbols to help with developing language/reading comprehension. My client/patient also understood the story better and was able to use ProloQuo2Go to find all of the symbols used when asked questions about the story.

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice drawing. Difficult to explain to my son. Maybe it would be better for 6-7 years old children.

[Jessica Riben]

Title: The Adventures of Taxi Dog
Author: Debra and Sal Barracca
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Genre: Picture Book
Theme(s): Adventures, family, love and being wanted
Opening line/sentence: My name is Maxi, I ride in a taxi around New York City all day.
Brief Book Summary: One day a dog who lived alone on the streets found a man who was a taxi driver. The man took him in and the dog now lived in his home and road in his taxi with him all day. He saw many people each day and when on lots of adventures.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Carol E. Lynch (Children's Literature)
Sometimes good fortune comes from out of nowhere to turn the unpleasant into the delightful. That's exactly what happens to Maxi, a dog who "grew up in the city/ all dirty and gritty/ looking for food after dark." By chance, Maxi meets a loving taxi driver named Jim and is offered a home. As the two become partners in the transportation business, they encounter a number of interesting passengers--a singer, an expectant mother, and two clowns with a monkey. Each page of text is bordered in bright yellow with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern in the frame to carry out the taxi motif. Bright, colorful illustrations of their adventures in the city add to the text; watch for the scenes of Maxi in a Groucho Marx disguise and with his head thrust out the open window. The central theme of this story is how nice it is to be loved and wanted, a message that we all like to hear now and then. 2000 (orig. 1990), Puffin Books, $15.99 and $5.99. Ages 4 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Puffin Books $15.99 and $5.99., PUBLISHED: 2000 (orig. 1990))
end ngRepeat: review in book.review
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
My name is Maxi, / I ride in a taxi / Around New York City all day.'' This rhythmic beginning sets the tone for the beguiling tale of a former stray dog. Jim, a taxi driver, finds Maxi in a park, takes him home and feeds him and, from then on, takes his new friend with him to work every day. Maxi loves the sights, the sounds and even the occasional emergencies--but most of all he loves Jim, who saved him from the streets. Jim is surprised when he begins receiving big tips, but readers--and this canny canine--know the reason why. The Barraccas' narrative so perfectly echoes Maxi's jaunty attitude that children might suppose that being a New York taxi dog is the best job in the world. Buehner's black, yellow and white borders that surround the text cleverly suggest Checker cabs, and his use of dark, intense colors suggest a New York that is both familiar and funny. For dog fanciers, taxi riders and lovers of fine picture books, this is a sheer delight. Ages 4-8. (May)
(PUBLISHER: Dial Books for Young Readers (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1990.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The first review talks about how good things can happen when you least expect it and the other review talks about the rhyming throughout the book. Both reviews talk about the bright illustrations and the yellow and black taxi border. Also the mention how the friendly taxi driver found this dog and took him in as his own. He took care of him and drove the taxi with him everyday.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This book uses the rhyme scheme AABCCB throughout the whole book. This is a great way to teach about poems and different type of rhyme scheme. It also has a lot of rhyming words, which is fun and interactive for students. Rhyming words can also relate to poems and learning how to write poems.
Consideration of Instructional Application: (3-4 sentences in your own words)
This book has so many opportunities for activities and application. One activity would be rewriting their own story about where the taxi man and dog when in their taxi. They could use their own pet or choose an animal they wish they had as a pet. They could also write stories using the AABCCB rhyme scheme in their stories.

[Courtney Sharpton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students will enjoy some of the silly illustrations in this book. This book is great for students who love animals and this would also be a great book to talk about taxis. Some students may have never seen a taxi and would have no idea that they can pay someone to drive them somewhere. This could lead to discussion on different forms of transportation or even cities in general.

[Jaelyn J.]

My children love rhyming words and this is definitely the book for it. It is a great way to solidify phonemic awareness within my students. As I read I would have my students anticipate the rhyming word just based on the previous rhyming word (i.e. "Oh, joy" " My tail waggles with such ... joy!).

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good rhyming, cute story about a stray dog that finds a home and owner in a taxi driver.

[Isaiah Cutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra and Sal Barracca

A family, mom, dad, and son teamed up to write a children’s book and the end result is captured with colorful oil painted illustrations in quality equal to a disney movie, and a story that brings attention and hope to the lost and unwanted pets that need someone to care. It also reminds us that the homeless in society everywhere need our attention, too. The story is in an easy to read well composed rhyme style that makes it fun to read and listen. The font is large to encourage a new reader and make it easy on tired or older eyes. The colors and details pop and could almost tell the story without any words, motivating you to linger on the pages to discover more.

The setting is New York city, where the yellow and black checkered cab driver named Jim is symbolic of the hustle and bustle of city life. Maxi, a chocolate colored mix of a dog, is telling the story from his perspective, letting the reader know, he is a taxi dog and he belongs to Jim, “but it wasn’t always this way.” Maxi has given us the happy start to the story that brings it to a friendly approach to a difficult situation and what might feel a sad start to a child otherwise. He takes us back to a time without Jim in his life, homeless and hungry, “dirty and gritty”, when Maxi was on his own. One day everything changes.

Jim has a flat tire and he takes special notice of Maxi, inviting the friendly dog to come home with him, promising him some “good food to eat”, and Maxi tells us “I ate and I ate”! A new scarf around his neck and kisses on his head, and Maxi is loved and home. The rest of the story is the adventures of Maxi and Jim as they drive around the city showing us a day in the life of a taxi driver and his dog. We get to meet some of the interesting people that they help travel around the city, and the illustrations are mesmerizing in telling the other stories going on all around them. I could see this book being used in the classroom as a way to showcase the use of rhyme and rhythm in writing, and also as a platform to discuss the care of pets, the reality of unwanted pets and how it can be prevented and helped. It may even be a way to approach the reality of homelessness, and having compassion and discussing solutions for both animals and people who find themselves in that situation.

[Katelin Hoefler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because the illustrations are detailed and help tell the story for this taxi dog. I like the good use of rhyming words the book gives. This book reminds me of when I took a taxi in Kansas City to a concert. I think taxis are big trust use, like you are trusting someone to drive you to your destination safely. But if there were dogs that rode with you in a taxi I would feel much better.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book with a bunch of other books at an auction, and I’m so glad I did! I read it to my grandson the other day and we found the dog(s) in each picture.

The story about Maxi is sweet and told in rhymes, and the pictures by Mark Buehner are amazing. They’re detailed and full of vibrant colors and kept my 2-year-old grandson’s attention which is a major accomplishment. I predict that we’ll be reading it every weekend for a long time to come.

[Suzannah Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was wonderful, and a great one for children to read! Engaging and useful for talking about animals in a city setting, the city setting itself, and other occupations usually found in the city as well. Maxi the Taxi Dog is full of awesome stories that children are sure to love, as well as it creates many opportunities for project based learning as well.

[Cyan Gaeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I though this was a super cute story about and dog who needs a home and has the best outcome possible. It's a fun story, following the dog around with his owner in their taxi around New York City. I love the pictures, the bright colors, the big city, the people, everything about New York I feel is in the pictures in the form of a screenshot in a way.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story of a dog adopted by a taxi driver. He describes all of the smells and his job as taxi dog. Reading level 2.0.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun rhyming read aloud.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute story with solid rhymes

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Limerick style poetry
Great illustrations

[Paula Greenfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story about a dog who gets to ride around in a taxi. Maxi is a homeless mutt who finds a home with a taxi driver.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a dog, his taxi driver owner, and the wide variety of people they encounter around New York City. Pretty good rhyme and rhythm for reading out loud.

[Sarah Limb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The rhymes were so clever and the illustrations were fun and bright.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun story is presented in jaunty rhyme and wonderful illustrations. A dog named Maxi - who travels with Jim, his owner, in the taxi Jim drives - tells what it's like to be a taxi dog.

[Viviana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly, just for the question of hygiene, but other than that's it's sweet

[Kurt Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Told from the dog's perspective.

[Patrice]

BookTree
S&E loved

[Tylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun to read. It included detailed illustrations and a fun story line. To include this in a classroom, students can take home a cut out dog and take it on adventures.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute and heartwarming story, and I really enjoyed the illustrations. My only complaint is the rhyming pattern of the text because I’m not a big fan of rhyming books.

[Martin]

I actually sat for the whole thing! This is a cute book in aab ccb rhyme. I liked pointing out puppy, baby, and ball.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

We saw this one on an old Reading Rainbow episode and found it at the library the next day!

[Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride!

[Naomi Peachey Higdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book with a great message! The rhyming was helpful in terms of sight-reading words.