Swami on Rye: Max in India

Max #4

by Maira Kalman

This book is about the meaning of life.

I don't like to boast, but I have a lot of experience in the life business. I remember what King Tut said to me once, as we were strolling along the Nile on a balmy afternoon:

"Mai Ra [that was my name then], one day you will creat a character who is a dog-poet named Gus [we can't always be right], and you will use him as a vehicle [and we discussed modes of transportation and I remember clearly we touched on the concept of the wheel, except we called it a veel] to explain the meaning of life. And you will get paid a bargeload of saffron and you will have a large barbecue for all your friends, no hair [?] or locusts will plague you, and you will have The New York Times delivered to your door every day."

I passed through a few hundred more lives, some as a toad, some as a vase, and now here I am. (In the next life I will not have to write flap copy.) I hope you are not having a ritten day, but if you are, I have thrown in a recipe for a hot toddy so all is not lost in the sands, the mist, the misty sandy mists of time.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, India, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Maira Kalman was born in Tel Aviv and moved to New York with her family at the age of four. She has worked as a designer, author, illustrator and artist for more than thirty years without formal training. Her work is a narrative journal of her life and all its absurdities. She has written and illustrated twelve children's books including Ooh-la-la- Max in Love, What Pete Ate, and Swami on Rye. She often illustrates for The New Yorker magazine, and is well known for her collaboration with Rick Meyerowitz on the NewYorkistan cover in 2001. Recent projects include The Elements of Style (illustrated), and a monthly on-line column entitled Principles of Uncertainty for The New York Times.

She lives in New York and walks a lot.

(http://www.saulgallery.com)

Reviews

[lee! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing amazing amazing

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book only 2 stars for a few reasons. First of all is that it is so very wordy! The themes, concepts, and sheer text would, I think, most certainly lose the interest of a child. Second, The illustrations are nice (and colorful) but get lost in between the text. Third, the story is just weird. Without giving away anything crucial, there is a dog whose wife is going to have babies, and he disappears to India. I just didn't get it. But it's Maira Kalman, so that's why it got the 2nd star.

[Aaron Lattu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Swami on Rye: Max in India
Maira Kalman
Multicultural Literature
Book Level 2.3

If you want to introduce your young readers to different cultures, I highly recommend this book. This book will introduce readers to almost every major cultural norm in India. You get to see all of the major landmarks and styles as well as some of the less desirable things in India. The one negative to this book is it can be very jumbled for a young reader. The writing tends to jump around and could confuse what is what and how things are happening.

I struggled to keep everything straight when reading this book. The best righting trait seen here was the sentence structure because of the lyrical nature of the writing. Readers would be able to keep momentum going when reading the book and would have no problem staying engaged in the reading.

[Bléu · Rating 3 out of 5]

yeah, i still love maria kalman.

~*~
"I was elated. I was deflated. I was delirious with joy. I was itchy. I was ticklish. I was all things confused. Life was so big. And I was so small. "

"This was preposterous. This was mysterious. This was ridiculous. But when ridiculous knocks, I answer."

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Max's silliest adventures. Help cultivate a child's sense of the absurd with this smart match of word and picture, including jokes verbal and visual.

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an odd—and yet utterly satisfying—book. Highly recommend for adults and children alike.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max, color, scenes of India, and the most playful use of English in children's literature, like this excerpt from the section intercutting Max in with the Taj Mahal, built as a tribute from Shah Jehan to his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal.

I'd meditate,
I'd levitate, to hear you say,
"That dog is great."
For you my learned guru, I'd learn to speak Urdu.
And for my true-blue fakir,
I'd pluck the rarest rose from Kashmir.
I'd practice ahimsa
For just one quick glimsa
Your pure clear white soul,
The one that knows all.
So come my darling Darjeeling,
My prize, my jewel,
My everything.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max goes to India and marries and has puppies. Once again, beautiful artwork and whimsical writing. Is Maira Salman as charming in real life? I bet she is. Love her take on life and love Had to buy this one too. Her kids books are as much for adults, I think, as they are for kids.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good fun read for you and the kids!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Kalman books are always great - for kids and their parents. (Guaranteed to not make your eyes glaze over - you'll get a kick out of her books as much as your kids will!)

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max goes to India. A beautifully fun book to read.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange but wonderful, I must read more Max stories.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange, fantastic, fun to read, lots to see.

[Bricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

painful prattle