Max is a dog who is asked to write a movie script in Tinseltown. The word play and imagery in this book are exceptional, although it is well above understanding for the children I read it to (2nd grade). They did enjoy the words especially when read with an accent. It is a fun read and perhaps an introduction to a time that they might further investigate by watching old movies. I enjoyed reading this book very much. The illustrations are a story in themselves. ( )

Max Stravinsky, poet, world-traveler, dog and now film-maker, returns in this third picture-book devoted to his adventures, following upon Max Makes a Million and Ooh-la-la (Max in Love). Heading to Hollywood, where he has been hired to write and direct a film - music to be composed by his new lady-love, Crepes Suzette - Max soon falls in to the decadent lifestyle of Tinseltown. Has he lost all perspective, or will love pull him out of the shallow illusions and perpetual self-involvement of the world in which he now finds himself...?

I enjoyed Max in Hollywood, Baby, appreciating (much as in the earlier titles about Max) Maira Kalman's detailed artwork, with its vivid color palette and its wealth of stylized figures on each page, as well as her quirky narrative and pointed sense of humor. There's lots of clever, suggestive wordplay here - in a particularly nice tough, Max is hired by Megalomania Studios - which is sure to keep adult readers such as myself entertained. All that said, for all the many displays of wit, I found myself a little less entertained than I was with the first two books, and I couldn't help but feel that this was owing to a somewhat-too-discursive text that undermined the sense of story. I also found myself wondering if this entry in the Max Stravinsky series might be too self-consciously adult-oriented to be entirely successful as a children's book. But then, perhaps I'm overthinking the issue, and child readers, for all that they might miss some of the allusions, will find this one quite entertaining. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed the first two books about Max and his oddball adventures. ( )

Z really liked the art and the playful, rhythmic, snazzle-dazzle. I loved everything about it . . . but that's because I love everything that Maira Kalman does. ( )

Max Stravinsky goes Hollywood. Explores LA landmarks and characters. A facetious look at the Hollywood culture. Hats and noses are once again prominent. ( )