Max and Marla

K-Gr 2—Max and his best friend, Marla the owl, are real winter Olympians. "Honest to goodness. Cross your heart." At least, that is, in spirit. They understand the importance of preparing. They put on their snow caps and scarves, warm up a bit, take the sled, and head to the snowy outdoors. Up they climb to the top of the hill, "ready, set, GO!" Not quite. There are technical difficulties with the sled, but "true Olympians never give up," so back inside Max waxes the blades with assistance of sorts from Marla, who naps on the couch. The next day they add "a number of improvements," including goggles, matching red helmets, and a fancy belt, to their athletic wardrobe. Out they fearlessly go again, but the wind and snow send them flying, quite literally. It's time to take a rest for a day, because that is very important preparation for sports as well. Fully recovered, Max and Marla prepare with some more exercises and bundle up in too-big ski jackets. This time they tie themselves to the sled so they won't fall off, but they end up tumbling down the mountain and turning into giant snowballs. Real Olympians turn defeat into victory, so the two have fun making snow angels and later reward themselves with hot chocolate and doughnuts turned Olympic medals. The charming illustrations, presented in shades of winter blue, were created with watercolor and ink and enhanced with Photoshop. Pudgy Marla is an excellent sidekick for Max, a cute kid with a too-large head.