Call Me Max & Max & the Talent Show
written by Kyle Lukoff
illustrated by Luciano Lozano
2019, Reycraft Books
Lexile Level (460, 480)
This Saturday was a beautiful day: low humidity, nothin' but blue skies did I see. I mapped a 35M bike loop over the Arrigoni Bridge, across the Connecticut River, to the Russell Library in Middletown. I figured I'd grab 7 LGBTQ-themed children's books for a week-long sampling here at the blog. But the librarian was so damned helpful and I got so excited at the plethora of titles that I stuffed my backpack to bursting with 10 lbs. of books. The hills on the ride home were. . . challenging.
First up: books 1 & 2 of the Max & Friends series. There is a third, but it was checked out -- darn you, Pride Month! 
Call Me Max introduces us to our protagonist, a five-year-old trans boy. I was a little worried when Lukoff used pages 4-5 to educate readers about terminology. I was concerned that the book would be too much tell and not enough show. WRONG! My concern was immediately allayed by Max and his friends.
I loved how the conversation with Teresa allowed Max to express his identity safely, but also taught him that maybe social gender roles aren't so clear-cut after all. Even at five, Max still has things to learn. The issue is further illustrated by a conversation with his friend Steven, more about whom shortly.
On Max's first day of school he is confronted with the bathroom issue. I loved how there were no villains in this piece. Max is confused; he talks frankly about the drawbacks of both options; he makes a decision. The look on his mother's face when he describes his choice is what every trans kid would hope for.
Lukoff brilliantly describes a side of the issue I'd not considered before. Up to a certain age, kids use whatever public bathroom their parent uses. When Max was shopping with Mom, he used the Ladies'; with Dad, he used the Men's. So why is this suddenly an issue?
Max and the Talent Show is in the rarified company of Empire Strikes Back and Godfather II: the sequel is even better than the glorious original. And that's because it's all about Steven! Yes, Max gets to show what it means to support a friend. Yes, Max is an introvert like me, and that isn't presented as something to overcome. But did I mention it's all about Steven?
Why did I love Steven? Because he understands the secret of the universe. Meaning is created by telling stories. Not lies, but etiological myths. People don't understand why Steven wants what he wants, so he offers them fables and parables. And then they get it. Because we humans are the story-telling animal.
Teachers appear in both books, and I was so pleased that we were represented accurately: a little befuddled, a lot of heart. Thank you for that realism.
A caveat for parents: It is unrealistic to expect your real world child to explain their situation as eloquently and succinctly as Max and Steven do. They're fictional. Your kid ain't. Your kid might be withdrawn or resistant or lack the vocabulary to tell you what they feel. You'll need to put in a bit more work, a lot more patience, and more love than you thought possible. But after meeting Max & friends, you'll be better prepared if your child tells you "I don't feel like that on the inside."
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