Max and Ruby's first Greek Myth: Pandora's box / Rosemary Wells.

When Max snoops in his sister's jewelry box, she reads her own version of the classic Greek myth about how Pandora's curiosity sets loose all the horrors of the world. Full-color illustrations.

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3Bossy Ruby instructs her younger brother on the hazards of snooping via her thoroughly modern retelling of the classic myth. These rabbit siblings have never been funnieror more endearing. (Oct. 1993) (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Wells adds engaging new dimensions to her ongoing saga of the inimitable bunny siblings as Ruby introduces Max, her insatiably inquisitive brother, to the tale of a calamitously curious youngster. After a sign tacked to her door (``NO! This means you!'') fails to keep Max out of her room and away from her jewelry box, Ruby decides to deliver a moral to her brother by reading him ``a story about sneaking and peeking.'' The Pandora of Ruby's tale is a bunny whose mother goes off to the store, instructing her not to open the magic jewelry box. The daughter does, of course, and after ``a hundred twister bees, a slew of fire ants, and clouds of Mexican jumping weevils'' fly out, a green spider remains. ``I'm your only hope!'' he says, then proceeds to devour the bugs and save the day. However perfect a role model for Max this lucky Pandora may be, the ending lets readers know that, once again, the endearing fellow chooses not to absorb the lesson Ruby tries to teach. Wells's art (including endpapers filled with amusing Grecian bunnies) is as understated and clever as ever. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Horn Book Review

Irrepressible Max peeks and pries into his older sister's jewelry box. When Ruby catches him, she asks if he can read the sign on her door, which says, 'NO! This means you!' and then sits Max down to listen to a story about Pandora, who disobediently opens her mother's magic jewelry box. The childlike version of the ancient tale is certainly amusing, but Max remains the star of the adventure. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

When Ruby catches Max touching her jewelry box despite her sign (``No! This means you!''), she reads him ``a story about sneaking and peeking'': Pandora (Max in ancient dress), disobeying orders, peeks into her mother's jewelry box, letting loose ``a hundred twister bees, a slew of fire ants...''; last comes not Hope but a spider, which eats the insects--to the last ``Mexican jumping weevil''--before retiring to the box. When Mother returns, she's so pleased that Pandora seems to have been good that she lets her wear her necklace (shown in Wells's engagingly comic illustrations as a string of golden bugs), while she dons her emerald spider pin. True to his usual form, Max misses the point of his sister's tale; he may know that her sign says ``No,'' but when Ruby asks who it means, he comes up with a cheerfully innocent ``You!'' A novel, entertaining introduction to the myth; better yet, another delightful episode in the saga of this irrepressible bunny. (Picture book. 4-8)

Booklist Review

Ages 4-7. Wells uses the story-within-a-story form for her newest Max adventure, a takeoff on Pandora's box, which is clever and great fun even though it falls a tad flat at the close. Paying no attention to the sign on his big sister's door ("No! This Means You!"), Max gleefully enters Ruby's room. When Ruby catches him, she reads him a story about Pandora, who, overcome by the "magnetic force" of temptation, lets loose "a hundred twister bees, a slew of fire ants, and clouds of Mexican jumping weevils" when she opens her mother's magic jewelry box. The outcome is a surprise. Does Max get the point of the story, the point of the sign on the door? Well, let's just say that the message he comes away with isn't quite what Ruby had in mind. Though gray with pink ears and a toga, Pandora looks suspiciously like our obstreperous friend Max. She's just as subtly expressive, too--whether she's playing in the sprinkler (a jug with water spritzing out of its mouth), peeking into the jewelry box, or being overwhelmed by pesky flying things. The ending wordplay may be a bit obscure for little ones, but fans of the droll, mischievous bunny will welcome him back all the same. They'll love his alter ego as well. ~--Stephanie Zvirin

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