Kyle Lukoff has worked at the intersection of books and people for over half his life, first as a bookseller, then as a school librarian, and now as a writer. He is transgender, like Max, and lives in a small Brooklyn apartment with six overflowing bookshelves.
Luciano Lozano was born the same year Man traveled to the Moon. That may be the reason why he has traveled a lot since childhood. When not traveling, he lives in Barcelona. His illustrations reflect his strong sense of color and texture, as well as his subtle sense of humor.
★ This picture book/early reader hybrid captures the playful, innocent spirit of two friends testing the boundaries of the world around them as Teresa’s spontaneity encourages Max outside of his comfort zone.
—Kirkus Starred Review
In Max on the Farm, we find Max, a White transgender boy, going on an overnight trip to a farm with his class, including his friend Teresa, a darker-skinned girl. Max likes playing with Teresa, even though she’s willing to flout rules to find adventure and doesn’t mind getting into (mild) trouble as a consequence. She also bends gender norms—she likes to get “really dirty” while playing outdoors and tends to be the leader in their adventures. Max is more hesitant, but ultimately has fun during their gentle mischief.… I absolutely love this book and its predecessors. The Max and Friends series should be on every elementary school and children’s library bookshelf as well as in home libraries—and with more and more television networks offering LGBTQ-inclusive children’s shows, is it too much to hope that we’ll see Max, Teresa, and Steven on our screens someday?
—Mombian Review
