Maxi, a stray dog, is adopted by the driver of a Checker cab, who takes Maxi along on his daily rounds. The solid illustrations of busy New York City streets are suffused with a golden glow that echoes the friendly sentiments of the story.

``My name is Maxi, / I ride in a taxi / Around New York City all day.'' This rhythmic beginning sets the tone for the beguiling tale of a former stray dog. Jim, a taxi driver, finds Maxi in a park, takes him home and feeds him and, from then on, takes his new friend with him to work every day. Maxi loves the sights, the sounds and even the occasional emergencies--but most of all he loves Jim, who saved him from the streets. Jim is surprised when he begins receiving big tips, but readers--and this canny canine--know the reason why. The Barraccas' narrative so perfectly echoes Maxi's jaunty attitude that children might suppose that being a New York taxi dog is the best job in the world. Buehner's black, yellow and white borders that surround the text cleverly suggest Checker cabs, and his use of dark, intense colors suggest a New York that is both familiar and funny. For dog fanciers, taxi riders and lovers of fine picture books, this is a sheer delight. Ages 4-8. (May)

K - Gr 2 --A stray dog's outlook takes a quick turn for the better when Jim, a New York City taxi driver, offers him a name, friendship, and a place in the front seat. Maxi describes with infectious doggy delight the satisfactions of life on wheels: the unusual fares, the pleasure of both helping and entertaining people in a hurry, and of wearily dropping the cab off at the garage after a long day. Buehner uses an oil-over-acrylic technique that gives each scene a subtle, lively play of light and color. The figures have a rounded solidity reminiscent of Van Allsburg's work, and are seen from a dog's/bird's-eye view, or some other unusual angle, against busy, idealized (the cabs are all in perfect condition) cityscapes. Background detail and byplay (including a small cat that seems to follow the cab around) will keep young readers glued to the illustrations. Alas, the engaging story idea (based on a real encounter) and brilliant pictures are chained to a singsong text in verse that combines pedestrian language with tediously long sentences, some of which exist only to make a rhyme . `Jim said,Your name's Maxi, / You'll ride in my taxi, /We'll ride all over the town. / We'll go riding uptown and down.''' Flawed but appealing. --John Peters, New York Public Library