Max and Ruby's First Greek Myth: Pandora's Box

Ruby tries to stop her younger brother Max from sneaking into her room and snooping by reading him an altered version of "Pandora's Box"

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.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.