Max & Ruby: Afternoons with Max & Ruby

Young viewers will spend some quality time with bunny siblings Max and Ruby in these 12 charming stories from Nickelodeon's animated series based on Rosemary Wells' books. Six-year-old Ruby (charmingly voiced by Samantha Morton), who watches out for her three-year-old brother Max, is very patient, albeit quite insistent, in her efforts to get him to do what she considers the right and responsible things. Still, like most little brothers, Max wants what he wants. In "Max's Froggy Friend," Max wants to bring a frog to the tea party Ruby is hosting for Grandma. In "Max's Dragon Shirt," he wants to buy the titular piece of clothing instead of the more practical overalls Ruby is determined to get him. And in "Max Gets Wet," Max decides to fill his swimming pool instead of watering the plants. In each story, a little ingenuity goes a long way in satisfying both siblings. In "Max's Music," Max's "whack-a-mole" pounding game provides the steady beat for Ruby's concert-bound Red Hot Trio, and in "Max's Rabbit Racer," the same toy that has been disturbing Ruby's baton-twirling practice saves the day when the baton is stuck on the roof. As with The Backyardigans, it's a kid's world here—parents are neither seen nor heard (and some may be disconcerted by the sight of Ruby and Max unsupervised at a department store—Max, especially, has a penchant for wandering off)—but other adult figures are represented, and Max and Ruby's close and loving relationship is truly at the heart of these stories. DVD extras include two bonus episodes. Recommended. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)