Sometimes a book cover grabs your attention. Other times it’s the title. With this book, for me, it was BOTH!

A VERY HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS!!!!

MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS

Written by Margaret Chiu Greanias

Illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow

Published by Running Press Kids (TODAY: August 28, 2019)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Acceptance, be true to yourself

Synopsis: From Amazon: 

“For anyone who loved Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, this is a humorous and important book about learning to follow your heart and proving that kindness can outweigh villainy any day.

Maximillian Villainous is a monster who doesn’t have the heart to be a villain. His famous family pulls pranks on the likes of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, and Max spends his time undoing them. So when he brings home a bunny to be his sidekick, Max’s disapproving mother hatches a plan. She challenges Max and the bunny to become a devious duo; otherwise . . . the bunny hops. If they want to stay together, Max and the bunny have no choice but to go against their nature. They blunder into villainy with comical effect until Max discovers that embracing his good heart may just be the key to pulling off the most devious deed of all and winning his family’s acceptance.

Delightfully fun and irreverent, Maximillian Villainous is an empowering story about embracing one’s true self and finding acceptance. Up and coming illustrator Lesley Breen Withrow brings the characters to life with bold and colorful illustrations in a style reminiscent of Richard Scarry.”

Dear friends…I know this is a book that kids are going to love. I feel like I already know the author, Margaret Chiu Greanias. From my very first toe-dipping into the water of this kidlit community, I saw her name as an active participant. And when I spoke to her, I found out that she has loved writing for a very long time.

 Margaret wrote her first terrifically terrible book in fourth grade. From grade school through college, she suffered through English—she was especially bad at analyzing stories and writing essays. Then, during her very last year of college, she took a creative writing class and discovered she loved writing. Despite this, it wasn’t until her second child was born that she remembered her love of children’s books. She’s been writing ever since. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three children, and a fluffle of dust bunnies.

To learn more about Margaret and her books, please visit her website: http://margaretgreanias.com/

And guess what? The author has graciously offered a copy as a giveaway! Please leave a comment for a chance to win!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! And whenever you have the time, why not hop over to one of the book review sites like Amazon or Goodreads and leave a review for your favorite picture books!