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Max Meow #1
Cat Crusader
Meet Max Meow, Cat Crusader--a secret superhero with CAT-ITUDE!
Max is just a regular cat in Kittyopolis, trying to make it big as a podcaster UNTIL he accidentally takes a bite of an RADIOACTIVE SPACE MEATBALL at his best friend, scientist Mindy's, SECRET LAB. Then before you can say MEOWZA, Max becomes...(drum roll!)...The CAT CRUSADER! Being a super hero is fun (Super strength? Check! Flying? YES!!!)--but not if you get so cocky, you forget your best friend! Will Max learn to listen? Will he and Mindy make up? And together, can Max and Mindy save Kittyopolis from the evil Agent M and BIG BOSS?!
Max is just a regular cat in Kittyopolis, trying to make it big as a podcaster UNTIL he accidentally takes a bite of an RADIOACTIVE SPACE MEATBALL at his best friend, scientist Mindy's, SECRET LAB. Then before you can say MEOWZA, Max becomes...(drum roll!)...The CAT CRUSADER! Being a super hero is fun (Super strength? Check! Flying? YES!!!)--but not if you get so cocky, you forget your best friend! Will Max learn to listen? Will he and Mindy make up? And together, can Max and Mindy save Kittyopolis from the evil Agent M and BIG BOSS?!
240 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2020
144 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
John Gallagher
58 books23 followersJohn Gallagher is the art director of the National Wildlife Federation's "Ranger Rick" magazine and has been drawing comics since he was five. John is also the cofounder of "Kids Love Comics" (an organization devoted to using graphic novels to promote literacy) and leads workshops teaching kids how to create their own comics. John lives in Virginia with his wife and their three kids.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
October 7, 2020
This was written/illustrated by my mom’s friend’s husband!! She bought a couple copies to support him and I really wanted to read it and write a review!! This was so, so cute and something I would have loved as a kid. Perfect for kids who love comics!
July 11, 2021
This was good. I read it with my children; they loved the characters but I felt the end of every chapter was a little repetitive. However my kids loved it.
May 22, 2021
Agent M and Reggie stink so bad! Especially when they captured Mindy at the end. But good thing they got trapped in Jail! (They really deserve it)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2020
Max Meow: Cat Crusader by John Gallagher is a young middle grade graphic novel, similar to Dog Man or the Investigators. The humor is definitely aimed at the six-to-ten year old crowd, and the pictures are colorful and fun. And the premise? Pure silliness.
A cat who hosts a podcast goes to interview his scientist friend in her secret lab. While there, they're attacked by an evil(?) robot, and the cat ends up taking a bite out of a giant space meatball--which turns him into a cat with super powers: he's super strong, he can fly, his tail is electric, and he's always super hungry.
I read through the e-ARC of Max Meow: Cat Crusader with my seven year old. He read some out loud; I read some. We had to go back a page sometimes just to see a funny picture again. We made silly sound effects; we giggled and guffawed. I would definitely say it was a hit, and he gives it two thumbs up!
(Just know going in it's utter ridiculousness, but sometimes, at least in my family's case, that's exactly what a reluctant reader needs to fall in love with reading!)
A cat who hosts a podcast goes to interview his scientist friend in her secret lab. While there, they're attacked by an evil(?) robot, and the cat ends up taking a bite out of a giant space meatball--which turns him into a cat with super powers: he's super strong, he can fly, his tail is electric, and he's always super hungry.
I read through the e-ARC of Max Meow: Cat Crusader with my seven year old. He read some out loud; I read some. We had to go back a page sometimes just to see a funny picture again. We made silly sound effects; we giggled and guffawed. I would definitely say it was a hit, and he gives it two thumbs up!
(Just know going in it's utter ridiculousness, but sometimes, at least in my family's case, that's exactly what a reluctant reader needs to fall in love with reading!)
May 8, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this graphic novel.
The cover and blurb of this book caught my attention as I have a reluctant reader who prefers graphic novels and audiobooks. He adores cats and his favorite books are Dogman, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Last Kids on Earth. I am impressed this book features a girl of color in the STEM field and I was impressed by the illustrations and engaging text. My son particularly loved the questions at the end of every chapter and pacing of the action. He loved the humor as well. He is not usually one who reads arcs so he was sad he has to wait so long to have the physical book and longer for the next book in the series.
The cover and blurb of this book caught my attention as I have a reluctant reader who prefers graphic novels and audiobooks. He adores cats and his favorite books are Dogman, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Last Kids on Earth. I am impressed this book features a girl of color in the STEM field and I was impressed by the illustrations and engaging text. My son particularly loved the questions at the end of every chapter and pacing of the action. He loved the humor as well. He is not usually one who reads arcs so he was sad he has to wait so long to have the physical book and longer for the next book in the series.
July 27, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for my ARC of Max Meow the Cat Crusader. My daughter loves graphic novels and is obsessed with cats so I knew I had to request this book. She thought it was silly and fun. She said it reminds her of Captain Underpants. I asked her what she would rate it and she gave it 5 stars. She is looking forward to the next book.
February 20, 2021
Do you know a kid that’s read all of the Dog Man books multiple times? Do you want to keep that reading spark alive by giving them something similar? You need to get your hands on John Gallagher’s meow-tastic new graphic novel series, Max Meow: Cat Crusader.
Max was just an ordinary cat, with a pretty average internet show, until the day that he accidentally eats a piece of space meatball and gets superpowers. His scientist friend Mindy discovered the meatball on her travels in space and brought it back to earth to investigate. Now Max can fly and has super strength, so he becomes the Cat Crusader and protects Kittyopolis. Agent M, Reggie and their boss, Big Boss, want to get their hands on Mindy and her space meatball so it’s up to Max to figure out this superhero thing and save the day. Oh, and stop the giant mini-golf monsters while he’s at it!
Meow-za! Max Meow: Cat Crusader is a super fun, action-packed read that will have kids and adults begging for more. There’s something in this book for everyone – superpowers, cats, villains, a robot with daddy issues, monsters, cliff-hanger endings and laughs galore. I had to read this over just two nights to my 5 year old daughter because she couldn’t stand waiting to know what happened in the next chapter. John Gallagher sets that up perfectly by ending each chapter with questions, like ‘WHAT will Mindy show Max? WHY is there a floating whale in Mindy’s lab?’ It’s one of the first graphic novels I’ve read aloud and it works so well. We giggled along together and each picked up different things in the illustrations.
John’s illustrations have heaps of kid appeal. They’re bright, colourful, and full of action and expression. John hasn’t let himself be constricted by the panels, as the action and characters often flow through or burst into other panels, and even right off the page.
The humour works on lots of different levels too. John uses puns in the text and there are plenty of visual gags. There are jokes for the kids and jokes for the adults. I especially enjoyed the character of Cody the dog, who doesn’t say anything but always gives a thumbs up. I also really like Reggie the robot who can’t seem to stop referring to Agent M as Daddy.
Max Meow: Cat Crusader is a must-have graphic novel for all primary and intermediate school libraries. It will be snapped up straight away and it’s popularity will spread like wildfire. Kids will be begging for the next book in the series, which is due out here in NZ in July. My daughter and I can’t wait for Max Meow: Donuts and Danger!
Max was just an ordinary cat, with a pretty average internet show, until the day that he accidentally eats a piece of space meatball and gets superpowers. His scientist friend Mindy discovered the meatball on her travels in space and brought it back to earth to investigate. Now Max can fly and has super strength, so he becomes the Cat Crusader and protects Kittyopolis. Agent M, Reggie and their boss, Big Boss, want to get their hands on Mindy and her space meatball so it’s up to Max to figure out this superhero thing and save the day. Oh, and stop the giant mini-golf monsters while he’s at it!
Meow-za! Max Meow: Cat Crusader is a super fun, action-packed read that will have kids and adults begging for more. There’s something in this book for everyone – superpowers, cats, villains, a robot with daddy issues, monsters, cliff-hanger endings and laughs galore. I had to read this over just two nights to my 5 year old daughter because she couldn’t stand waiting to know what happened in the next chapter. John Gallagher sets that up perfectly by ending each chapter with questions, like ‘WHAT will Mindy show Max? WHY is there a floating whale in Mindy’s lab?’ It’s one of the first graphic novels I’ve read aloud and it works so well. We giggled along together and each picked up different things in the illustrations.
John’s illustrations have heaps of kid appeal. They’re bright, colourful, and full of action and expression. John hasn’t let himself be constricted by the panels, as the action and characters often flow through or burst into other panels, and even right off the page.
The humour works on lots of different levels too. John uses puns in the text and there are plenty of visual gags. There are jokes for the kids and jokes for the adults. I especially enjoyed the character of Cody the dog, who doesn’t say anything but always gives a thumbs up. I also really like Reggie the robot who can’t seem to stop referring to Agent M as Daddy.
Max Meow: Cat Crusader is a must-have graphic novel for all primary and intermediate school libraries. It will be snapped up straight away and it’s popularity will spread like wildfire. Kids will be begging for the next book in the series, which is due out here in NZ in July. My daughter and I can’t wait for Max Meow: Donuts and Danger!
October 4, 2020
Exuberant comic for primary schoolers with a super-powered cat. The origin story here, of how he records a vlog at a scientist friend's secret lab, only for one of her possessions to be wanted by an evil robot, would be nothing without the lively pace and action, although there's a lot more to this than that. Quite why each chapter break is styled as if it were made of originally-published cartoons and this was a compilation volume of them I don't know – the running gag about there always being rhetorical questions is a bit limp. Harmless fun for the young, who would rate it more highly than I did.
September 8, 2021
very fun and reminds me of the Dog Man series.
February 28, 2023
Trying too hard to be like Dog Man and Cat Kid. It just didn’t work for me, but my kids really enjoyed it.
May 27, 2023
Copied dog man. 2 stars because they AT LEAST tried to make an original storyline
December 15, 2020
Super cute! Reminded me of Dog Man. Very silly and fun and charming. I loved that each chapter ended with who/what/how/where questions to inspire readers to keep going. I loved the drawing lesson at the end on how to draw Cat Crusader. Very fun. Kids will love this one.
August 17, 2020
Fantastic book, with an uncommon superhero!
I got this primarily for my son, who is a big fan of anything written, and even more so if it has pictures!!
He has read all of the Big Nate series, Dogman, Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, How to Train Your Dragon... you get the idea!
He absolutely loved this, and read the entire book in under an hour!
He can't wait for the next book in the series, and - of course - I'll keep an eye out for it!
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and John Gallagher for providing a complimentary ARC, for providing an honest review.
I got this primarily for my son, who is a big fan of anything written, and even more so if it has pictures!!
He has read all of the Big Nate series, Dogman, Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, How to Train Your Dragon... you get the idea!
He absolutely loved this, and read the entire book in under an hour!
He can't wait for the next book in the series, and - of course - I'll keep an eye out for it!
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and John Gallagher for providing a complimentary ARC, for providing an honest review.
October 1, 2020
This is a fun and action packed juvenile graphic novel that is perfect for reluctant readers.
September 30, 2020
Done by a friend of mine. Good for youngsters.
August 5, 2024
This was fun! Cats, secret identities, a robot called Reggie and a giant meteoric meatball of power? Max becomes a superhero and has to save his friend, his city and his reputation! Think this will be a big hit at school! Will be keen to read more!
June 6, 2020
This graphic novel is laugh out loud hilarious! Max's friend, Mindy the scientist, has acquired a rare space meatball-- when Max takes a bite of it, he gains superpowers, becoming the Cat Crusader! But there's a mousy villain on the rise with a robot in tow, planning to thwart the Cat Crusader to get what remains of the space meatball. It's going to take some clever swings at the Goof Golf resort to save the day-- and save Kittyopolis! Fans of Dog Man will sink their claws into this new series!
June 4, 2020
Read an ARC.
Super cute! Will purchase for my middle school library.
Fans of Dogman and Big Nate will love it.
Super cute! Will purchase for my middle school library.
Fans of Dogman and Big Nate will love it.
May 14, 2020
Meet the next great superhero, Max Meow, the Cat Crusader! This debut graphic novel by John Gallagher is sure to be a huge hit with young readers. Max Meow is just your average cat and aspiring vlogger living in the “furr-ociously cool city of Kittyopolis.” Max’s best friend Mindy Microbe is an amazing scientist and inventor who has gained the attention of local evil villain Agent M. During Agent M’s botched attempt to steal the space meteor meatball from Mindy’s lab, Max accidentally eats some of the meatball and gains superpowers. As a new superhero, he struggles with learning how to use his powers, how to be a good friend, and how to stop the evil villain from getting his pause on the space meteor meatball.
This was a fabulous graphic novel that fans of Captain Underpants and Geronimo Stilton will eat up. The artwork is colorful, fun and engaging. I liked that the book was not too text heavy. Enough to propel the story, but not too much to overwhelm elementary readers. As a librarian though, I liked how the author worked in some elevated vocabulary throughout using a character aside to define the word. If you have a child grades 2-5, get them this book!
I received an advanced release copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fabulous graphic novel that fans of Captain Underpants and Geronimo Stilton will eat up. The artwork is colorful, fun and engaging. I liked that the book was not too text heavy. Enough to propel the story, but not too much to overwhelm elementary readers. As a librarian though, I liked how the author worked in some elevated vocabulary throughout using a character aside to define the word. If you have a child grades 2-5, get them this book!
I received an advanced release copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2020
Capes, cats, and cooks! There are lots of things going on in this first book of the series. We have a main character cat that talks with mice and people. They dress in a cape while fighting mice. The sidekick is a WOC scientist/inventor, there is a chef cat, and a wild robot. While this is a great introduction to graphic novels, it might be more involved and longer (226 pages!) than the age range it's really suited for (6-10 year olds) is ready to tackle. (It would be a great Hi/Low offering for schools that have upper elementary or lower middle school.) Every chapter ends with a few questions that feel close to ones you might ask when doing an experiment. Illustrations are in color and are really nicely drawn. I did get a little tired of the repetitive black outlined blocks of art, as there seemed a limit number of design options were utilized, but this mostlikely was used because of introducing a younger reader to a new medium. Full color will always be a winner for the younger readers. There are instructions included in the end for learning to draw Max which my son was most interested in seeing. If you have readers who have enjoyed color version of Ricky Ricotta's Might Robot, Dog Man, or Bad Guys, they will also enjoy this series.
Review provided for an ARC from NetGalley and Random House.
Review provided for an ARC from NetGalley and Random House.
September 6, 2020
John Gallagher offers a book that is fun, visually-appealing, and full of humor. I can see fans of Ben Clanton and Dav Pilkey gravitating to this book.
Perfects for comics fans, creative souls, striving readers, and those who haven’t found the right book yet!
Perfects for comics fans, creative souls, striving readers, and those who haven’t found the right book yet!
August 16, 2020
Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Max is the latest superhero. He eats some of a space meatball that his friend, Mindy, has in her secret lab. Adventures and misadventures occur as he seeks to defeat Agent M and his robot sidekick, Reggie. Plenty of humor for middle grade readers. They'll laugh at the antics and appreciate the trials and failures that go with the successes for the Cat Crusader.
Gallagher slips lessons on friendship and perseverance in seamlessly.
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Max is the latest superhero. He eats some of a space meatball that his friend, Mindy, has in her secret lab. Adventures and misadventures occur as he seeks to defeat Agent M and his robot sidekick, Reggie. Plenty of humor for middle grade readers. They'll laugh at the antics and appreciate the trials and failures that go with the successes for the Cat Crusader.
Gallagher slips lessons on friendship and perseverance in seamlessly.
April 22, 2020
This was SO cute! I picked it up because I was in a bit of a funk from a not so great book and as an avid cat AND comic book lover, I figured this would be the perfect palate cleanser of sorts. I was definitely right. This was an absolutely adorable little read.
It's definitely aimed for the pre-school to elementary crowd, but I still found it funny and I really enjoyed reading through it. I'm sure it would be excellent for parents to read with their children. There's some good lessons on making mistakes and accepting help for younger kids, without losing the fun or making it the kind of preachy sort of story that turns little kids off.
The art style was also wonderful. It was simple, but whimsical. I'm sure it'll inspire lots of little readers to pick up their pencils and make creations of their own. This is probably not the greatest for people without kids that don't enjoy children's book, but if you have little ones or are just looking for something cute, fun, and lighthearted, I highly recommend Max Meow
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this!
It's definitely aimed for the pre-school to elementary crowd, but I still found it funny and I really enjoyed reading through it. I'm sure it would be excellent for parents to read with their children. There's some good lessons on making mistakes and accepting help for younger kids, without losing the fun or making it the kind of preachy sort of story that turns little kids off.
The art style was also wonderful. It was simple, but whimsical. I'm sure it'll inspire lots of little readers to pick up their pencils and make creations of their own. This is probably not the greatest for people without kids that don't enjoy children's book, but if you have little ones or are just looking for something cute, fun, and lighthearted, I highly recommend Max Meow
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this!
May 12, 2020
This was super fun and adorable! Max the cat and Mindy the scientist team up to save their city from Agent M. What could possibly go wrong!? I'll definitely be recommending this to all the kiddos at the comic shop.
December 16, 2020
Max is a regular cat with a social media following until he eats a radioactive space meatball while trying to save his friend. Max then becomes a superhero.
I absolutely love this book so much! I am a big fan of Dog Man and Max Meow has a lot of the same type of humor. I can't wait to get this into my classroom because I think it will be a favorite. There are all kinds of silly little things like naming the city Kittyopolis and having buildings made out of twine. The art is adorable and the letters and colors are not distracting to the reader, which is good for struggling readers. There is nothing to distract from the story.
It is all the silliness that you would expect from a cat super story. At one point Max has to rescue a person stuck in a tree. There are subtle nods to the greats of superhero history like a book by Jack Kirby in one scene. This makes the book equally fun for adults as well as kids. As a teacher, I also love that they explain the big vocabulary words without talking down to students.
Excellent addition to any library no matter how old you are. 5 stars.
Creative Team:
By John Gallagher
Published by Random House
I absolutely love this book so much! I am a big fan of Dog Man and Max Meow has a lot of the same type of humor. I can't wait to get this into my classroom because I think it will be a favorite. There are all kinds of silly little things like naming the city Kittyopolis and having buildings made out of twine. The art is adorable and the letters and colors are not distracting to the reader, which is good for struggling readers. There is nothing to distract from the story.
It is all the silliness that you would expect from a cat super story. At one point Max has to rescue a person stuck in a tree. There are subtle nods to the greats of superhero history like a book by Jack Kirby in one scene. This makes the book equally fun for adults as well as kids. As a teacher, I also love that they explain the big vocabulary words without talking down to students.
Excellent addition to any library no matter how old you are. 5 stars.
Creative Team:
By John Gallagher
Published by Random House
March 6, 2022
This is a cute graphic novel about a scientist and her friend, a cat who becomes a superhero. It is geared for elementary aged kids, and was a hit with my 6 year old first grader.
He rated it 5 stars and said “I really liked it because it didn’t have too many words, and it had superheroes AND cats!” He also loved that there was a “how to draw” page at the end that showed you how to draw the main character.
I read through this one before my son read it himself, and I would recommend this book for any independent readers, especially reluctant readers. My son reads lots of chapter books, but I think this was a nice change of pace for him to take a break from regular reading. As a parent, I enjoyed the illustrations, and liked that there wasn’t a ton of rude humor, which is sometimes prevalent in a lot of graphic novels for kids.
Many thanks to John Gallagher, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for the digital advanced copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
He rated it 5 stars and said “I really liked it because it didn’t have too many words, and it had superheroes AND cats!” He also loved that there was a “how to draw” page at the end that showed you how to draw the main character.
I read through this one before my son read it himself, and I would recommend this book for any independent readers, especially reluctant readers. My son reads lots of chapter books, but I think this was a nice change of pace for him to take a break from regular reading. As a parent, I enjoyed the illustrations, and liked that there wasn’t a ton of rude humor, which is sometimes prevalent in a lot of graphic novels for kids.
Many thanks to John Gallagher, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for the digital advanced copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
June 26, 2020
Kids are going to LOVE this! Review to follow. Thank you, NetGalley, for the e-ARC!
November 23, 2025
The clorful illustrations, a simple storyline and over the top theatrics will probably appeal to this book's intended early elementary audience. However, I really didn't enjoy it.
July 17, 2022
First sentence: Welcome to the furr-ociously cool city of Kittyopolis!
Max Meow wasn't always the Cat Crusader. His super powers came to him AFTER a visit to his good friend Mindy's science lab. Now that he has powers, well, he's battling all sorts of evil in town. But sometimes it seems to get the best of him, and, well leads to humiliation and misunderstanding. Is having super powers a blessing or a curse?
Confession time: I have a hard time "reading" graphic novels or comic books. I think it takes a whole different set of skills. I've always thought I had good reading comprehension--for the most part--but graphic novels are hard. If my comprehension slips on even one panel, it can snowball into confusion. It can even be difficult to rewind (flip backwards) to see where exactly I went wrong. Thus was the case with this one. I was following the story for the most part...until....well I don't want to spoil this one. I liked it well enough. But I didn't love, love, love it.
Max Meow wasn't always the Cat Crusader. His super powers came to him AFTER a visit to his good friend Mindy's science lab. Now that he has powers, well, he's battling all sorts of evil in town. But sometimes it seems to get the best of him, and, well leads to humiliation and misunderstanding. Is having super powers a blessing or a curse?
Confession time: I have a hard time "reading" graphic novels or comic books. I think it takes a whole different set of skills. I've always thought I had good reading comprehension--for the most part--but graphic novels are hard. If my comprehension slips on even one panel, it can snowball into confusion. It can even be difficult to rewind (flip backwards) to see where exactly I went wrong. Thus was the case with this one. I was following the story for the most part...until....well I don't want to spoil this one. I liked it well enough. But I didn't love, love, love it.
August 18, 2022
Max needs fresh content for his online video channel, so he goes to interview his scientist friend Mindy. Mindy has all sorts of cool inventions, and also a space meatball she found. Max takes a nibble of the meatball and develops superpowers. He is psyched to try out his new powers, but Mindy thinks he should get a plan. Their friendship is tested, and unbeknownst to them a villain is out to get his paws on the meatball and will do anything to get it.
Max eventually learns some important lessons about planning ahead and friendship, but it does take a while to get there. This is definitely aimed at the lower end of middle grade. I think my middle schoolers would find it a touch too juvenile for them. It was ok, but not my favorite. I'm sure some kids will absolutely love Max though.
Notes on content: A few darns and a heck may not be vocab younger kids are allowed to use. No sexual content. There's some battles, but only pride is wounded and an animated plastic dino is melted.
Max eventually learns some important lessons about planning ahead and friendship, but it does take a while to get there. This is definitely aimed at the lower end of middle grade. I think my middle schoolers would find it a touch too juvenile for them. It was ok, but not my favorite. I'm sure some kids will absolutely love Max though.
Notes on content: A few darns and a heck may not be vocab younger kids are allowed to use. No sexual content. There's some battles, but only pride is wounded and an animated plastic dino is melted.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews