Attack of the ZomBEES

Max Meow #5

by John Gallagher

Bad Guys are after Kittyopolis's bees—can Max and Mindy stop them, BEE-fore it's too late?!

Buzzzz off bad guys! There's a new villain in Kittyopolis—Dr. ZomBEE! And he has it in for the city's bees! (Boy, does that sting!). Why would anyone want to hurt bees?! And who is Dr. ZomBEE? It's a Kittyopolis mystery!

Can Max and Mindy get to the bottom of it or are they about to BEE stung?!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Mystery, Childrens, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor, Friendship

240 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

John 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)

Reviews

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It finally occurs to me that this series is like if a series about Batman were called "Bruce Wayne." I don't know why I kept mentally reversing Max's superhero name (Cat Crusader) with his real name.

I digress.

The nice thing about this series is every book reintroduces the characters, so newcomers will be able to more or less follow along with what's happening. This volume plays with that, first introducing Mindy instead and not quite actually introducing Max in the process, haha.

The rest of the book is the expected level of cute I've come to expect, EVEN THOUGH it's filled with BEES! Named Beatrix! The only solid nitpick I have is that they all, bees and non-bees alike, treat the bees as male and female. In a hive, the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of bees are female, including "this guy" guarding the hive, and talking about them as male-default is doing a disservice to bee reality.

Recommended for young fans of bees! (I'm sure they exist!) Also for fans of the rest of the series, if the bees don't scare you away, haha.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's so much to enjoy in this, the fifth title in the Max Meow series, set in Kittyopolis. First of all, there's Max, of course, and his best friend Mindy. Then, there are the sidesplitting puns, many relating to bees, which is appropriate since this book focuses on bees that have come under the control of an evil individual intent on sabotaging the mayoral election. Finally, the book's plot is interrupted smoothly without missing a beat with interesting facts about bees. Elementary and middle-grade readers will smile their way through the pages while also relating to the sibling rivalry that exists between Mindy and her brother Marty. Add this colorful, action-packed graphic novel to a collection featuring superheroes or unique animals. It's a quick read for those looking for something amusing but also informative.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

My problem with books like this and Dog Man and others is that the title character seems to always become the least important character. In this one, the introduction is performed by Science Kitty and the story is mostly about her family. At least Max is a factor in the climax.

Science Kitty's mom is running for mayor. Science Kitty's brother is trying to preserve a bee habitat. A supervillain called Dr. Zombee starts controlling bees and gets up to mischief. Could Dr. Zombee be Science Kitty's brother?

My kids were entertained. Between me and/or my wife reading to them and the kids reading to themselves, the book has been read at least four times since we got it yesterday.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beest book beever look out for dr. Zombee. In my opinion this is the second beest book in the MAX MEOW series. If you like or don't like bees this is you're book. My favorite part was when Mindy blow torches Marty's door for fifteen minutes straight and nothing happens and then the Piedmont says have you tried the doorknob and Mindy says of course if tried the... Piedmont opens the door ...Doorknob. Again beest book to ever bee beeloved by bees 5/5

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Against a backdrop of a mayoral campaign in Kittyopolis, a swarm of controlled bees wreak havoc on the city. This is the fifth book in this graphic novel series for intermediate grade readers. Gallagher sprinkles both funny word play and Information about bees through the novel. Gallagher's graphics convey a lot of action that will keep the reader engaged.

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars (I loved it)

Pretty sure this is my favorite of the series. It has all the fun of Dog Man with also including a lot of great information about bees. I will definitely be purchasing for my school library!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

« J’aime les abeilles cutes. »

[PottWab Regional Library]

O

[Jennifer]

Jon gives this 4 stars.

Jon read it out loud and honestly, I don't think I paid attention well enough to rate it properly 😅

[Arman Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cool, Max Meow, Cat Crusader is like the cat version of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man! And I love it.

[Will Maples · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dumb but Henry liked it

[Oscar M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3.5 stars. I think this book is the second best of all Max Meow books. Also, this is the first Goodreads review in my family.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindy's Mom is running for Mayor, but when Mindy's brother Marty interrupts a debate with some bees people take it as a threat. Marty just wanted people to be aware that the new bridge construction was disrupting the bees' homes. He meant it as a peaceful protest. But Mindy is upset with him for hurting their mom's chances at the mayor's office. Soon, a whole bunch of bees invades another mayoral campaign stop and steal a necklace. Has Marty gone evil when no one listened to him? Or is someone else using bees for bad? It's up to Max and Mindy to figure it out and save the day.

I like how this book educates readers on ways bees communicate and why they are important for many ecosystems. Mindy learns some good lessons about listening to and getting along with her brother. And Max gets to have a good adventure as he helps solve the mystery. I accidentally skipped #4 in the series, but it didn't affect my understanding of this volume at all. Hand this to superhero fans, pun lovers, and graphic novel fans.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Some bees threaten to sting but no one is really hurt.
Ethnic diversity: Mindy and her family are Black. Many characters are animals.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Marty and Mindy argue a lot, but they end the book in a much healthier spot in their sibling relationship. Lots of puns, which could be a good or bad thing. 😉