This is Max

Justyna Sokołowska

A snail, a dog, a gecko, a turtle, and a human—what do they have in common? This moving, simple story explores the meaning of home and what truly matters. Max, a giant African snail, once lived in Ukraine with a boy who carried him in a toy truck. When war broke out, they fled. Now, Max shares a home with other animals forced to leave theirs: a dog whose caretaker passed away, an abandoned turtle, and a gecko left behind by a bored girl. This poetic book, inspired by true stories of adopted animals, prompts reflection on what home means to each of us. Can home be carried, like a snail’s shell? And is a house without its inhabitants still a home?

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