RUBY'S STORM

It's wet and windy, but Ruby's undaunted; she packs checkers and a snack into a basket, slips on her yellow poncho and boots, kisses Mama goodbye, and sets out through the gusty weather that's darkening her city neighborhood, blowing newspapers and umbrellas, and pelting chilly passersby with spring rain. Along the way she imagines owning a large, friendly dog; when she gets to Grandpa's apartment there's a companionable game of checkers and a feast of the cookie's she's brought and the cocoa he makes to go with them. Cote's bright colors and animated compositions are as exhilarating as the storm itself. With its deliberate parallels and contrasts, this would be fun to pair with ``Red Riding Hood''; readers will also enjoy comparing Ruby with Steig's Brave Irene (1986), who confronts her storm in a more substantial plot and quite a different mood. (Picture book. 4-7)