Step right into Ruby’s fabulous world, full of the ordinary and extraordinary.
Ruby shares a busy day with readers.
An unnamed narrator introduces the reader to Ruby, who “can’t wait to share her day with you.” Readers are invited into Ruby’s room, where the various activities with which Ruby keeps herself busy are on display. Among many other things, Ruby likes to invent things, to “figure out how things work,” and to “do excavations” with her best friend, Teddy (a puppy). She travels backward and forward in time in the time machine she has invented. Readers are encouraged to stay involved in Ruby’s world while doing some self-reflection with questions sprinkled throughout: “Can you feel [your skeleton] underneath your skin?” and “What kinds of things are you curious about?” Brown-skinned Ruby, with her sweet smile, huge Afro, and dynamic curiosity, is an engaging protagonist in whose world readers will delightedly immerse themselves. The illustrations use a tropical palette and a range of double-page spreads and vignettes, including a lovely wordless spread, to achieve an inviting narrative that feels complete with introduction, deep imagination, and a thoughtful farewell to readers. Ruby is an inspirational character and, for truly imaginative young minds, a wonderful playmate.
Step right into Ruby’s fabulous world, full of the ordinary and extraordinary. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6361-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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