Ruby Rose: Off to School She Goes

by Rob Sanders, Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Illustrator)

Overview

Ruby Rose loves to dance . . .

. . . while she’s brushing her teeth,

. . . while she’s eating her breakfast,

. . . and even on her way to class.

But there’s NO DANCING at school! Or is there? With a little luck and a lot of rhythm, Ruby Rose finds a way to get everyone up on their dancing feet. A perfect back-to-school book for budding dancers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062235695
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/21/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rob Sanders is a writer who teaches and a teacher who writes. Every day he waltzes to Lockhart Elementary Magnet School in Brandon, Florida, to teach kids about books and words and reading and writing. Then he boogie-woogies back home to write books for children. On weekends and holidays you might find him boot-scooting with his dog, Baxter; hokey-pokeying at the beach with his great-nieces and -nephews; or cha-chaing with other children’s writers. Nothing makes his heart dance more than hearing boys and girls say, “Read it again!” Visit Rob’s website at robsanderswrites.com.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi writes and draws children’s books for a living. She has illustrated books by Judy Blume and Michael Ian Black and is the author-illustrator of Where Are My Books? She also illustrated Ruby Rose: Off to School She Goes. Secret fact: Debbie sometimes dances in her office when no one is looking. She lives in Toronto with her husband, Jeff. You can visit her at www.debbieohi.com
and on Twitter@inkyelbows.

Editorial Reviews

05/09/2016
Ruby Rose is excited for school to begin, but her true passion is dancing. She belly dances while brushing her teeth and, at school, arabesques to her art class and pirouettes to her easel, splattering paint everywhere. Ruby’s dancing proves disruptive throughout the day, especially after she gets her classmates to join in some line dances. While readers will learn the names of several dance styles thanks to Sanders (Outer Space Bedtime Race), that’s the only lesson-learning going on: although Ruby’s teacher finally gets her to sit still briefly, Ruby topples the classroom’s ant farm at the end of the day, which gets everyone moving. Ohi’s (Where Are My Books?) thickly outlined cartoons match Ruby’s abundant energy, but her personality is limited to her desire to dance, and the frequent “no dancing” admonishments get to be a bummer. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (June)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—Ruby Rose just can't help herself—she loves to dance! Her feet are tapping or stamping all day, every day. But what happens when Ruby Rose begins school—will she still have time to dance? Practically leaping out of bed, she does ballet during breakfast, belly dances while brushing her teeth and, after arriving at school, glides toward her desk after meeting her teacher, Ms. D. At first Ms. D is patient with her dance-obsessed new student, but as Ruby Rose arabesques to art, flinging paint everywhere, Ms. D begins a new refrain that Ruby Rose hears throughout the rest of her first day: "No dancing!" With a raised eyebrow from Ms. D here and there, Ruby Rose tries to stop her toes, but it is impossible. Ohi creates her fluid, motion-filled artwork using Photoshop. Ruby Rose sashays throughout her day in pink striped tights, a swirly skirt, and loose brown hair that moves whenever she busts a move. VERDICT There are plenty of Ruby Roses out in library land who will enjoy this sweet story.—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal

2015-10-14
Dance should be a 24/7 activity—or so believes one young fan. A little girl, clad in fashionable fuchsia, has a total dance mindset. "Dancing is a big part of me!" Starting school, meeting her teacher, and classroom activities all translate into dance routines as Ruby arabesques, pirouettes, and promenades in front of her disapproving teacher and a shushing librarian. Mere lines are not for Ruby's class. They tap dance to lunch, where Ruby leaps and cancans with her tray. Finally quieting down, Ruby asks her teacher when they will dance. Hearing that there just isn't time for dance at school, Ruby jumps up in horror and upsets a very large ant farm—causing everyone, including the teacher, to dance frantically about. Ruby feels vindicated and suffers no pangs of guilt or concern at what she has wrought. Dance is certainly an important art and should be part of a curriculum, but Ruby unfortunately takes her enthusiasm, bordering on obsession, to an unpleasant extreme. The digitally rendered artwork depicts children and teachers of diverse colors if not facial features, but the sketchy figures, which are outlined in black and set against a white background, give the pages a slapdash, unfinished look. Artistic expression clashes with classroom discipline, and neither is the winner. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews