Hello, My Name Is Ruby

by Philip C. Stead, Philip C. Stead (Illustrator)

Overview

Join Ruby, a plucky little bird, as she ventures through life, making new friends, learning new skills and asking questions which may have some very surprising results.

Fearless Ruby's search for adventure, friendship and her place in the world comes to life through acclaimed author/illustrator Philip C. Stead's whimsical illustrations and succinct, charming text.

This title has Common Core connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596438095
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	09/03/2013
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

PHILIP C. STEAD is the author of the Caldecott Medal winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2010, illustrated by his wife, Erin E. Stead (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2010).  Philip, also an artist, both wrote and illustrated his debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast (Roaring Brook Press, 2009), which was applauded by School Library Journal for “its wry humor and illustrations worthy of a Roald Dahl creation.”  Philip lives with Erin in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

PHILIP C. STEAD is the author of the Caldecott Medal winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2010, illustrated by his wife, Erin E. Stead (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2010).  Philip, also an artist, both wrote and illustrated his debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast (Roaring Brook Press, 2009), which was applauded by School Library Journal for “its wry humor and illustrations worthy of a Roald Dahl creation.”  Philip lives with Erin in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

Stead’s (A Home for Bird) latest is simultaneously a story about making friends and a celebration of line, color, and form. Ruby’s small yellow body and big beak make her a distant cousin of Charles Schulz’s Woodstock, and the birds she introduces herself to sport an array of wacky beaks and frizzy feathers. She flies with a heron and meets a diminutive red bird who takes flight with the rest of its flock to form the silhouette of a huge red elephant in response to Ruby’s question, “Are you ever afraid because you are small?” One bird refuses her overtures: “No thank you,” it says, and stalks away; Ruby stands dejected, then pushes on. To an ostrichlike bird, she explains, “A name is a sound that is all yours... ROOO-beee, ROOO-beee.” “SKEEP-wock,” the bird replies. “I have heard your name before.” Skeepwock knows where there are many other Rubys—giving Ruby the chance to acquaint new friends and old. Ruby exemplifies the willingness to see the good in everyone, and Stead’s artwork echoes her joyousness. Ages 2–6. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

*Stead's flora-filled settings and free-spirited style will feel happily familiar to readers of A Home for Bird (2012); the fresh storyline follows the range of reactions to an extroverted personality. . . A final encounter helps the heroine and readers comprehend and value the concepts of name and identity—and the blessings that reaching out to a diverse community bestows.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Ruby exemplifies the willingness to see the good in everyone, and Stead's artwork echoes her joyousness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This deceptively simple tale eloquently explores the universal theme of making friends. . . This irresistible read-aloud, with its recognizable and much-loved theme, will resonate with children.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2013
PreS-Gr 1—This deceptively simple tale eloquently explores the universal theme of making friends. "Hello, my name is Ruby," says a small yellow bird as she encounters a variety of avian counterparts and discovers the shared pleasures of flying and walking. Another bird shows her that she need not feel small when she is among friends. But then one of her overtures, "Would you like to be my friend?" is met with rejection when a large bird with striking plumage says, "No, thank you." In a poignant wordless illustration, Ruby stands in the rain, singing a sad song. After the sun dries her feathers, she meets a "curious bird" who peers at her from a great height. Ruby explains that a name "is a sound that is all yours," and the pair exchange names: "ROOO-beee, ROOO-beee-OOO-beee-OOO-beee./SKEEP-wock, replied the bird. SKEEEEEP-wock-wock-wock." Skeepwock is glad to meet her and tells her that he's heard her name before, leading her to a tree full of yellow birds just like her. Stead pairs a minimal amount of text with ingeniously crafted, mixed-media illustrations. Varying perspectives and brilliant use of color and line give voice to Ruby's emotions: from shy wonderment to abject rejection and, finally, infectious delight. This irresistible read-aloud, with its recognizable and much-loved theme, will resonate with children.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

Stead's flora-filled settings and free-spirited style will feel happily familiar to readers of A Home for Bird (2012); the fresh storyline follows the range of reactions to an extroverted personality. Ruby is a diminutive, yellow bird whose frequent introductions are a touch formal: "I am glad to meet you." She fearlessly initiates conversation with much bigger birds and is the kind of friend who offers ideas and is willing to try the suggestions of others. In the process, much is gleaned about avian (and human) behavior. In a nod to Leo Lionni, a red warbler her size shows Ruby how not to feel small: The flock flies in an elephant formation, their collective shape larger than any pachyderm in the herd. Stead places the protagonist in a variety of situations, at one point allowing listeners to finish a sentence, at another permitting silence to heighten emotion, as when Ruby stands alone in a gray rainstorm, rebuffed. Wide, energetic crayon strokes color her expansive world in shades transitioning from sky blue to sunset coral. Thin circular lines suggest ponds and trees. Rendered in gouache, the expressive animals are the focus, whether on glaciers or in grasslands. A final encounter helps the heroine and readers comprehend and value the concepts of name and identity--and the blessings that reaching out to a diverse community bestows. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews