Ruby and the Itsy-Bitsy (Icky) Bug

by Allison Wortche, Sally Walker (Illustrator)

Overview

Ruby does NOT like bugs! Until she's forced to spend some time looking more closely at one... A funny story for kids with big feelings and curious minds.

When Ruby discovers a bug on her window one morning she FREAKS OUT! She loves animals, just NOT bugs!

But no amount of blowing or squirting or yelling will get this bug to go away. It will get Ruby stuck in a time out.

With lots of time to study Mr. Yuck-bug, Ruby grudgingly decides he may have some interesting qualities after all. He's strong. A good listener. And his little antennae might be an itsy-bit cute.

Over the course of the day, Ruby gets almost attached to the guy. And when night falls, she sees him in a surprising new way!

Allison Wortche and Sally Walker team up to show readers how something can go from gross to great when looked at in the proper light.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593174173
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	06/21/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	184,111
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.31(h) x 0.44(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Allison Wortche is a fifteen-year veteran of the children's publishing industry. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, she edited books at Knopf BFYR/Penguin Random House. She now splits her time between writing and freelance editing.

Allison is the author of Oliver's Lollipop, Rosie Sprout's Time to Shine, and the I Love Science board book series. To find out more, please visit her at allisonwortche.com and on Instagram @allisonwortche.

Sally Walker is a children's book illustrator based in Suffolk, UK. After working as a graphic designer for over 15 years, Sally Walker decided she wanted to explore her love of illustration further. She graduated from the Cambridge School of Art in 2017 with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration and now illustrates full time.
You can visit her at sallywalkerillustration.com and on Instagram @sallywalkerillustration.

Editorial Reviews

2022-05-25
Bugs bug some people.

Ruby loves animals, particularly furry and ocean-dwelling ones. But bugs? No thanks. Ruby awakens to find a large bug outside the window. Ignoring Mommy’s suggestion to study it like a scientist, Ruby instead attempts to shoo the bug away by screaming at it, but it stays put. Worse, the screaming lands Ruby in timeout. This works out well, however, because, left alone with the visitor, animal aficionado and nascent scientist Ruby reassesses the situation and discovers an appreciation of—and even admiration of—“Mr. Yuck-Bug,” who the child thinks might be a beetle. Ruby discusses bioluminescent fish with the bug, draws pictures of him, and even feels contrite about yelling at him earlier. When night falls and the insect flies off, Ruby makes an exhilarating discovery about what’s lighting up the sky! This sweet story about changing one’s mind and seeing things from a new perspective will charm young readers, many of whom may be bug fans. Dark-haired, tan-skinned, gap-toothed Ruby, who narrates in chatty first person, is a realistic character who unabashedly owns up to a bug aversion and uses agency to overcome it. Mommy is light-skinned, while Daddy is brown-skinned. The energetic illustrations, created with a combination of mixed-media and digital techniques, are often set in panels and insets; some type is set in larger colored capitals for dramatic emphasis. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This cute tale proves it’s not hard to see things in a new light. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

★ "Ruby is a delightfully expressive protagonist, with rosy, light brown cheeks and a wide-eyed, gap-toothed look of horror when she encounters her insect visitor." —Bulletin, starred review

"This sweet story about changing one’s mind and seeing things from a new perspective will charm young readers." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher