The Little Red Fort (Little Ruby's Big Ideas)

by Brenda Maier, Sonia Sánchez (Illustrator)

Overview

A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year* "The Little Red Hen gets an appealing girl-power update...Young makers of all genders will be inspired." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred reviewRuby's mind is always full of ideas.One day, she finds some old boards and decides to build something. She invites her brothers to help, but they just laugh and tell her she doesn't know how to build."Then I'll learn," she says.And she does!When she creates a dazzling fort that they all want to play in, it is Ruby who has the last laugh.With sprightly text and winsome pictures, this modern spin on the timeless favorite The Little Red Hen celebrates the pluck and ingenuity of young creators everywhere!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338257168
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/27/2018
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Brenda Maier is a public school teacher, a gifted education specialist, and the author of the highly acclaimed picture books The Little Red Fort and The Little Blue Bridge. When she isn't writing, Brenda enjoys traveling with her family, baking peanut-free cookies, and watching her five children build amazing creations from found materials. She lives near Tulsa, Oklahoma. You can learn more about her work at brendamaier.com.
Sonia Sánchez paints with both traditional and digital brushes, using layers of texture in her work to evoke emotion and movement. She is the illustrator of The Little Red Fort and The Little Blue Bridge by Brenda Maier, Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, and other acclaimed picture books. Sonia lives with her husband and young children in Barcelona, Spain.

Editorial Reviews

01/15/2018
In this update of “The Little Red Hen,” debut author Maier casts a dark-haired girl named Ruby as the lead and her older brothers Oscar Lee, Rodrigo, and José as the gang that declines to help her (“No way” is José’s stock reply). Undaunted, Ruby draws plans for a fort, gathers supplies, and assembles the structure without them. Then, of course, they want to use it. The scribbly lines and bright colors contributed by Sanchez (The Curious Cares of Bears) convey exuberance on every page. She pictures Ruby dreaming up her fort in the family bathroom, then consulting her father (who has a drafting board) and her mother (who wields an impressive collection of tools). Even Ruby’s grandmother gets in on the action. Maier keeps her prose spare and preserves the rhythms and taglines of the original (“ ‘Fine,’ said Ruby. ‘I’ll hammer them myself.’ And she did”). Ruby’s satisfaction is palpable, and readers won’t fail to grasp the message of self-sufficiency. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Bookmark Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez:A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year* "The Little Red Hen gets an appealing girl-power update...Young makers of all genders will be inspired." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review"Using a narrative framework and dialogue inspired by the Little Red Hen.... Maier judiciously adapts one of the best nursery stories, keeps it simple, and makes it her own. The upbeat mixed-media illustrations are nicely varied in composition and perspective. A lively picture book that's fun to read aloud." — Booklist"[Sánchez's] textured illustrations and sense of humor add depth to each dynamic scene. Throughout the story, Maier's little Latina go-getter breaks gender and cultural stereotypes....empowering...." — Kirkus Reviews"Maier's girl-power-meets-classic folktale story line is engaging and entertaining. Sánchez's colorfully patterned and textured illustrations give dimension to a determined and endearing pigtailed heroine and her realistic multigenerational, multi-skin-toned family." — The Horn Book"This delightful retelling of the old story of "The Little Red Hen" is perfect for storytime or one-on-one sharing. It also reminds girls that they can do whatever they set their minds to do." — School Library Journal"...exuberance on every page." — Publishers Weekly"The repetition of key words and the predictable narrative would make this book excellent for reading aloud....The warmly colored illustrations with pops of red are.... a fitting style for a book about one child's creativity and ingenuity." — School Library Connection, recommended

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—This book begins with the line, "Ruby's mind was always full of ideas." When the child finds some old boards she decides that she wants to build something. So she asks her brothers for help. They tell her she doesn't know how, but she says, "Then I'll learn." Each step of the way Ruby asks the boys to help, but every time they reply: "Not me," said Oscar Lee; "I don't think so," said Rodrigo; and "No way" said José. So each time Ruby does everything herself. She draws the plans, gathers the supplies, cuts the boards (with her mom's help), hammers the nails (with grandma's help). Finally when the fort is complete, Ruby asked who wants to play in it. Her three brothers definitely want to do that. But Ruby tells them that they haven't done anything to help her, so she will play in the fort by herself. The boys set about to make amends by fashioning a mailbox, planting flowers, and painting the fort fire-engine red. Ruby loves it! That evening she invites her brothers to a cookie feast, which they all enjoy in the fort. The bold and dynamic artwork captures the kids' personalities and creative energy. VERDICT This delightful retelling of the old story of "The Little Red Hen" is perfect for storytime or one-on-one sharing. It also reminds girls that they can do whatever they set their minds to do.—Elaine Lesh Morgan, formerly at Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

School Library Journal

2017-11-27
Ruby has a pile of boards, a fuzzy idea, and three brothers. And like the little red hen, Ruby's on her own. Her smart-aleck brothers have time for neither their pesky sister nor her project. " ‘Who wants to help me draw the plans?' Ruby asked….‘Not me,' said Oscar Lee. ‘I don't think so,' said Rodrigo. ‘No way,' said José. ‘I'm too busy.' " With the help of her mother and grandmother, Ruby saws and hammers until the backyard fort takes pride of place in the backyard—much to the envious grumblings of the three boys. When Ruby won't let them inside, the brothers paint the fort, add a mailbox, and plant flowers in hopes of a reprieve. "Ruby was delighted." Mollified, she invites them in for a plate of cookies. Barcelonan artist Sánchez incorporates fun details such as the strings of papel picado bedecking the fort and the brothers' chalk art. Her textured illustrations and sense of humor add depth to each dynamic scene. Throughout the story, Maier's little Latina go-getter breaks gender and cultural stereotypes. She outthinks and outperforms the boys. She uses her dad's drafting table and her mom's workshop, and female relatives help build the fort. In light of this, it's too bad the boys don't propitiate Ruby with further gender-norm-defying gestures, instead joining her to eat cookies she evidently has baked. Despite a lost opportunity, a mostly empowering story for children and their parents. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews