Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-Whenever new student Ruby copies her classmate Angela, she earns a smile and a compliment from the girl. So every day Ruby hops home at lunchtime to add a hair bow, make a similar sweater, even hand-paint her clothes and shoes. By the end of the week, however, this imitation begins to annoy Angela. When Ruby copies her original poem, Angela threatens to tell their teacher, Miss Hart. After school, the teacher tells Ruby that she can be anything she wants to be, "but be Ruby first!" Ruby then begins to copy Miss Hart. When her teacher kindly encourages Ruby to talk about her own special talents, Ruby has a surprise. The entire class is so impressed with her ability to hop, that they begin to copy Ruby, and she starts to make friends at last. Peggy Rathmann's text (Scholastic, 1991) and colorful pencil-and-ink drawings are enhanced by Sharyn Cassidy's enthusiastic narration, and the movement from one page to the next enlivens the tale. This lesson about self-confidence and friendship encourages youngsters to take pride in their own talents.-MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

It seems that something other than coincidence is at work when diminutive Ruby, a newcomer to Miss Hart's class, is entranced by schoolmate Angela's attention-getting red bow and returns from lunch with an identical bow atop her head. Ruby's maddening habit becomes increasingly apparent as she happily endures a rainbow of wet paint in imitation of Angela's hand-painted outfit, proudly plagiarizes Angela's poetry and tries pink press-on nails after admiring Miss Hart's manicure. Finally, challenged to display a talent all her own, Ruby admits that she likes to hop and masterfully bounces around her desk. To her surprise, she impresses her classmates and wins Angela's friendship at last. Rathmann's expressively illustrated, quirky and individualistic first book encourages readers to have confidence and not to take skills, however unimpressive they may seem, for granted. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)