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Summary
Summary
Meet Ruby -- a little duckling who reaches big milestones in the heartwarming picture book gem.
Mother Duck and Father Duck are worried about Ruby. As the littlest duckling of the family, she learns to eat and swim long after her four sisters and brothers. Father Duck frets that Ruby will never catch up, but Mother Duck calmly reassures him that Ruby will flourish -- "in her own time."
Readers of all ages who have ever felt like the biggest or the littlest, the slowest or the fastest, or somewhere in between, will root for Ruby as she takes wing toward independence, at last. Once you've met Ruby, you'll never forget her!
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Two ducks watch over their five eggs, four of which hatch at the same time. Mother Duck tells Father Duck that the fifth one will hatch "in its own time." Eventually, the shell cracks and tiny Ruby enters the world. She tackles all tasks at her own pace, including eating and swimming. However, when it comes time for the siblings to stretch their wings, Ruby soars the farthest and highest. One day, she flies away, and her mother reassures her father that their child will return, once again, in her own time. When she does come home, Ruby is accompanied by her own mate and ducklings. This charming book celebrates an individual's determination and sense of self. The pacing of the rhythmic text is ideal for family storytimes that include youngsters of varying ages. Harry's soft, pastel paintings are gentle and appealing. They are slightly textured, suggesting the look of feathers, nests, and river reeds. Ruby flaps her wings to her own drummer and astute readers will recognize her parents' strength as they provide the necessary time and space for her to accomplish her goals.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Emmett's (Bringing Down the Moon) cuddly tale stars a mother and father duck who lovingly watch over the five eggs in their nest until hatching time arrives. But when only four ducklings break out of their shells, Mother and Father Duck assure the feathered siblings that baby number five will arrive "in its own time." The patient parents never pressure their fifth-born to keep up with the others ("We'll call her Ruby... because she's small and precious," says her mother). And though she's late to the party in many respects, Ruby eventually catches up and soars beyond her siblings on bold wings. The sweet, comforting tone of Emmett's text will be as welcome as a favorite blanket at bedtime. Bearing a resemblance to Leo the Late Bloomer, the story conveys the mother's knowing, steadfast support of Ruby, even as Father Duck has a few doubts ("Will it ever hatch?" he asks, "Will she ever swim?"). Harry's (the Noisy Farm Babies board books; the Ella the Elephant board books) pastel illustrations, featuring fuzzy line-edges and warm, inviting tones, capture the brightness of a sunny day at the pond. And her fluffy ducklings are irresistible, sporting downy yellow feathers and wide orange beaks. All ages. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In a nest, all but one of five duck eggs hatch at the same time. Ruby eventually hatches, and she eats and swims ""in her own time."" Ruby doesn't lose any time learning to fly, though her parents worry that she'll never return. The sweet images and story may be precious, but the message that it's okay to do things at your own pace may reassure some. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 1. Once upon a time / upon a nest / beside a lake, there lived two ducks. Soon there were blue eggs. One, two, three, four fluffy yellow ducklings--Ruby, Rory, Rosie, and Rebecca--popped out, but small, precious Ruby needed a little more time to emerge. In fact she needed a little more time to do most things: eating, swimming, flying away on her own. She just did everything in her own time--even when it came to returning home to her parents, with a family of her own. Like Robertraus' character Leo the Late Bloomer, Ruby has plenty of parental support as she splashes her way through ducklinghood. The sweetly warm family dynamics are displayed in boldly stroked, soft-focus pictures rendered in sunny nursery colors--yellow, pink, powder blue, and sunset orange. A winning read, with characters that are very close to huggable. --Stephanie Zvirin Copyright 2004 Booklist
