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Ruby Nettleship
33 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Docherty
72 books12 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Thomas Docherty was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in England. He studied metalwork and sculpture and now has a collection of acclaimed picture books. Thomas has been short-listed for a variety of awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009 for Little Boat.
Thomas Docherty was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in England. He studied metalwork and sculpture and now has a collection of acclaimed picture books. Thomas has been short-listed for a variety of awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009 for Little Boat.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 16, 2014
Ruby Nettleship and the Ice Lolly Adventure
Thomas Docherty
A fantastic story about a little girl called Ruby Nettleship, who much like typical boy characters in other stories, likes to be outside, active and dreams about adventures while she is at home. This book is set in an inner city much like London with a strong multi-cultural element throughout the book. It would be great to present to children with similar experiences so they can imagine and identify that changes can be made when circumstances are not ideal.
The park by Ruby’s house had been neglected, she had to queue for a turn on the swing and all the other equipment was out of use. The pictures are dreary and show a lack of enthusiasm by Ruby’s peers, but Ruby is happy to embark on her own journey without the company of her friends. She dreams about what she would consider to be a great adventure playground and what would make everyone in the community really happy. This wish is realised when a magical lolly stick is planted in the ground. This turns the atmosphere around and the depressing story comes to life. There is colour and happiness in the whole city now and Ruby is delighted.
The characters in the book are mainly female and all strong and determined. Ruby expressed the problem with her park and the lady in the ice-cream van who is also the mayor ensured things would not stay the same. The book reflects the changes in society where equal opportunities are concerned, which is a very strong message for boys and girls who learn in one classroom on a daily basis. Ruby is also a mixed-raced child of parents who are also busy with a young baby, this is another factor that children may relate to.
The story can give children ideas about pushing for change and even go as far as asking the person in authority to make that happen. I would share this book with children at year three level because they are mainly out of the phonic stage and less frequently de-coding words. They can now pay attention to the plots and morals of stories where it will give them something to go away and think about.
Thomas Docherty
A fantastic story about a little girl called Ruby Nettleship, who much like typical boy characters in other stories, likes to be outside, active and dreams about adventures while she is at home. This book is set in an inner city much like London with a strong multi-cultural element throughout the book. It would be great to present to children with similar experiences so they can imagine and identify that changes can be made when circumstances are not ideal.
The park by Ruby’s house had been neglected, she had to queue for a turn on the swing and all the other equipment was out of use. The pictures are dreary and show a lack of enthusiasm by Ruby’s peers, but Ruby is happy to embark on her own journey without the company of her friends. She dreams about what she would consider to be a great adventure playground and what would make everyone in the community really happy. This wish is realised when a magical lolly stick is planted in the ground. This turns the atmosphere around and the depressing story comes to life. There is colour and happiness in the whole city now and Ruby is delighted.
The characters in the book are mainly female and all strong and determined. Ruby expressed the problem with her park and the lady in the ice-cream van who is also the mayor ensured things would not stay the same. The book reflects the changes in society where equal opportunities are concerned, which is a very strong message for boys and girls who learn in one classroom on a daily basis. Ruby is also a mixed-raced child of parents who are also busy with a young baby, this is another factor that children may relate to.
The story can give children ideas about pushing for change and even go as far as asking the person in authority to make that happen. I would share this book with children at year three level because they are mainly out of the phonic stage and less frequently de-coding words. They can now pay attention to the plots and morals of stories where it will give them something to go away and think about.
July 30, 2022
This story was a favourite of both my daughters from our weekly visits to our local library before they were both at school. I was delighted that they both chose the book again when we visited the library to sign up for the summer reading challenge. It’s a magical, fun story about hopes and dreams and determination to make things better, beautifully illustrated and i am sure it will be a lifelong favourite read in our house.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews