Hello, My Name is Ruby

by Philip C. Stead

Join Ruby, a plucky little bird, as she ventures through life, making new friends, learning new skills and asking questions which may have some very surprising results.  Fearless Ruby's search for adventure, friendship and her place in the world comes to life through acclaimed author/illustrator Philip C. Stead's whimsical illustrations and succinct, charming text.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Birds, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction

36 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

Philip C. Stead is the author of the Caldecott Medal winning book A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2010, illustrated by his wife, Erin E. Stead. Together with Erin, he also created Bear Has a Story to Tell, an E.B. White Read-Aloud Award honor book. Philip, also an artist, has written and illustrated several of his own books including Hello, My Name is Ruby, Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat, A Home for Bird, and his debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast, which was applauded by School Library Journal for “its wry humor and illustrations worthy of a Roald Dahl creation.” Philip lives with Erin and their dog, Wednesday, in a 100-year-old barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the overall concept of this book, but there are a number of awkward transitions that would make it confusing to a story time audience. I do love that the birds get their names from the sounds they make, and I enjoyed the artwork as well.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many moments of ah! (Rubying explaining, "Flying is how to get places" -- and the elephant-shaped flock!) But a bit of a bumpy ride. Right at the start it's not clear who Ruby is, and not good that I didn't want to work too hard to figure it out. I couldn't find the little birds on the giraffe's head; I can imagine that might have been a moment of ah! but instead it was an "oh." Finally, I enjoyed Ruby's last question but the answer was an "eh."

[Jim Erekson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. I'm expecting so much more from the Steads, both of them, since Amos McGee.

This was a simple parable, with a predictable lesson on trying to make friends who are like you and not like you. There are some fun moments along the way to break up the lesson, but I still felt like I was being preached to and not having an experience.

Nancy was telling me today about the use of the aesthetic term ekstasis from Greek philosophy to talk about a kind of transport or outside-oneself perspective that can be achieved in art. That's a lot of what I think I expect from the best picturebooks, and why I'm usually disappointed by didactic literature--it positions me very deliberately in a specific, pre-decided place.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed, feeling the storyline was not very clear in some parts, but the illustrations are wonderful. Not my favorite of his.

[Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book about making friends and being kind to everyone and helping others who don’t quite fit the crowd.

[Darci Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute book and a great one to use at the beginning of the school year to encourage students to be kind and friendly to one another. The illustrations show Ruby befriending all sorts of different birds, which can help students see that we can be friends and/or be kind to those who are different from us!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby is a little bird who is eager to make new friends. So she introduces herself to every animal she meets. She’s also eager to learn all sorts of things so she asks all sorts of questions. Along her journey, she meets different birds who travel in different ways, a giraffe, and many more. Finally, she meets a bird who doesn’t sing like Ruby does, but he has heard Ruby’s name before. So he takes her there and suddenly Ruby fits in, but a little bird like Ruby is completely unique so she manages to stand out anyway.

Filled with the same solid writing and art as his previous books, Stead has created a shining new protagonist here in little Ruby. She is so similar to many children who are fearless when meeting strangers and eager to have conversations about anything at all. There are many children who will see themselves and their energy in Ruby. Stead puts page breaks at wonderful points in the story, creating stand-alone moments of flight and friendship that are exceptional.

As always, Stead’s art is stellar. He manages in just a few lines and the tip of a head to capture Ruby’s spirit and vibrancy. In the end, the range of Ruby’s friends is shone as a group and the image just sings.

A tiny but oh so impressive little bird will steal your heart in this vibrant picture book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Aeicha]

Philip C. Stead’s Hello, My Name is Ruby is a gorgeously rendered and surprisingly poignant tale about a brave little bird that sets out to make friends and find her place in the big ol’ world.

Stead’s sweet Ruby may be tiny, but her courage and compassion are HUGE. The story itself is seemingly simple and easy to grasp, but tells a lovely story about friendship and love. Readers of all ages will be able to relate to Ruby’s quest for friends and her journey offers such a wonderful and heartwarming lesson about seeing the good and beauty in others. Stead’s storytelling is charming and affecting and his illustrations are absolutely charming. The illustrations are done in an exquisitely childlike manner and Stead has seemed to use crayons, markers, and colored pencils to give his pictures texture and movement. The various animals are expressive and have such personality.

Hello, My Name is Ruby is a superbly crafted story with an unforgettable heroine and pictures that readers will want to gaze at all day.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I love Philip C. Stead. His illustrations are perfection! This is a very cute story about a little bird named Ruby who goes around introducing herself to all the other birds and animals (with one great nod to Leo Lionni on the page with the elephants). Not all of them want to be her friend, however, and one makes her feel very sad...until a new friend comes along. She has interesting snippets of conversation with every bird she meets and either learns something new from them or teaches them something new.
Would be great as a storytime read for ages 4 and up.

Thanks to another reviewer here who posted this link with details about Stead's process: http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethin...

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will give the illustrations in this title a ten, they are whimisical and beautiful. However, the storyline about a little bird wanting to make friends is okay, but it is difficult to maintain interest in, it sort of goes nowhere. Perhaps this title would do well one on one with a child, but not for a storytime. However, the illustrations are fabulous.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bird introduces herself and finds several friends.

Used with a mature PreK class and they were interested enough that they wanted to all get closer to see the small birds on the giraffe's horns. One boy told me he liked Ruby best of our 3 stories. 9/24/13

Used again and stumbled on the transition to the little birds on the giraffe's horns.

[Emily Scheinman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could see this as a wonderful book to read before 1st day back to school or during the first week of class. Beautiful illustrations accompany a story of Ruby, master of the introduction that leads to friendship!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, heart-warming story of friendship headed by Ruby, a friendly bird who introduces herself to every bird she meets.

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute concept, cute art, choppy,awkward, confusing text. Disappointing.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bird named Ruby introduces herself to birds unlike herself that she meets as she tries to make friends.
Lovely illustrations for a sweet story.

[Aura Keaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, My Name is Ruby is a deeply emotional story about a little bird who tries to make friends of others who obviously do not look like Ruby. They are all similar in the fact that they are birds, but they do not all fly or have Ruby’s same size or colors. Eventually, Ruby meets a very large bird named Skeepwock who leads Ruby to a group of birds that look exactly like Ruby. Ruby then introduces the friends made along the way to the newly found look-alikes.

I can relate to this story as I tried to make friends in my new home after moving three years ago. I have struggled until now where I have found my group of like-minded peers amongst the public library staff.

I highly recommend this easy read for its sweet, thoughtful story and its beautifully simple pencil and pastel drawings.

[McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Fable
Age: Any
Illustrations: Personally I did not like the pictures in the book, they name many of the animals look scary.
Gist: This story is about a little bird named Ruby who is looking for friends and adventure. As she meets new friends she introduces herself with her name. With each friend she finds out new things about each one, and finds how amazing have friends is. In the end she is surrounded by all her friends and is filled with love.
Curriculum Connection: After this book you can then lead into different types of birds, you can start with birds local then move to tropical.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't but help fall head over heels with Stead's gorgeous illustrations, soft, tender and pulsing with life. I'm not a gigantic fan of dialogue heavy picture books; they can sometimes be confusing to read out albeit heaps of fun. This book could be useful as a play-acting prompt, encouraging youngsters to role play and fly around till their hearts' content, dispersing the message of friendship and acceptance of others and yourself.

[Rubs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected a little bit more but considering that this book is for little children, I guess it's ok.
I have to admit that I felt identified with Ruby since, well... we share the same name and we are very friendly. I even felt empathy when she says: "Do you wanna be my friend?" and the bird replies: "No".
It's part of the life lessons that we learn: not everyone is going to like you and that's perfectly fine.

[Zoraida Rivera Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about friendship.Stead doesn't need many words to say a lot. This book can be a wonderful resource to talk about this topic to second and third graders who face many challenges in this area during those grades. It can aid them in valuing differences and similarities and knowing the beauty in both.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both too earnest and too subtle. As another reviewer says, the birds on the giraffe's head are almost impossible to find. And awkward transitions etc.

I do appreciate that Ruby does not succeed in making friends with everyone that she reaches out to. I don't know what the success rate would be for, say, a first or second grade child new to the school, but I am sure it would not be 100%.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Ruby is looking for a friend and she just about introduces herself to everyone she sees. She makes friends with all sorts of other birds and later meets birds like her. What does she do next?

This is a sweet book of taking that first step of making a friend. Even when rejected, though saddened, it doesn't stop Ruby from moving on.

[Olivia S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such beautiful illustrations! Such cute birds! Such a boring story :(. Ruby the bird introduces herself to all different kinds of birds and learns how they live. This idea could have worked with better writing, but this story just didn't do anything for me. What a shame.

[Shonna Gnahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very charming story with simple text and wonderful illustrations that capture a little birds journey to make friends and find her place in the big world. Join Ruby on her journey to meet unique birds and make new friends.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book, good visuals. I read it to a 4 year old at the park, younger than Ruby, and she was kind of amazed to have someone besides her mother read her a book. I dramatized it, and that was an interesting thing to her too. My daughter likes to get me to read to a group of kids, it's like she knows I'm a frustrated performer, who doesn't have enough reading audiences.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a friendship-themed storytime for preschoolers. It was an approachable story that seemed to resonate with the kids. I particularly enjoyed saying "Skeep-wock, Skeeeep-wock-wock-wock!". The kids particularly enjoyed the flock of birds forming itself into an elephant. It was a nice story about being friendly and brave, and making friends who are different from yourself. "There is always so much to see."

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awe, so very, very sweet. A story about being friendly.

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super-friendly bird flies around talking to other birds who take a while to catch on.
Birds
Friends

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a sweet story, but I did get lost along the way until the end.

[Maren Prestegaard · Rating 2 out of 5]

So confused by this book. I forgive the author because he wrote Sick Day for Amos McGee, best picture book of all time.