Review by Booklist Review
Ruby Rose loves to boogie. It's the first day of school, and she bebops into class to meet Mrs. Dempsey, her new teacher. Mrs. Dempsey has never danced a day in her life, and she (and the rest of the staff, including a shushing librarian and a scolding lunch lady) encourages sitting quietly, lining up in orderly fashion, and walking sedately in straight lines. Just when it seems that there will never be time for Ruby Rose's impromptu conga lines or cancan routines, the classroom ant farm gets knocked over, and the entire class, including Mrs. Dempsey, starts stomping, spinning, whirling, and twirling. Ruby Rose bounces home happy, knowing dance is in her future. The text abounds with dance vocabulary, and the illustrations terrifically show the sheer joy of moving and grooving. Characters are outlined in heavy black lines and pop off the pages, adding to the already kinetic feel. This fun tale will inspire young dancers, help readers get through that first day of school, and encourage free spirits to do their own thing.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ruby Rose is excited for school to begin, but her true passion is dancing. She belly dances while brushing her teeth and, at school, arabesques to her art class and pirouettes to her easel, splattering paint everywhere. Ruby's dancing proves disruptive throughout the day, especially after she gets her classmates to join in some line dances. While readers will learn the names of several dance styles thanks to Sanders (Outer Space Bedtime Race), that's the only lesson-learning going on: although Ruby's teacher finally gets her to sit still briefly, Ruby topples the classroom's ant farm at the end of the day, which gets everyone moving. Ohi's (Where Are My Books?) thickly outlined cartoons match Ruby's abundant energy, but her personality is limited to her desire to dance, and the frequent "no dancing" admonishments get to be a bummer. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator's agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Ruby Rose just can't help herself-she loves to dance! Her feet are tapping or stamping all day, every day. But what happens when Ruby Rose begins school-will she still have time to dance? Practically leaping out of bed, she does ballet during breakfast, belly dances while brushing her teeth and, after arriving at school, glides toward her desk after meeting her teacher, Ms. D. At first Ms. D is patient with her dance-obsessed new student, but as Ruby Rose arabesques to art, flinging paint everywhere, Ms. D begins a new refrain that Ruby Rose hears throughout the rest of her first day: "No dancing!" With a raised eyebrow from Ms. D here and there, Ruby Rose tries to stop her toes, but it is impossible. Ohi creates her fluid, motion-filled artwork using Photoshop. Ruby Rose sashays throughout her day in pink striped tights, a swirly skirt, and loose brown hair that moves whenever she busts a move. VERDICT There are plenty of Ruby Roses out in library land who will enjoy this sweet story.-Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Dance should be a 24/7 activityor so believes one young fan. A little girl, clad in fashionable fuchsia, has a total dance mindset. "Dancing is a big part of me!" Starting school, meeting her teacher, and classroom activities all translate into dance routines as Ruby arabesques, pirouettes, and promenades in front of her disapproving teacher and a shushing librarian. Mere lines are not for Ruby's class. They tap dance to lunch, where Ruby leaps and cancans with her tray. Finally quieting down, Ruby asks her teacher when they will dance. Hearing that there just isn't time for dance at school, Ruby jumps up in horror and upsets a very large ant farmcausing everyone, including the teacher, to dance frantically about. Ruby feels vindicated and suffers no pangs of guilt or concern at what she has wrought. Dance is certainly an important art and should be part of a curriculum, but Ruby unfortunately takes her enthusiasm, bordering on obsession, to an unpleasant extreme. The digitally rendered artwork depicts children and teachers of diverse colors if not facial features, but the sketchy figures, which are outlined in black and set against a white background, give the pages a slapdash, unfinished look. Artistic expression clashes with classroom discipline, and neither is the winner. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
