Ruby Paints a Picture (I Can Read Book 1)

By Susan Hill

Book Overview

When Ruby decides to do a painting of a big tree, her friends all want to be in the picture. "Paint me Paint me " each of them says. So Ruby does, but each friend thinks Ruby has neglected to show his or her best feature. "You forgot to paint my red tail," says Fiona Fox. "You forgot to paint my wide wings," says Carlos Crow. Yet once the painting is finished, Ruby's friends find that she just may have portrayed the best part of them after all.

Expressive paintings perfectly capture the best part of this new story about Ruby, the irrepressible raccoon, first introduced in ruby bakes a cake and as full of childlike good humor as ever.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060089784
• ISBN13: 9780060089788
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A lesson seeing the best in everyone

Reviewed by Madison Schlarman (age 4) and Mom for Reader Views (08/10) Ruby decides to paint pictures of God's gifts. She gathers her supplies and heads outside to paint a tree. Slowly, but surely, each of her friends come along and asks Ruby to paint them also. Ruby knows her friends are a gift from God so she paints them too. After she is finished painting each one, the friend complains that she didn't paint the best part of them. When Ruby finishes the entire painting she shows her friends. She tells her friends that although she did not paint what they thought was the best part of them; she did paint very special gifts from God. Her friends agree and decide she did paint the best part of them after all, she painted their smiles! Madison's comments: Ruby paints a picture. She got her paper and paint and paint brushes. She paints a tree and Fiona fox. They are gifts from God. Bunny gets painted too, then Jenny Wren. "You forgot to paint my webbed feet" said Dan Duck. Carlos crow gets painted. "You forgot to paint my wide wings." She looked at her picture. She looked at her friends. I didn't paint your tail or your ears or you feet or your wings but I did paint four special things. She took her picture to her friends. They said "you're right, you painted our smiles." Mom's comments: "Ruby Paints a Picture" was a wonderful example and illustration to my daughter of seeing the best in others and realizing that everyone is special to God. She really liked the part where she was able to view the painting and see Ruby's friends' smiles. We were able to talk about pointing out the good in others, especially something they may not see in themselves. Just as all the other Ruby books have been, this book is repetitive in nature for easy reading and learning of words by sight and repetitiveness. Each time Ruby paints a friend the wording is set up exactly alike and changes based on the friends name and part of them that they believe is the best. My daughter quickly caught onto this book and after we had read it three or four times, she was able to read or remember almost the exact wording for many of the sections in the book. She felt proud of herself and excited to hold the book like mommy does and read it. I highly suggest this series of I Can Read books for emerging readers and young children. They are full of wonderful examples and wholesome concepts along with a great format for learning to read!

We Love Ruby!

Our favorite Ruby book is probably Ruby Paints a Picture. Ruby loves to paint pictures of God's gifts, and begins painting a tree. One by one, her friends come along and request that she paint them. Ruby is happy to paint them because they are each a gift from God. When they see the painting, they are each disappointed that Ruby did not paint their best feature (webbed feet, long ears, wide wings and red tail). At the end of the book, Ruby explains that she painted four very special gifts from God. Her friends quickly change their minds and say that Ruby did paint the very best part of them-their smiles!